Evidence of meeting #120 for Public Accounts in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was desjarlais.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Hilary Smyth

5:45 p.m.

The Clerk

—when we had the initial meeting on “Report 2: Housing in First Nations Communities”. That was sent the very next morning, at 9:28 a.m., and several follow-ups were done until we got our final response on Monday, at 6:06 p.m.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative John Williamson

Thank you. That's where things stand.

Thank you, Mr. Desjarlais.

Mr. Sorbara, I see your colleague Mrs. Shanahan has her hand up. I might have seen your hand before. I wanted to double-check.

The floor is yours, if you would like it.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON

No. I'll put my hand down for the time being and I'll intervene when it's appropriate.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative John Williamson

Go ahead, Mrs. Shanahan.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

We're now speaking on the amendment. Is that correct, Chair?

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative John Williamson

We are speaking on the amendment. That is correct.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Chair, I'm very sorry that it had to come to this point, but I think we're just trying to put forward in, I think, fairly strong language that we are expecting the minister to provide the committee with an answer. We have provided a date to appear before this committee. I think it's almost unprecedented. I believe it happened in a previous government under, I would say, somewhat more egregious circumstances.

Given that members here feel very strongly about the minister's appearing, and frankly in keeping, I think, with what I like to see as the non-partisan and more professional and objective proceedings of this committee, with this amendment I think we're stating in very strong terms that we expect to see the minister make that...

I have no idea what her schedule is. I have no idea what's on her plate. We're coming to the end of a very busy sitting. She will be appearing at INAN, as has been confirmed by our colleague Mr. Schmale here, who is a member of INAN, and also through the letter the clerk received, which I think is certainly the normal course of things.

As I say, I regret that it has had to come to this, but I think we're showing on our side, in the spirit of working with Mr. Desjarlais and other members who seem to feel that it is not sufficient that the minister appear at INAN, that we will—

5:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative John Williamson

I do not like to break up the debate, but I am at risk of losing resources. Should that happen, we would lose the motion's sponsor. We are discussing the amendment, so I'm going to wind things up.

There is one last note before I look for your agreement—well, I don't actually need it, because I'm out of resources. We have a deadline coming up for the CCPAC conference at the end of the summer. I'm going to come back to this soon, so please start thinking of whether you'd like to go to the public accounts conference at the end of the summer in Quebec City. We need to put a budget together.

On that note, we're out of resources.

This meeting is adjourned.