Public Accounts Committee on June 12th, 2018

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

I move that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts invite the Auditor General for a further meeting of one hour on the message or chapter zero on June 14, 2018, and that we give instructions to the analysts on the committee's report on the AG's chapter zero.

That part would be in camera.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

There is nothing in that motion in regard to what Mr. Christopherson....

Is that what you meant?

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

We also still had one hour in there as opposed to equal time, but more importantly....

Surely we can find a meeting of the minds. Ideally, the 14th with the AG is the right thing to do, but I think the current thinking is that as long as we can merely postpone—to use Mr. Massé's word—from the 14th to the 19th what we currently have scheduled and if the AG is available on the 14th, that would give us the perfect timeline. If not, plan B would be that we stay with the deputies on the 14th and invite the AG for the 19th. I don't know if you take that as a separate—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

This now becomes something we're going to have to look at in a more involved way in the committee business time. I've given my word to Mr. Wernick that he's going to have a closing statement, so can we defer the vote to immediately following this meeting?

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Otherwise, we can just stay until Mr. Wernick is finished talking. I'm prepared to give him that. He gave it to us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Let's do our business and then hear from Mr. Wernick.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Are we ready for the question?

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I don't know.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

This is my point.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

It's still all over the map. What the motion is and what I described are somewhat different.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

What I understood from you, Mr. Christopherson, if I understood correctly, is that we should give the same amount of time to the Auditor General as we did to Mr. Wernick.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Yes, I think so.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

I have no issue with that. If we finish earlier, then we can give instructions to the analysts. That's fine with me.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Okay. That's a minor amendment.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

The amendment would be to take the “one hour” part from my motion.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Okay. Then what about the order of the meetings, Madam?

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

Oh, no, absolutely, transfer the meetings. Mine is on June 14th.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Let's call the question here.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I don't know what the question is, Mr. Chair.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

The question is—

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

—that we invite him for the 14th. We know he's available, because he's coming for the minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

That's for the two hours, though.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

If I may, Chair, that's assuming the deputy currently scheduled for the 14th can make the 19th. If not, then we stay with the deputy on the 14th and hope the AG can make it on the 19th.