National Defence Committee on Feb. 14th, 2011

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Remember that name, in case the cops stop you. The name could come in handy. Put it in your BlackBerry.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

I am a Conservative. I abide by the law.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Especially the jurisdictions and authorities...

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

...of the provinces.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

We have to remember that name in Ontario, because in the Atlantic provinces, it's your name we have to remember.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Yes, but we have other ways to solve problems like that. We don't always need lawyers.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Bachand spoke to me about it and we agree if the objective is to do the study as soon as possible or rather to do the study without delaying the case. I have no objection to inviting the ombudsman for an hour if that saves us from having another meeting later. If we want to hear from witnesses who have something to say and do it properly, let's not drag the bill on. If we could add an hour on Wednesday, we would be happy to do it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

I would just like to remind the members that the committee decided to schedule three days for hearing witnesses. So Wednesday will be an extra day for that.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

First of all, we didn't get that information. I don't know whether you got it. You didn't either?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

No.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Okay. And obviously that's something we discussed, but as far as I know, the CDS is being given the financial authority; that is part of the process that's going on now.

But I have a question. When is Michel Drapeau coming?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

On the 28th.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Okay.

What we're talking about is amending the Federal Accountability Act, not the National Defence Act, with respect to giving the CDS the authority to--not the Accountability Act. Wrong terminology. The Financial Accountability Act.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

There's always John Baird.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

The Financial Administration Act. Thank you.

So it's not the National Defence Act that he's going to be discussing; it's the FAA. Pick whichever FAA you want.

The principle is fine. The principle is relevant, but it's not in relation to C-41 and the NDA. It's in relation to another act.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Do you recommend that the government give consideration to recommend FAA?

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

We can, but it's not part of C-41. That's a separate.... I'm not saying it's not a legitimate issue; I'm just saying it's not a C-41 issue.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

It's not an amendment to C-41, in other words.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

No, it's not a C-41 issue. So if we're going to do something separately on that, I have no objection to that, but I just don't think it's a C-41 issue.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Mr. Bachand, the floor is yours.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

I don't understand. An ombudsman sends us a letter and tells us that he wants to come and testify about Bill C-41 and the grievance process. Are you trying to tell me that it is not in his mandate or in our mandate? That's not what he says in his letter. He says that he wants to come and share his expertise based on a report he already did on Bill C-41. I don't see why we couldn't invite him to appear. I don't understand.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Let me just read what...because I just had a chance to glance over it.

He's talking about the grievance process as it relates to the authority to provide financial compensation to fully resolve unfairness, which is a legitimate enough statement. But that's under the FAA, not the National Defence Act. C-41 deals with the National Defence Act, not the financial act.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Let me read it.

He says the following: “My understanding is that the Standing Committee on National Defence is currently studying Bill C-41, An Act to amend the National Defence Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

I think that an aspect of the grievance process of the Canadian Forces should be included in the draft bill, since it would make it possible to correct a significant injustice that the members of the Canadian Forces are currently facing.”

I find that he is referring to Bill C-41 and his presence as a witness is perfectly acceptable.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

The title of Bill C-41 reads as follows:

an act to amend the National Defence Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts. Mr. Hawn is right, because that will have an effect on other acts. But it's also a global vision, so the discussion is--

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

We're not violently opposed to him coming. I'm just pointing out that now you could read into “make consequential amendments to other acts” that one of those acts is the FAA, I guess. So we're not violently opposed. I just want to make sure we're clear that this is not specifically a C-41 question. It's another question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Mr. Harris.