Evidence of meeting #154 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was finance.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
On a point of order, I believe that O'Brien and Bosc, Mr. Chair, allows my colleague to explain his point of order before a vote is called.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
You haven't even heard it. You haven't even heard the point of order.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
I'm not sure that you are involved in this, sir, because I was not talking to you, so I'm not sure what your point of order is.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
—since members of this committee are unnecessarily being attacked, particularly by the chairman.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
—the committee members that they are to treat our officials with respect. If they are missing some information, they can ask the officials for further information, but to impinge upon the character or integrity of officials is something that is not appropriate in this committee. That is simply what I am saying.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
On a point of order, Chair, with regard to decorum and your characterization of Ms. Kwan's behaviour—and this is with regard to decorum in terms of your comment—I believe that in this parliament we have seen public servants, most notably the former head of the public service, give very partisan displays in this place. I'm not saying that's what's happening with these officials, but I do share Ms. Kwan's frustration that we have departmental officials come to committee ill-prepared to answer basic questions about the implementation of a program that has budgetary implications. I think it's a waste of time.
Now, perhaps where I can share some sympathy with them is with their having a government foisting a program upon them without these details and forcing them to come to committee. But one would expect that if government officials who exist to serve government at the pleasure of government come to a parliamentary committee so that parliamentarians can do their jobs and ask these questions...that my colleague's frustration is quite well founded.
So I would characterize your admonishment of her behaviour as unparliamentary, and I would ask you to rescind it out of respect for parliament and our obligation to question officials in these matters.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
I have the floor. I have not given you the floor, Mr. Tilson. That is also inappropriate.
My comments were simply that if members of the committee have not received all the information they want, they are absolutely entitled to request more information. They are absolutely entitled to request documents. They are absolutely entitled to request another briefing. However, to somehow imply that our officials are not prepared to come to committee, I think, is an inappropriate response to our public servants.
That is my comment.
Ms. Kwan.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I want to be very clear about the direction of my comments. It is not about the officials, who are trying to do their level best with a government that announced a program for which they no details to provide to committee members, or more to the point, to the caregivers themselves. That is the issue I take.
It is always up to the officials to try to do their level best, and I believe they are. They came as prepared as they possibly could be, but they are not in a position to answer these questions. Why? It's because they don't have the information to give—
4:10 p.m.
NDP
4:10 p.m.
Liberal