How long does he want?
Evidence of meeting #15 for Natural Resources in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was resources.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #15 for Natural Resources in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was resources.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
It's a minute. We'll see how long others are going to speak to this.
Liberal
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Well, I do have the floor, and I'm going to be talking about the importance of the Chalk River nuclear labs, and how having them taken over by an American company—which is allowed by a government that claims to be “elbows up”—is a travesty. We found out that Prime Minister Mark Carney has shares in one of the companies that is taking over. There are alarm bells.
This is worthy of a study, and I can't imagine anyone in this committee not agreeing with this study going forward after the forestry study wraps up—there's no reason. Canadians are asking for these answers. We need to hear directly from AECL about the travesty that is taking place.
Liberal
Liberal
Claude Guay Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
AECL, right now, is in a competitive bidding process to issue its contract, and the process was done independently from the government. The contract is now being reviewed by the Competition Bureau, which ensures that contracts are in the best interest of Canada. This review by the Competition Bureau is done independently from politicians, whether Liberal, Bloc or Conservative, and so, for me, the Conservative motion would interfere with this process.
I call on my Conservative colleagues at the committee to respect the independence of the Competition Bureau and its review of the contract. I have no problem doing a study in the future on atomic energy, the role of Chalk River and all of that, but I think we need to respect that, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
Liberal
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
I was wondering whether we could release our witnesses.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Duguid
That's not a point of order.
However, colleagues, can we let our witnesses go? It looks as though this is going to go on for a bit.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Duguid
Yes, we're okay with letting our witnesses go.
Thank you for that suggestion, Mr. McKinnon. It wasn't a point of order, but it was a point of courtesy.
Yes, go ahead.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
On a point of order, Chair, I just want to make sure the witnesses understand that, because of this, they may have to come back.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Duguid
Well, if the committee so wishes, we can call them back, yes. This is their second time here. I know they love this committee as much as we do.
Thank you, Mr. McKinnon.
Go ahead, Mr. Danko.
Liberal
John-Paul Danko Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I served on a municipal council for nearly seven years. One of the most difficult things for me to get used to is the Conservative tactic of lying with impunity under the—
Liberal
Liberal
John-Paul Danko Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
They are falsifying information with impunity under parliamentary privilege.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Duguid
Mr. Danko, if you would refrain from using that word, I think the whole committee would be grateful. Please continue.
Liberal
John-Paul Danko Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Thank you.
I also spent 20 years in construction as a structural engineer. In most of that time, I avoided legal action, as I did in my role on council.
I find that these tactics of stating these outrageous conspiracy theories, under the protection of parliamentary privilege, are really cowardly, and I would encourage all Conservative members to grow a pair and say what you say, in committee, outside.
