Public Accounts Committee on Sept. 21st, 2023

[Valerie Bradford, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

I think that would be safe.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

This is an amendment that you've put on the table.

Ms. Sinclair-Desgagné, we would replace the reference to the Canada Corporations Act with a reference to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

The Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act came into force in 2011, but the staffing agreement dates back to 2002. Which law applies here? We're getting into the details of the various parts of the motion, into the legal specifics, and our analysts should normally be able to answer this kind of question as to whether the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act or the Canada Corporations Act applies.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Yes. I think the analysts have some light to shed. Give me one second.

Could I propose some wording so that we're not in the weeds on acts? I propose that we strike “and under Part II of the Canada Corporations Act”, as well as what Ms. Bradford is suggesting, and just put “per the relevant Canadian legislation”? Our able Auditor General and her team will certainly look at the blues of this meeting and deduce, as she so often does, where we want to go.

It will say, “particularly as regards the Foundation's compliance with obligations under this agreement and per the relevant Canadian legislation.” Did I get that right? That way, we don't have to become corporate lawyers.

I'm going to have the clerk read the full thing. We're going to read the full motion, from the top, with the language the chair is proposing as a compromise on the advice of our analysts. The clerk will read it in English first.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Cédric Taquet]

The motion would read:

That the committee ask the Auditor General to investigate the funding agreement between the Government of Canada and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation for the Advanced Research in the Humanities and Human Sciences Fund, particularly as regards the Foundation’s compliance with its obligations under this agreement and per the relevant Canadian legislation.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'll turn to Madame Sinclair-Desgagné first, and then Ms. Bradford.

Does that sound like something you could live with?

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

I'd like to hear the French version, please.

[The Clerk]

You'll have to give me a minute to prepare it.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'll give you a minute.

I'll turn to other members.

Ms. Bradford, does that sound like something that we're getting—

[Valerie Bradford, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Yes. I think, at least, it is not inaccurate now. It's broad enough. That would serve the purpose.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Yes. It's an old editorial trick. We fudged it a bit, but it's not wrong now.

Give me one second, Madame Sinclair-Desgagné. We will get the French version.

[The Clerk]

The motion would read as follows in French: Que le Comité demande à la vérificatrice générale de mener une enquête sur l'accord de financement concernant le fonds de recherche avancé en science humaine et sociale entre le gouvernement et la Fondation Pierre‑Elliott‑Trudeau, notamment en ce qui concerne le respect des obligations de la Fondation en vertu de cet accord et en vertu de la législation canadienne pertinente.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Before I seek unanimous consent for this, I'll just see if there is any opposition or if there are any concerns.

Do I have unanimous consent? I'll do it in two stages. For the first, is there unanimous consent to accept the wording as it is? I'm jumping a few hurdles, as opposed to unwinding what Ms. Bradford said, and making the amendment.

Do I have UC to accept this wording? This is just the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

No opposition, so this is the new motion.

Are there any comments? If there are no comments, I will turn to a vote, but of course I will take comments until they have been exhausted.

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 10; nays 0)

Very good. Thank you very much.

Mr. Clerk, if you could send that off to the Office of the Auditor General forthwith, that would be wonderful.

If there is no other pressing business, I'm going to suspend this meeting so that we can go in camera. I will suspend for just five minutes.

[Proceedings continue in camera]