Public Safety Committee on Nov. 13th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Ms. Priddy, in a two-hour session, depending on how many other questions there were, the NDP usually got two questions.

[Penny Priddy, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

Okay, so there was not a policy that they got only one?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

No, they could get two. What I just described was the first round of questioning, and after the first round we went back to the same rotation as before, and then the NDP got a second question usually—unless we had only a one-hour session.

In a one-hour session, though, the government suffered the most. They would get very few questions.

[Penny Priddy, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

Just to go back, I'd be interested to see what Monsieur Ménard brings forward, but I recognize that people could use their whole seven minutes. I just don't think it's the function of this committee to produce householders for its members. I guess I've watched too many people just produce householders in their posing or positing of questions that really aren't questions; they're articles for householders. So it's not a particularly useful use of time when it's limited anyway and when we're trying to get in an extra question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes. Usually the attitude of all members at this committee has been that it's your seven minutes; do as you wish. For me to tell you what to do with your seven minutes usually doesn't play out very well.

So it's going to be an interesting discussion, Monsieur Ménard, because there will have to be a change in the usual practice of this committee.

Mr. Norlock.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

I understand where Ms. Priddy is coming from, but let me just say, in some of the instances in the last committee, people gave up their time to the fourth party to have extra questions, because in that particular case they appreciated the direction. So there's nothing stopping someone from giving up their time to another person.

I think we did that. Mr. Ménard did that, I can recall, on several occasions. So I have to go back to the fact that sometimes, despite our partisanship, we do get things done and we do the right thing.

If a member wants to take seven minutes to get a point across, I think that's his or her business, and I don't see where we need to be chastised if we, in some people's eyes, waste our time with the witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Are there any more points to make?

Mr. Cullen.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

I'm concerned about trying to overregulate this. We have some members who will ask a question for six and a half minutes. If a witness is deviating in his or her answer from time to time, then frankly--I know it's a bit rude--we just try to get him or her back on track.

If you try to limit the time of the questioning, there are some times when you want a sequence of questions. You want to ask one question, you want to get an answer to that, and then you want to ask another as a follow-up and try to put the puzzle together. So what are you going to have, the clerk with a stopwatch cumulatively adding all this? This is nuts.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

For those of you who are new at this committee, I have sometimes given Mr. Cullen 11 minutes. I think I gave Ms. Barnes over 10 minutes at the last meeting.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Never, never.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I have not cut you off. So the practice here is that, as a chair, I use my discretion if I think the questions and the answers are good, but if I sense that everybody is just playing games, I usually limit it to seven minutes.

Ms. Barnes.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

I think in general this committee has worked pretty well. I really do think that. We put out a report last spring that got kudos from a lot of centres.

I think, though, regarding a lot of the concerns Serge is bringing forward, that if you, as chair, at the beginning of every meeting just said pro forma that all our members will have a ten-minute round or a seven-minute round—including the answers—and that we appreciate the witnesses being here with their expertise and want them to be very succinct in their answers.... I think some of these people come here and get nervous and then they just go on.... I think a little bit of prodding by the chair might be positive.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

But some of them don't, Ms. Barnes. Some of them are masters at manipulation because they don't want to get—

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Oh yes, we have those.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes.

Monsieur Ménard.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

It is true that as chair, you managed to conciliate flexibility and impartiality. I hope that we will continue with you. I had thought up these rules with other chairmen in mind.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, this is taking a lot longer than I thought.

Do you have anything else?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

That's all I had.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, are there any other comments?

Okay, we will meet again on Tuesday, November 13 and November 20.

This meeting stands adjourned.