Public Safety Committee on Nov. 13th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Right.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Is the intent of this to ensure that the material given to members is in both languages, or is the intent to control who can give the material? If it's the latter, I have serious problems with it. If it's the former, I understand why it's being done, but what we're then doing by imposing this obligation is saying to witnesses who may be just ordinary Joe Blows like myself from the other end of the country, and who may have material they want to distribute, that we are prescribing limits on how they can do it. It's all right for us to be limited, but I think it's difficult for us to place a limit on witnesses who come from far and wide to tell us what they feel.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I think that's a point well taken--and maybe the clerk can clarify this--but usually before those witnesses come, they are told what the procedures are at the committee, and that if they have anything they want distributed, they have to give it to the clerk so he can ensure it's in both official languages. Am I correct?

[The Clerk]

That's right, sir.

If I could just add to Mr. Dosanjh's comment. that's very pertinent. It's been addressed in the past. In your situation, sir, I think the witness would have to give out his document in the hallway. The committee has no jurisdiction outside of this room. If that witness brings documents in only one language, he could stand outside and do this. Anyway, this is what the motion leads to.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

On that point--and we all know witnesses are told it should be in both official languages, but we all know that witnesses arrive and the document is in one language--it's unfair for francophone members not to have the same document.

I have been in committees where the committee as a whole--even the francophone members, if we're talking about a document that is only in English, but it could be the other way--have said they're prepared to accept the documents in English only. The committee can do that, presumably, but if it's just in one official language, the committee has to agree to accept the document in only one language, because it's unfair. It would be similar if a francophone witness came to the committee. I can read a bit of French, but I would like to see the document in English and French.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Point well taken.

You can continue, Mr. MacKenzie.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

The other one was staff at in camera meetings. What we're asking is that the committee agree that one party staff member--

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Why? When we have in camera meetings, it's because we know, and our personal staff know, that we have to hold that secure. I don't understand why all of a sudden our in camera meetings have to have party staff at them. I'm not keen on that at all.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

We're just asking you to consider that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

On that point, we have always in the past allowed one staff member to be here. This is not a change.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

I'm not talking about our personal staff, but I don't need members of the party. But that's not what the motion says. He's adding somebody else. He says “personal and party staff member”.

There are enough places leaking information on reports without--

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes, Mr. MacKenzie.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

I think the current rules are that it's one of our staff members. You might have a party--

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

We're not having problems with that.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

No, but right now we have a coordinator from our whip's office with us, and you might have a coordinator from your whip's office who is not--

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

I don't mind the whip.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

And that's what it's intended to be.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Well, say that, because it sounds like it's a political party.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Specify it ,and we'll move on with that.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

You're fine with that, if we put in that it's a member of the whip's office?

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

That's fine, yes.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Usually parties like to keep track of what's happening.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

That's something different from reading the word “party”.

[Garry Breitkreuz, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Ms. Brown.