Evidence of meeting #80 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 finance.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
Okay. That motion's in order. I don't see why it wouldn't be debatable, although we could spend the whole day debating it.
The motion's before us. It's in order.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
I need a motion—we can do it quickly—yes, if we're going to continue, because we have other options. We could do committee business. It's up to the committee to decide what they want to do.
Your motion is in order. The floor is open for discussion and then we'll have a vote.
Not seeing any, I'll move us to a vote.
I'm sorry, Mr. Saxton.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Chair, what other business do you have on the agenda that we should attend to? We do have some committee business, I understand, that we should attend to.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
We do.
There's nothing there that couldn't wait until Thursday because it's dealing with witnesses for a hearing after the constituency week.
I'd rather do it today but it doesn't have to be done today. If you're asking me if there are time limitations, no. As long as we deal with the business at hand by the end of our meeting on Thursday of this week, we're good.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Okay, let's take it to a vote and then we can move on.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Mr. Chair, seeing where the government obviously is going with this, we have, as published on our agenda that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts will meet from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. for the sole purpose of hearing witnesses, the orders of the day being the televised hearing of witnesses from the Office of the Auditor General and the Department of Finance.
Seeing that we have 20 minutes left on the clock, I would encourage the government not to suspend our questioning of these honourable witnesses and that we allow the government to be held to account. I'm hoping, Mr. Chair, that there will not be a recorded vote, that while we have 20 minutes with the Office of the Auditor General and the Department of Finance available to us, that we won't go on to business that could be done at a different date. With that, Mr. Chair, if you want to take the vote, let's call it and hopefully we'll be back to questioning shortly.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
Okay. You don't mind if I just check to see if anyone else wants to speak first.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Mr. Chair, why don't we go for one question each and then go into committee business? How's that as a compromise?
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
Let's try that as a friendly amendment rather than be caught up in procedure.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
Yes. The suggestion is that we would then move into a business session.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
Okay. It looks like we have unanimous agreement that we will do one more round of questioning, a five-minute round beginning with the government, then the official opposition, and then the third party. Then we adjourn this part and excuse our witnesses. That's the understanding.
Does anybody disagree? Hearing none, that's what we'll do. Therefore, Mr. Saxton, you have the floor.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Thank you, Chair.
The first thing I would like to bring up is there have been some requests for documentation. I would just like to ask the Department of Finance to provide to the committee the documentation that the committee deems as necessary or relevant to our questioning here today.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP David Christopherson
There were two different pieces of information raised. It became a little confusing there. I am assuming, and correct me if I'm wrong, that you're referring to paragraph 7.50 and those projections. That's the same matter that Mr. Byrne has given notice of a motion regarding. I just want to make sure that you're on that piece of information rather than the other one.
The other piece was a recommendation accepted that internal information would go directly to the minister. That's been asked by the official opposition to be made public. Prior to that Mr. Byrne had submitted a motion regarding paragraph 7.50 about the long-term fiscal sustainability analysis and whether it should be provided to this committee or not.
