Evidence of meeting #129 for Justice and Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
We will have positive decisions about a witness list. That will be known. We'll have positive decisions about the timeline of the study.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
My friend is a very intelligent person. He knows what I'm referring to. If the committee rejects proposals that are put forward in camera, that is not known.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Well, I'm confident that we will have positive results in the meeting next Tuesday.
To Mr. Cooper's comment, I may be colourful but I'm not a bird—I don't have nearly enough plumage. My comments are my own; I am no parrot. My comments and my work here today are my own.
This motion was crafted by Liberal members of this committee this morning, and if you were thinking there was a cover-up going on, if so, we would have just shut this down at 3:10. Let's be serious. Canadians know that. If there were some desire on our side to not shine a light on this and not look at this, to not have three witnesses, in good faith, on the list today, we would have shut this down at 3:10.
To say anything else is just to continue the memes and the social media bullying that you have had sent to all of our offices. If that's how you want to play this, then go ahead, but we will make sure that we do this sensitively and responsibly, and understand that we can get to the bottom of this on behalf of Canadians—that's our job.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Thank you very much. I appreciate that.
We'll now go to a vote on the main motion. I'm sure somebody will want it to be recorded.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
Yes, a recorded vote, and let the record show that a vote in favour of this motion is a cover-up.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
We're not going to do that again. That's out of order for a number of reasons.
Mr. Clerk, please call the roll on the main motion. Those voting in favour support the main motion put forward by Mr. Boissonnault. Those voting against it do not support it.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4)
Thank you very much.
Now, I promised Mr. Cooper that he could put forward a different motion. I've been told by colleagues that they have some travel issues. Therefore, I'm wondering if we can let Mr. Cooper put forward his motion and agree to come back to it on Tuesday—following whatever part of the meeting we do in camera, and then going out of camera to deal with Mr. Cooper's motion—so that people can make their flights today.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
Mr. Chair, with the greatest respect, this is a very straightforward motion that really shouldn't require a lot of debate. In fact, we can proceed immediately to a vote right here, right now. I would hope that the Liberals would do the right thing and let Ms. Wilson-Raybould speak. That's all.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Does everybody have a copy of this motion?
We don't have the French version.
The motion is:
That the committee call on the Prime Minister to immediately waive any purported solicitor-client privilege involving former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, in respect of the SNC-Lavalin matter, so that Ms. Wilson-Raybould can speak.
Mr. Boissonnault, do you have any procedural—
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
I'll just reiterate what I said in French, Mr. Chair, which is that the Prime Minister has asked the current Attorney General to look into this matter. This is a very serious and specialized issue of law. It requires the right analysis and examination, and the current Attorney General, the Honourable David Lametti, is looking into this on the behalf of the Prime Minister. I think that is where it should reside.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Thank you, Mr. Boissonnault. I was just wondering if we are allowed to vote without the French version, but we apparently can.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
I think we should just proceed to a vote and let everyone—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
As you can see, the committee normally tries very hard to respect both official languages.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
We're familiar. This fall will mark four years that we'll have been here, in Ottawa. We know what the two official languages are: English and simultaneous interpretation.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
No. On our committee, at least, we really try to be bilingual. I want you to know that.
Liberal
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
Yes, it's a recorded vote, and then everyone can catch their flights and we'll know who's on the side of getting answers and who wants a cover-up.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Oy vey.
(Motion negatived: nays 5; yeas 4)
Colleagues, I'm just going to leave you with the fact that we adopted Mr. Boissonnault's motion. I think that was a step forward and a step that I don't think some of my colleagues expected. I think we're moving forward.
We're going to call a meeting on Tuesday. I will let you know what time that meeting will be; I will check everybody's schedule.
I thank everybody for being here.
The meeting is adjourned.