Human Resources Committee on April 16th, 2026

[The Chair (Robert Morrissey (Egmont, Lib.)), Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Good morning, committee members.

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 32 of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Friday, March 13, 2026, the committee is meeting on Bill C-20, an act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes. Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, meaning that members are participating in the room and that they and witnesses have the option of participating virtually. We have one witness appearing virtually. That witness has been sound-tested and has been approved.

I would remind all members to choose the official language you wish to participate in during the meeting and ensure that you're on the channel that gives you the proper interpretation. If there is an interruption in interpretation services, please get my attention and we'll suspend immediately until it's corrected. Those appearing virtually, click on the globe icon at the bottom of your Surface tablet and choose the official language of your choice. Again, if there's an interruption, get my attention and we'll suspend immediately while it's corrected.

For the protection of our interpreters, please ensure that your devices are on silent mode and refrain from tapping the booms. The technicians will turn the headset on when you speak. Those are the only points.

We have this morning....

Go ahead, Ms. Falk.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Chair, at the meeting on Monday, April 13, I had raised a matter of privilege. You indicated that you would return to the committee with a ruling. I'm wondering if you'll provide that ruling now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

No, I said I would take it under advisement, Ms. Falk. The chair does not rule on matters of privilege in committee.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Are you saying that you're not going to have a ruling on the matter of privilege that I raised?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Under the rules adopted by the House, chairs of committee do not rule on matters of privilege.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

In chapter 3 of our handy green book, it states the following:

Any disregard of or attack on the rights, powers and immunities of the House and its members, either by an outside person or entity, or by a member of the House, is referred to as a breach of privilege.

I would say that it was a breach of privilege that you did not follow what the committee had agreed upon when it came to the events that happened on Monday regarding clause-by-clause.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Falk.

The rules of the House are adopted by the House and, on committees, chairs do not rule on matters of privilege. The chair has the responsibility of setting the meetings and the agenda for those meetings. With that, I—

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Chair, I would like to challenge you on that because we believe it is your responsibility, as the chair of this committee, to provide a ruling when the chair of this committee has breached the privileges of the members who are on this committee and the business that we have decided. Being the chair, the one who creates the calendar and books the witnesses, you did not speak to opposition members—I'm not sure if you spoke to the government members—about needing to extend it. However, at the end of the day, we see this as a—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

There is a point of order.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

What's the point of order?

[Caroline Desrochers, Liberal, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Chair, the member is referring to something that was discussed in camera, and I don't think it should be discussed now that we are public.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

The rules state that points of privilege need to be dealt with at the earliest convenience.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I take it, Ms. Falk, that you raised this at an in camera session.

As the chair, I did not rule—

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Are you ruling that this is not a point of privilege? Is that what you're ruling then?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

It is out of my scope as chair to rule on points of privilege, as I indicated to you before. That's clearly in the rules of the House that were adopted.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

I understand that you would have to rule then if this is a point of privilege or not.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

No.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

You can't abdicate from that role and responsibility of the chair: You would rule on whether it was a point of privilege or was not a point of privilege.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

No, I do neither. The chair does not entertain points of privilege.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

I understand that you will not rule on the privilege itself, but you would say if it was or was not a point of privilege—

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Since the witnesses are already here, can we start the meeting? Everything we're discussing has already been discussed in camera. We invited witnesses, we should hear from them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Falk.

To reiterate, the chair does not rule on points of privilege. The chair does make decisions on the setting of the agenda, which I did as chair of the committee. The committee as a whole can refer a matter of privilege.

Given that the item you raised was about me, as chair, setting the agenda for the meeting, that is in the scope of responsibility of the chair and, therefore, I do not see it as a violation of the privileges of members.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Is that your ruling, then?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

That would be my decision.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Then I will challenge your decision, Chair.