Human Resources Committee on Oct. 28th, 2025

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Genuis.

The motion is on the floor. Is there any discussion on the current motion as it is?

Mr. Joseph, go ahead on the motion by Ms. Goodridge.

[Natilien Joseph, Liberal, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to follow up on my Conservative colleague's behaviour towards the witnesses. They were still here when the Conservative member proposed her motion. I would at least like the Conservatives to explain why they did that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Joseph.

There is the opportunity for any member sitting in—

[Natilien Joseph, Liberal, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

There's no interpretation, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Is it working now?

Each member has their floor time allocated and Ms. Goodridge followed Commons rules and committee rules in returning her motion to the committee.

Is there any further discussion on the motion?

Ms. Koutrakis.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

I'm just looking at the time, Mr. Chair. Until what time do we have resources?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

We have two more minutes.

Is there discussion?

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

I just want to return to my previous comments where I said that we spent quite a bit of time at committee discussing having two studies happen concurrently. We have our agenda in place already on the calendar.

I did reference earlier that likely the public accounts committee will be speaking to and having the Auditor General to speak on her report, so I don't see what the additional benefit would be for the Auditor General to also come to HUMA when we already have so many important studies in the queue. We're inviting witnesses shortly, and we want to hear how the programs we have in place at the federal level can help.

The temporary foreign worker program has been in the news quite a bit. That is the next study we are going to be looking at. I think it is a much better use of the committee's time to start listening to witnesses on that study than to have the Auditor General come to speak to her report when we know—at least, it's most likely—that public accounts will be looking at that and having her speak to that committee.

I don't see what the benefit is of duplicating that work at our committee, so I am appealing to my colleagues at this committee to vote this motion down.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Koutrakis.

Go ahead, Mrs. Gill.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If everyone is finished debating the matter, can we proceed to the vote?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Are you moving to vote on the motion as it is currently?

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Yes, exactly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

It's dilatory. You cannot move that motion.

We will resume with our speakers.

Ms. Goodridge.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think it's absolutely atrocious that the Liberals are trying to filibuster and that they don't want to have the Auditor General come. This is 35 billion dollars’ worth of spending from their government, and they're afraid of what the Auditor General has to say.

I would like to move to a vote. I agree with my colleague from the Bloc. I hope the Liberals will end this filibuster and allow us to get on to the business at hand.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Debate continues with Ms. McKelvie.

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It was a wonderful opportunity to come here today and join in the conversations around youth employment. I think it's great that the study continues. It sounds like you have many good studies coming up in the queue, especially with temporary foreign workers. I think this is a really important point to talk about right now.

I've heard from colleagues about looking beyond a one-size-fits-all on that program. It would be really great to prioritize listening to witnesses in this regard across the country, from coast to coast to coast, as they go through that, as well as all the many other studies that you have going on right now. I know that housing is a big priority for this government. It was unfortunate, I think, that I didn't have time to speak to that last witness and ask questions of the forestry sector about how they're getting ready for our work around modern methods of construction in the forestry sector. We know that we want to buy Canadian and use Canadian lumber. It is an important industry.

It's just very unfortunate that we went into this debate early and I lost my opportunity to ask those questions. I'm hopeful that we can continue to prioritize our time in a good way around the questions that matter most to Canadians right now, because that's what they expect from us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you.

Ms. Fancy, this is on the motion.

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you very much.

I'd just like to reiterate that, similar to what we had discussed in one of our previous meetings in regard to the Auditor General already giving the report to the public affairs committee and in regard to working for three different meetings to work out the timeline for the committee, we were really hoping to get the temporary foreign workers program study started—I know that's a priority for our colleague from the Bloc across the way—as well as to look for different rural-centric and regional approaches to that program, which I think would be of benefit right now, considering the weaponization that the Conservatives are putting on the strain with the temporary foreign workers program.

I really feel that my colleague Ms. Goodridge has a point in regard to her own portfolio as shadow minister or critic on some of the things in the Auditor General's report, but I don't think it's a sufficient use of our resources as a committee, when we already have a set schedule, to try to do someone else's work for them—

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Just a moment, Ms. Fancy.

Go ahead, Mrs. Gill.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

I would like to challenge the chair's ruling. A moment ago, I asked whether we could proceed to the vote. You rephrased my request, Mr. Chair, and that's when someone put their hand up to speak, thereby ending the voting process. I had asked for the vote to be called, so I don't think the debate should have carried on.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Gill. I made the decision that calling for the vote at the time was not in order, given the debate that was going on. Are you challenging the decision of the chair? It's not a decision that can be challenged.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

No one else was on the speaking list.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Madame Gill, you are now out of order. You cannot challenge the decision.

I'll go back to Ms. Fancy on the motion.

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

What I was talking about at the end was that although I feel that some information that will come from the Auditor General's report will help bolster some of our already successful programs—I commend my colleague from across the way in highlighting that—but as it is her job to be the shadow minister or critic in regard to youth and child care—I don't feel that the resources of this committee should be used to do someone else's work for them.

Thank you.