Evidence of meeting #69 for Public Accounts in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Apparently we don't need unanimous consent, Mr. Chair. I apologize.
Conservative
NDP
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
We have an amendment here. Do you want to speak to the amendment?
Go ahead, Ms. Sgro.
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Chair, I'm sure if you want to spend a few more hours, we can dig up a whole lot more people to have here.
This continues to put us as a dysfunctional committee, Mr. Chairman, and I have to say it. The work we are supposed to be doing on behalf of Canadians is looking at how money was spent. We've done a lot of work. Every time we turn around.... We've had Mr. Alcock; we've had Ms. McLellan here. They gave us the testimony with what they've had. Mr. Zaccardelli was the head of the RCMP until a very short time ago.
The question is whether we are going to continue the witch hunt or whether we are going to try to get some work done. You guys want to go.... You can get another list and we'll bring some more people and we can go all summer, but I don't think Canadians expect us to continue to go around and bring people back a second and third time--to accomplish what?
Liberal
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Mr. Poilievre had previously made an amendment to a witness request that I had made, and I had accepted it. I even said I would take it on as a friendly amendment because I thought it important to hear from the previous president of the Treasury Board and the minister. They testified. They were asked these questions.
The purpose of this particular motion that I tabled last Thursday, and of the letter that was circulated and signed, was to deal with Mr. Brown's report. If you read Mr. Brown's report, you'll find a number of things within that report. Some inaccuracies that we need to deal with have been noted in the report, and there are names mentioned, but neither of those ministers is mentioned by name in that report.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I just want to clarify that the motion that has gone forward and has been seconded by Mr. Christopherson is just for Anne McLellan. That was the motion he had seconded. I note that Mr. Wrzesnewskyj was speaking about both ministers. It is just Anne McLellan in this motion that he seconded.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
If I may, Chair, just quickly, the reason is that we have brought in the one minister. I'm not comfortable with the President of the Treasury Board, because we're not bringing in the current one, so there's no match-up.
But I think it's fair. The government members have made a good argument that the previous minister has a piece of this. This is about the accountability piece. In fairness, I think it's right that we would bring in at least Minister McLellan, but I would draw the line there. Anything else really is over the top.
Liberal
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Just to conclude on what I was saying, we've heard this evidence. There's nothing in Mr. Brown's report that seems to indicate anything of interest. The numbers are here that potentially you can vote to have her appear or not have her appear and it will be the will of the committee, but we'd potentially be wasting our time.
Liberal
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Is that a yea, then? If we have unanimous agreement on it, should we debate this matter any more?
There would be one more witness.
Conservative
Conservative
