Evidence of meeting #43 for Public Accounts in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Alex Smith  Committee Researcher

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

This is just to second the motion, Chair, and also to say that I like my coffee double-double.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

If that's all it took, I'll gladly buy a double-double.

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

I'll even add a little something if it will get us through these darn meetings.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

You don't need to add anything, no, no, no.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

Well, it couldn't get any worse.

Monsieur Ravignat.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

I don't have issues with the motion.

I have a question about the report: we're report-writing on what?

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

That's a fair question.

Alex, what's the one that we have teed up?

10:25 a.m.

Alex Smith Committee Researcher

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The committee had considered a report on the Public Accounts of Canada 2011. Some changes were made. The committee had wanted to see those changes before adopting the report. That's one thing for the committee.

The other is that the committee had done a study on Canada's economic action plan, or the audit of that. That draft is now available for the committee to consider.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

And we would take it in that order.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

I'm sorry, I was distracted there. I missed that.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

That's fine.

Alex, would you summarize that again quickly, please?

10:25 a.m.

Committee Researcher

Alex Smith

Yes, Mr. Chair.

So for Public Accounts of Canada 2011, changes have been tracked for the committee to consider, and then Canada's economic action plan.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Given that I'm told that I may be substituting for Mr. Byrne again, could I get some background or a filler or some material from the clerk—

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

Of course.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

—so that I can make a useful contribution, please?

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

I can't guarantee that last part, but we can guarantee the material, sir.

10:25 a.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

I'll guarantee the last part if you'll guarantee the first part. Is that fair?

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

There you go. There's a perfect partnership.

Monsieur Ravignat, you have the floor.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

I would assume that we would also have time to discuss committee business at that meeting as well, right?

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

Well, now you've touched on something.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

We do have to plan for the next meeting. The motion only deals with—

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

Here's where it gets a little tricky, colleagues. I don't want to split hairs, but I went out of my way to say that I was removing any question of whether it was public or in camera, and if somebody has a problem with it being in camera, I will take the responsibility and explain what is the practice of this committee. I'm very comfortable to do that.

However, given the debate we just had about whether committee business should be in public or in private, to now deem that we're going to do committee business in a meeting that I, as chair, have directed us into is just somewhat problematic, because it brings us back to that question of whether the committee wants to do committee business in public or in camera. If I call a meeting for committee business, it's my ruling that we de facto start in public and only go in camera on motion. Therefore, that piece would have been eliminated.

So that's my concern.

Your thoughts?

10:25 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

So you're just suggesting that we then do committee business on Tuesday, then.

At some point we're going to have to address what we do in the future.

10:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP David Christopherson

Yes, either that or....

We have a bit of a backup plan on Tuesday.

The other thing we could do right now, which would be very positive, colleagues, is to reschedule the meeting that we deferred, where we had everybody ready to go.... What was the chapter, Clerk?

Yes, it was maintaining and repairing military vehicles. If you recall, we had that teed up and ready to go. We made a change when we brought in the Auditor General for a full session, which was much appreciated, but it's hanging out there.

If we could slide that in for next Tuesday, that would allow us to have a backup plan if the AG can't make it on Thursday. If he does make it on Thursday, it allows us to finish up our work on Thursday and have a game plan for the following Tuesday, in one neat move.

So that, colleagues, would be the easiest thing to do. That hearing has to happen. We've postponed it. It's from the last fall report, I believe. Again, we're getting a little bit behind on this.

That kind of a motion, an amendment to the motion, would really give us a nice sense of where we're going to be for at least the next two meetings.

You still have the floor, sir.