Evidence of meeting #51 for Public Accounts in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was witnesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair (Hon. Joseph Volpe (Eglinton—Lawrence, Lib.)) Liberal Joe Volpe
Colleagues, thank you very much for your patience. It's reciprocated, as usual.
We just have a few business items, and I'd like to go over them really quickly. They're in the realm of just cleaning things up before we go to reports.
The one thing we did not have an opportunity to vote on, of course, last week was the 19th report of the subcommittee, which met on March 9. It essentially dealt with who we were going to have on the witness list.
It seemed to be....
Mr. Saxton.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
I just wanted to say that we don't object to this, but we do think it's probably worthwhile to deal with the current witnesses who are before the committee before we move on to the next step.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
I wanted to go through three items that have to deal with that, but I'm happy to hear you say that you don't object. So can I then very quickly dispense with this and say that because the 19th report really reflected people who we would have after we dealt with the current witnesses, we just accept it and go on?
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
I think we should deal with the current witnesses first and then we can deal with this afterwards. That's what I would prefer to do.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
Well, all of these were going to come here on the 24th. That's today. So we're going to have to make one quick change, that it wouldn't be the 24th. I'm going to take the government House leader at his word—
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
3:45 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
As I said, we'd like to deal with the current witnesses before we deal with these ones, so let's deal with the current ones first.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
Are you asking me, Mr. Saxton, to go to the rest of the agenda, which has to do with correspondence, or are you...?
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Why don't you carry on what you're doing and then we'll—
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
What I'm dealing with is one at a time. I want to deal with this report, Mr. Saxton. If you want to go ahead and delay things, that's okay.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Well, we have other witnesses before the committee, and I thought we were going to deal with those witnesses before we go on and cast the net even further onto the next witnesses.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Mr. Chairman, the first item on our agenda is committee business. It is important to get updates so that we know where we stand at the present time.
I believe this is what you have been trying to do for a while now. If members opposite would just let you speak, we would be able to move forward and get some more information—
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
—unless they intend to keep interrupting you in order to shut you off.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
Mr. D'Amours, it was my intention to discuss the subjects that have almost been agreed on already. The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs has already made a decision. So I would simply ask this committee if it approves the work done by our colleagues, yes or no. Mr. Saxton said he agreed. So I accepted his answer. However, now Mr. Saxton seems to have other—
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Chair, you love to put words in my mouth. I did not say “yes”. I said that we did not object—
