Procedure and House Affairs Committee on June 4th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Okay.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Just to add to the point of order, I think for a member to suggest that witnesses somehow should be censored and be told what they can and can't speak to on a study.... I mean, people come in and offer their opinions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Okay.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

They have the right to do that. I think for a member to suggest that people should be censored by the government is absolutely ridiculous and ludicrous.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

You could raise your hand, Mr. Richards, and you can get back on the speakers list, but for now—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

A point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

No, I—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

A point of order on that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Is this a separate point of order?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Am I not on the speakers list?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Oh. You—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

You just spoke before me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Yes, you were on it originally, but I think you're—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I didn't add myself back after I spoke?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

I think you're going to have to take your hand down and then raise your hand back up.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I thought I had done that, but—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Okay. I'll just list you manually.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

—I will do so now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you. You would come after Ms. Blaney.

Mr. Gerretsen, you have the floor, then Ms. Blaney and then Mr. Richards.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Thank you.

In my opinion, that was just a little bit of grandstanding there, because in no way whatsoever did I infer that the witnesses or the individuals who came forward were in any way not upstanding individuals who contribute a lot to our Parliament in some cases, our democracy in others.

What I was referring to was the fact that the testimony they offered, in my opinion—which is a debatable point, fair enough, but certainly not a point of order—was not testimony that can be used to help us to establish how we go about doing what we need to do.

We can continue to argue and grandstand over this, or we can get down to the work we've been tasked to do by the House of Commons, and I choose the latter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you.

Ms. Blaney.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just want to let the committee know that I have an urgent meeting in two minutes and I will need to go. We are going to attempt to get somebody in here to fill in for me.

I also just want to say that I did find the testimony this morning very helpful. I thought it pinpointed some key issues that I have felt.

As for the conversation on the next steps, I'm hoping that we'll soon hear if we can have those extra days. One of my biggest concerns with this timeline is what we experienced last time. I found it quite discombobulating to have to write a dissenting report to a report that I couldn't physically look at. Given the hard work of all the clerks, interpreters and translators for us, I'm not saying anything negative about their incredible work, but it was concerning to me to have to do that. It was so last minute.

I hope that as committee members, we evaluate as we go through the process and that we're not afraid to give an interim report that extends our time, if that is what we need to do. This is a serious issue—I just want us to take it that way.

We are talking about our democracy. We cannot undermine how important this is and that we do get it right. I think the warning about opening up Pandora's box is something we should consider, but we also have to address the reality that immunization from this—a vaccine—is not coming for a long time, and we want to make sure that all of our members have the ability to participate in a meaningful way.

As we move through this process, I hope we all remember and look at the example we just saw from some of our provincial counterparts of collaboration and working together, and not to take this as an opportunity to refer to other members' witnesses in a negative way. I think that is just something about collaboration that we should all consider.

Thank you, everyone. I am going to have to go, but I'm going to work really hard at getting somebody in to continue this conversation with you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you, Ms. Blaney.

Do you think there is somebody coming, or are you going to....?

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

We were hoping this would be done on time—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Madam Chair—