Evidence of meeting #17 for National Defence in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was caf.
A video is available from Parliament.
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
February 26th, 2021 / 2:55 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
It is a pleasure for me to make these comments, Mr. Robillard.
I agree to a certain extent with Mr. Garrison and Mr. Bezan. As far as I understand, the motion that may be moved would propose that we hear testimony from the minister immediately after hearing from the former ombudsman.
I suggest that we assess next Wednesday what we have learned at the meeting with the former ombudsman. After that, we could make a decision. Just like Mr. Garrison and Mr. Bezan, I would be ready, after next Wednesday's meeting with the former ombudsman, to vote with you to invite the minister, if that is what you want. We may want to invite other witnesses after the former ombudsman's testimony.
So here is my proposal. Let's wait for next Wednesday, following the former ombudsman's testimony, to see what is going on, and we can then decide whether we should invite the minister, and even other people. We may actually learn other things on Wednesday.
To summarize, I suggest that we continue this discussion after the former ombudsman's testimony and to then make a decision about inviting the minister or perhaps other people. That would be something of a compromise, but I think it's the most responsible way to proceed, since we don't know what we will learn on Wednesday. We don't know whether it will be necessary to invite other people.
2:55 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
All I was suggesting here is that we extend the invitation to the minister to appear at committee after the testimony of the ombudsman, should he choose to do so. I'm not suggesting on the same day, as Mr. Robillard seemed to imply. I think that's one reason.
The second reason is that we have a second issue that has come up in public and that is the media reports that say we have a second chief of the defence staff who appears to have been under investigation for a period of time and it's unclear when actions were taken, if any, or whether his suspension was a voluntary suspension. That's a second set of questions we didn't have before us when we started these hearings, we'll call them that, the study. For that reason, I would extend the invitation to the minister today to allow him time to consider whether he wants to respond to both of those things.
On the question of whether there are further witnesses, I do agree with Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe that the question of any further witnesses should be left to a later date. I'm only suggesting today that the minister be offered that opportunity.
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
All right.
March 8 is our next official meeting. If you wish, we can put aside time for committee business at that time or we can have a steering committee meeting, and then we can discuss this. That way you will have all the information.
What do you think about waiting a week?
3 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Madam Chair, would a steering committee take up a regularly scheduled committee time slot and/or day from our regularly scheduled committees or would that be at a different time?
3 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
It depends on House resources. If the wish is to find an additional time after March 8, then we will ask for that, and we'll see if we can find one that works. If there are no additional slots, then we might have to use one of our time slots.
3 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
Is that a plan? If everyone's happy, we'll have a meeting after March 8, and we'll put aside time to talk about this issue.
3 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
3 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
All right, we have a plan.
Thank you, everyone. I think that was a very helpful session.
The meeting is adjourned.
