Evidence of meeting #28 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was important.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
These buildings have to be constructed to the highest levels of security. We have to build them, not just for the requirements of today, but for next year's requirements and in the future. While I may say that cyber-attacks are going to be decreasing in the next couple of years and I hope there's less of a threat of international terrorism, I think that would be overly optimistic.
I believe it's important that we have the resources and the facilities to protect this country, at every level.
Conservative
Conservative
John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB
A point I'd like to make while you're here with your officials is that the government is on track to balance the budget, but as the Prime Minister reminds us, we're not there yet, and it requires work and commitment to the budget that had been submitted going forward.
To me, it's very important that we do balance the books. I believe you're committed to that, but this is a large federal government and we could see slippage. If I was on another committee, I'd be asking the exact same questions to that minister as well. What are you doing to ensure that the Government of Canada will hit its balanced budget as planned, as targeted, and as promised to the Canadian people?
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
In 15 seconds, I'm sure you'll see a closer examination of this. I indicated things like reducing travel expenses, making the headquarters work more efficiently, consolidating, doing what we can to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are spent as wisely as possible.
The budget is actually increasing this year, but, as I explained, there are a number of priorities that we have all agreed are important. Again, I'm with you, and I believe this government will balance the budget here in the next—
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
In the overall budget for National Defence, there is an increase.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Norlock
Minister, please.
Ms. Moore, you have the floor for five minutes.
NDP
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Minister, I would like to discuss the issue of sexual assaults.
An external independent study has been announced that will focus mostly on policies and procedure. It will not include the ombudsman, who is more independent...
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Norlock
Madam Moore, my apologies, but the bells are ringing.
I suspect that we are getting very close to the time that this committee, depending on the vote, may not be able to reconvene. In the interest of the main estimates, if there are no objections and I have unanimous consent before I adjourn, the chair would request that the estimates as presented be adopted in their entirety.
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Norlock
We're getting pretty close. I can suspend.
It looks as though the vote is at 12:18, so we may come back for a very few minutes, but the chair has no guarantee of that.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
I would suggest, Mr. Chair, it's a half-hour bell and it's going to take eight to ten minutes to vote and then ten minutes to come back, and then it's going to be top of the hour. It wouldn't be fair to our witnesses to ask them to hold here until five or ten minutes before one o'clock, so I would suggest that we deal with the business and then adjourn.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Sir, we will decide what we'll do in a moment here, but do these estimates have to be passed today?
Conservative
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Sir, well let me just say for the record that as the official opposition of a parliament, one of its primary duties is to hold the government to account, particularly on financial matters. We've been presented with a set of main estimates that covers a full two pages, with numbers as high as $17 billion showing up as single items.
Because of the circumstances—albeit not under your control—and having less than an hour, I want to officially put on the record that this is an abomination of democratic procedure. It's an abdication of an opportunity for parliamentarians, who have been elected to represent constituents, to give the kind of oversight over enormous governmental expenditures on extremely important activities.
I have no doubt that it's something we strongly object to. As a result, we do not find it possible to support these estimates without having had a thorough opportunity to discuss and deal with them.
So in the interest of the necessity of having them passed, we're not going to try and hold up the government and would consent to having the vote now, even though the bells have already gone. We ask that the vote be recorded as on division.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Norlock
Thank you.
Mr. Bezan. But I am going to adjourn this meeting very soon.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
I would just say, Mr. Chair, that committee still has the power at anytime to call back the minister to discuss financial matters. It is within our mandate and purview as committee, and I do agree that it is our responsibility to thoroughly go through the expenditures of the government on national defence.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Would you agree now that we would seize that opportunity at a later date?
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
We could definitely extend the invitation to the minister at a later date.