Public Accounts Committee on April 18th, 2007

[John Williams, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Mr. Chairman, I'm going to say no, and I'll tell you why. We're talking about boxes of documents that are not translated, 99% chance. You can't come in here with boxes of documents and quote from them ad hoc when other committee members can't even have access to them.

If the steering committee wants to bring this gentleman forward, I don't have a problem, but let's translate all the documents before they come here so that everybody has access to them. Let's do it properly through the steering committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Okay, Mr. Williams, you've made your point.

Mr. Wrzesnewskyj—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

I'm not going to go to debate. You do not have unanimous consent.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

On a point of order, actually, I don't think we have a problem with Mr. Wrzesnewskyj's motion, if I've heard right. The only stipulation is that—

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

It be translated.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

—the relevant documents be translated. So if we can just add that, is that a friendly amendment?

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

It's a friendly amendment.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Okay, there we go.

[John Williams, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Before he comes.

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Yes. It's a friendly amendment, Chair.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

It's a friendly amendment, accepted.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Well, it's not what Mr. Williams said, but I mean—

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

That's the way I understood it, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Well, he said no. I asked whether there was unanimous consent, and he said no.

[John Williams, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

I have no problem with the witness coming forward, Mr. Chairman, provided the documents are translated and distributed before he gets here.

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Wonderful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Is it a friendly amendment?

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Absolutely.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Okay, there we go.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Okay, does Mr. Wrzesnewskyj have unanimous consent to put the motion, with the amendment?

Okay, all are in agreement.

[Jean-Yves Laforest, Bloc, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

That's with the translated documents? Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

I'll call the vote on the motion.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

In closing, I want to thank the witnesses again. I know it has been a quick ending and I know this is a difficult issue for a lot of people, so I want to thank you for your appearance here.

The meeting is adjourned.