Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Dec. 5th, 2024

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

—the 7th—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Your story always seems to—

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

—and then I was there on the 8th as well.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

[Inaudible—Editor] order—

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

We'll have one person at a time, please. It's very difficult for the interpreters to figure out what's going on here.

Let's have one person at a time, please, and I believe Michael Barrett had a question. Then we'll have an answer.

Mr. Barrett—

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

I have a point of order.

This has been happening regularly in this particular exchange. I think it's good at the outset just to clear it up.

Let's give the witness enough time to offer a response back.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'll speak to the point of order.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Go ahead, Mr. Zimmer.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

What we've experienced in this committee is that the person asking the question is due their time. In this case, Mr. Barrett is due his time to ask the person the questions he wants to ask. I would challenge the chair to keep that parity.

Thank you.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

You can challenge the chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Yes, my goal here is that the length of the answer matches the length of the question. We'll try to keep to that as closely as possible. That way it doesn't mess up the interpreters too much and everybody has their time.

Mr. Barrett, you have the floor.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

We have equal time.

You said you were a journalist. Are you?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Barrett, I was a regular reporter for the francophone news outlet CBC/Radio-Canada. I was a member of the Canadian media for several—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

That was equal time.

That's not what what the CBC has said.

You said you were indigenous to get federal contracts, disenfranchising indigenous peoples. Are you indigenous?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, that is simply false. That's not true. I've never claimed indigenous status and I've never applied for an indigenous contract, full stop.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

We know that's also not true, because the company that you owned 50% of, Mr. Boissonnault, did exactly that. Your company, GHI, is under investigation for fraud and is being investigated by the police. Is that correct?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I have not been contacted by any police service to that effect, and, Mr. Barrett, I was not involved in any federal contracts while I was operating the company. It's very serious—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

As much as you want to distance yourself from it, this is very much yours to own because you, in fact, own 50% of it. You were willing to cash the cheques, but you're not willing to take any of the responsibility for where the money came from and how it came to be in possession of the company. Suspicious warehouse fires, fraud investigations—

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Go ahead, Mr. Carr.

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

For my benefit and that of other committee members, I would very much appreciate if the clerk could provide the timing of the length of questioning that you were allocating. It's six minutes per member. Every time that you—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

It's six minutes.

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

—stop the clock to deal with a point order or to address something that Mr. Barrett, Mr. Zimmer or others have said, I'd like it to be tracked for the committee that you're not providing more time to Mr. Barrett.

For our benefit, please, if you could have the clerk—

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Are you questioning the judgments of the chair?

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I am asking for the chair, through his clerk—