Public Accounts Committee on Oct. 9th, 2024

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Stop.

All right. We really don't want to go down into U.S. politics, or bring U.S. politics into this committee room.

Ms. Khalid, you have the floor. Go ahead, please.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you very much, Chair.

I'm going to put some things on the record with respect to the topic we are talking about today.

Mr. Bains, I appreciate your patience with our opposition colleagues on everything they've been hammering you with today.

Prime Minister Mulroney asked that Ms. Verschuren serve on his national science and tech committee, and Minister Flaherty tapped her as an economic adviser to serve on his economic council during the 2008 recession. She donated to the Simcoe-Grey Conservative Association between 2013 and 2016. She donated to Lisa Raitt. She has donated consistently, since 2013, to the Conservative Party federally, and she also donated to the last two leadership campaigns.

Can you help me understand how partisanship works with these kinds of appointments, please?

[Navdeep Bains]

Thank you very much for the question.

As I highlighted, it's important to note that in 2016 there was a new process put in place. This process was designed to encourage all Canadians to apply to various positions made available in different organizations and agencies. The Privy Council Office led this panel with the various departments. They ultimately made recommendations and brought forward names to the minister. Then the minister made a GIC recommendation. As was discussed before, the process was open. It was fair. It was transparent.

Specifically with regard to Ms. Verschuren, as you can tell, she worked with the previous government in different roles. She also received the Order of Canada.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Bains.

[Navdeep Bains]

She was a well-recognized CEO, so—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Bains.

I'm sure you'll be able to provide in writing for all of us the rest of what you were going to say, for the committee to understand and appreciate.

Given that we've been talking—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Get the PMO to write it for you.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I'm sorry, Mr. Perkins, but I couldn't hear myself over your voice.

Given that we've been talking about the Auditor General's report and everything that has been going on, I want to move a motion right now on this topic. That motion is:

That the committee reaffirm the independence of the Auditor General of Canada to conduct her work free of interference and echo the concerns of the Auditor General of Canada regarding the Conservative Party House order of June 10, 2024, that ordering her office to produce her audit file on Sustainable Development Technology Canada to the law clerk and parliamentary counsel compromises her independence and is likely to discourage departments, agencies and Crown corporations from providing free and timely access to information required for her audits to go forward.

Chair, I would love to talk more about this motion, but I do want to make sure that it's in order, given the topic today.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Ms. Khalid, have you submitted the motion to the Chair?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I've just right now read it into the record, Chair, but I am more than happy to put it in writing for all members as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

You don't have it in—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I don't have it in writing right now, but I can get it to you as soon as possible.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

All right.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Would you like to suspend while we do that?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I have a question of privilege.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

What? A question of privilege...? This is new.

Mr. Perkins.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I'd like to raise a question of privilege, and I would ask, as part of that question of privilege, because the witness has refused to answer questions.... He has repeated one line consistently for an hour. It was obviously written by the PMO to try to protect from their corruption.

I would move the following motion as a question of privilege:

That the committee instruct the clerk and analysts to prepare a report to the House, which the chair shall table forthwith, outlining the potential breach of privilege concerning Navdeep Bains' refusal to answer questions which the committee put to him.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'm going to consult with the clerk. We'll suspend for a few minutes.

In the meantime, Ms. Khalid, if you could send that in—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I'd like to speak about it as well—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Hold on. I'm going to suspend.

I do not like to do this, but I can also see that this is going to go on for a bit.

Mr. Bains, I am going to excuse you, because I know that you had a—

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Chair, before that decision is made, I'd like to discuss that.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

No. I have to suspend here to go over.... I now have competing motions.

Mr. Bains is on the clock. He made it very clear to me beforehand—

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'm going to finish my thought here.

I appreciate his coming. I had also, through the clerk, discussed with him the possible and perhaps likely need to come back, and he is aware of that.

That is my ruling, Mr. Brock.

Mr. Bains, you are excused.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

For now.