Industry Committee on July 27th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay. Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Lukiwski.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Not to go over old ground again, but I just want to clarify, since Mr. McTeague referred to my questions and my comments.... We don't have the blues yet, unfortunately, but I know that there are many members of the media here, and many of them spoke with the Privacy Commissioner following her testimony.

I stand by my testimony. Mr. McTeague seems to suggest that because there have been a limited number of complaints over the last 20 years, it's okay to use threats and to try to coerce Canadians into answering the mandatory long-form census. In effect, that is exactly the opposite of what Ms. Stoddart said. She stated under direct questioning from Mr. Anderson that she felt that it was inappropriate, and should not be allowed, to coerce, threaten, cajole--call it what you will--Canadians into answering questions that they don't want to.

That is her position as the Privacy Commissioner of this country, yet the Liberals and the opposition seem to want to ignore that. I think it's unacceptable.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Lukiwski.

Seeing no further debate and seeing that the amendment is in front of us, I'm going to call the question on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to)

Now we have the main motion in front of us as amended.

Is there any further debate on the main motion as amended?

Mr. Lake, go ahead.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Mr. Chair, if I could, I just noticed that Mr. McTeague's microphone was off when I asked my last question. He did reply “yes”. I just want to clarify that he did reply “yes”, because it may not have been caught for the transcript.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

We'll make sure that the clerk examines the transcript and that “yes” is on the transcript.

Seeing no further debate, I'll call the question on the motion as amended.

(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you very much.

I understand that Mr. McTeague is going to move a motion.

Go ahead, Mr. McTeague.

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Thank you.

I just want to make sure, for Mr. Lake's benefit and for everybody listening, that they can hear the following motion. It's for production of papers, as follows:

The committee request under the authority of Standing Order 108 in relation to its study on the long-form portion of the Census, that the Minister table all documents and emails between Statistics Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Minister of Industry's office on changes to the 2011 census. The committee also requests the analysis section of the Memorandum to Cabinet and requests that said material be delivered to the committee within 5 days.

My comments are addressed to my francophone colleagues. Do you want me to repeat that in French? Mr. Bernier, Mr. Petit, is there a problem?

Mr. Chairman, that is the motion I am presenting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

There's a motion on the floor in front of us. Is there any debate on this motion?

Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I don't think the government has any issue with releasing anything that can be legally released. So no problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Seeing no further debate, I'll call the question on the motion as moved by Mr. McTeague.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

May I make a comment?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I'm calling the question.

(Motion agreed to)

Mr. Petit, do you have a comment?

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

No, there is no point anymore.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay.

Mr. Anderson.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I have one comment before we go. I don't mean to hold things up here, but I was encouraged by Mr. McTeague's comments at the end of the testimony when he made some reference to manure, and talking about rural Canada being discriminated against by the mandatory nature. I think he was referring to the agriculture survey.

I just want to tell him that if he wants to work on making that voluntary as well, I would love to work with him on that project. I think we could do that and make sure that rural Canadians are treated properly.

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

This is exactly what happens when you don't have things organized, Mr. Anderson.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

We'll take that under advisement, Mr. Anderson. Thank you.

Mr. McTeague, Mr. Bernier has the floor.

Go ahead.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

I just want to add that I share the same concern. So if we want to have this debate, I personally am also open to having the debate.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Merci.

Mr. McTeague.

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Chair, in the spirit of cooperation provided by the platform that the member has talked about, I would suggest that next time a decision is made by cabinet to make a change of this substance, perhaps they ought to look before they leap--wherever that may be, including a pile.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. McTeague.

I want to thank all members of the committee for their help today and for their participation.

This meeting is adjourned.