Industry Committee on June 15th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

My thinking right now, in the sense and spirit of this meeting at the moment, is that the only exception is when we get into a situation where a member has replaced another member and we just don't have specific enough language to keep it narrow. That's why I mentioned that. That would be the spirit in which I would act in that regard.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Of course you can't rely on me being the chair forever, but that's the spirit of the conversation presently--that the only exception is when there's a small number such as the Liberals are dealing with right now and they have to pair off in the meetings.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

I find leaving yourself open to this potentially problematic, because there are certain rules we have to uphold within our parties. But an independent member has no rules, and there could be reasons for people wanting to--I don't like to use the word “sabotage”--steer us off course or make things public that are not necessarily so. I would like to add, after “members of Parliament”, “who are present at the committee at the in camera meeting”.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Even that is a little bit complex, because the clerk has just mentioned that if a regular member for some reason didn't show up that day because they were ill or something but they wanted to be involved in it, then they wouldn't have access to it so they wouldn't be able to get back up to speed.

Mr. Julian and then Mr. Hsu.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

How about this: “in consultation by members of the committee or by other members of Parliament who attended the meeting”? So members of the committee have access, and other members who are not permanent members of the committee, when they attend those meetings, have access to that information.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

That's “attended as a designate”. If you don't add “as a designate” then at least they were in the meeting.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Okay. So it's “or by other members of Parliament who...”.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

You could say "at the specified meeting".

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Or you could say “other members who are designated”.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Yes. If they were in the room they could then have access.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

So it's “or other members who were designated that attended the specific meeting”.

Is everybody clear on that? So it will be that one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the committee clerk's office for consultation by members of the committee or other members who were designated who attended the specific meeting.

[The Clerk]

That didn't use Mr. Lake's wording. I don't know if he agrees.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Is that okay with you, Mr. Lake?

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

If it's “other members who were designated that attended a meeting”, what does the designated part mean there? If it was in camera, by definition they had to be designated, right?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

No, you and I can stroll into an in camera meeting as members.

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

So any member of Parliament can come into the meeting?

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Yes.

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

I don't understand. If that's the case, then I don't understand why any member of Parliament can't look at the transcripts. If it's the right of any member of Parliament to walk into an in camera meeting, our entire caucus could sit in on an in camera meeting if we wanted to.

Sorry. Someone is saying no. Could we have more than two Liberals sitting in on an in camera meeting? Could one be sitting at the table and one be sitting off to the side?

[The Clerk]

No.

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

So you have to switch off? We can't just stroll in, but we can switch off?

[The Clerk]

It's the acting--

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

So it would cover it if we just said “or other members who attended the specific meeting”? Are you okay with that?

[The Clerk]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Is everybody okay with that?