Evidence of meeting #2 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Do you have a point of order, Mr. Long, or do you just want to get on the speakers list?
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
I am in favour of meeting with Minister Qualtrough and Minister Hussen on November 4. That is soon, which is good, even if it is a one-hour meeting. I realize that a motion had been put forward when work was being scheduled, during the last session, and that all the motions were put forward again. However, when it comes to the committee's time for meeting with the ministers, I agree with your suggestion, Mr. Chair.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
So as not to prolong the debate, I move that Ms. Kusie's motion be amended to indicate that Minister Qualtrough and Minister Hussen, along with department officials, appear before the committee for one hour each before November 15. We know, though, that it will be on November 4.
That is my motion, Mr. Chair.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Chair, I understand you missed a text that said I wanted to make an intervention. I'd just like to make the point that I wouldn't support an amendment to Ms. Kusie's motion. I think we should follow the practice of one hour with a single minister and an hour with their officials, meaning we would have two meetings, and if we can find another two-hour slot during the break week, November 4 or whenever, I would support that.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Mr. Kent.
Is there any further discussion?
Go ahead, Ms. Falk, please.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Thank you, Chair.
I just want to add to that. Since we're in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic, a lot of programs have been established and rolled out, and I think it would actually do a disservice not only to Canadians but to the ministers to have them here for only an hour together. That's really cutting it down. I am pretty adamant on having an hour for each minister and an hour for each department, just because there are so many programs and there are questions that we all have.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Chairman, perhaps there was a translation issue when I put forward the motion. I did say that each minister would be given a separate hour. It wasn't to bring both of the ministers together. It was to bring in Minister Hussen, together with his department, for an hour and Minister Qualtrough, together with her department, for an hour.
At this point, we have no assurances that during the break week there will be the technical ability to bring in another two hours, so for the moment I think it would be prudent to agree to this. Then, if there is further time that's allocated and that we're able to get during the break week, and there's a desire to bring in the department officials alone that week for the departments, I would be totally open to that. However, I don't want us to be in breach of a motion that's adopted because we're technically incapable, based on House of Commons resources, to fulfill what's in the motion.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Mr. Chair, at the last meeting the Liberal members moved that we adopt all of the previous motions of this committee to expedite our work, and now, when that motion doesn't suit the ministers' interests, they're trying to amend our motion again. We have a responsibility as parliamentarians to understand how government is spending money. Never before in the history of Canada has government spent so much in such a short period of time, and we have to get to the bottom of how money is being spent. People have lost their jobs. They're desperate.
We're not asking for a lot. We're asking for two ministers and two sets of officials. We can make it happen. If in Parliament all of the parties can come together and have only a few hours of debate to dispense of hundreds of billions of dollars, the least we can do is have some short meetings and have some proper questioning. That is eminently reasonable.
I will not vote in favour of any motion that takes away from our capacity to understand, even in the little ways that we can, how money is being spent. We need to get to the bottom—
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Excuse me, Mr. Dong. I am speaking about a very important matter. If you need to adjust your volume on your technical device, that's not a point of order.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Well, you interrupted my speech. If you don't want to—
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Mr. Vis, I ceded the floor to him with a point of order.
Make your point of order.
