Public Safety Committee on June 15th, 2011

[Wai Young, Conservative, Vancouver South, BC]

I think that's the point. But for me, anyway, being new and everything, it would be really helpful to know what it is currently, which is what I think Ms. Hoeppner is suggesting.

Who knows? That might take a long time. I don't know what it is right now, so should we start with that and see where we go?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I do respect what Mr. Davies is saying, but with the time constraints, with the content in that letter, my motion will stand as it is.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Just to be clear, though, I don't have any problem with going over the process, but is this the meeting that you're considering as being where the public safety committee is consulted on the selection criteria?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

From my understanding, this appointment has to happen quickly, so this would be our one meeting. From my perspective, and I think from the government's perspective, that's what we'd like to see. We'd like to have this be one meeting.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Okay. If that is the case, then, if the whole meeting is taken up by officials explaining what the selection criteria are or what the process is, that doesn't give the committee any time to decide on the selection criteria. How do you see that happening, where the committee gives its recommendations...?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I see them explaining more.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

What I'd be interested in hearing your views on, Ms. Hoeppner, is how you see the committee then developing its recommendations on what the selection criteria should be.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I don't see it as them just explaining the process. I see them as explaining what they believe the criteria should be. I think they are in a very good position to explain that. Obviously they've seen some of the positives and the negatives, and again, because time is of the essence and we would like to keep it to one day....

I'm not sure...this is Tuesday and we know the officials are always available very quickly. That is also why this motion was put together and why I've submitted it this way. I think they can speak to more than just the process. They can speak to the criteria. Then we don't get into any kind of talking to people who may in any way be considered or be part of the actual appointment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Mr. Rathgeber.

[Brent Rathgeber, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Just on a point of clarification, could the chair or the parliamentary secretary advise if the proposed criteria will be available and distributed prior to the proposed meeting on Tuesday?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Ms. Hoeppner, the question is more for the government. Will the criteria that are currently being used be available before Tuesday?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I believe we'll have it tomorrow.

Is that correct? We'll have that distributed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Actually, it was in the letter. It was the last part. I was just handed this today. I'll leave this with the clerk and he'll circulate it.

[Brent Rathgeber, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Thank you. That clarifies it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We'll have to get this thing translated and it will get out. It's in two official languages right now. We could get it photocopied.

If you guys want to hang around, I can get these to you.

Mr. Norlock.

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

Mr. Chair, once this is handed around, I think the explanation is there, so let's have a vote on this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right.

Mr. Sandhu.

[Jasbir Sandhu, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

It's my understanding that the government had stated that there would be a comprehensive selection process to find a replacement and, furthermore, that the public safety committee would be consulted on the selection criteria. That's my understanding.

So on Tuesday we'll have somebody else coming in to tell us the criteria, but that's not really a consultation. That's somebody else telling us what the criteria are going to be. We'll get the criteria, but my concern is that we'll open it up for debate, where we can ask questions and debate what those selection criteria should be.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

You definitely will. There will be ample time. It won't be just a briefing meeting. You will have all kinds of opportunity.

I can see what we're trying to do here, which is to get this thing going. We can always have motions at that meeting, but we do have a motion on the floor here.

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Might I suggest that a good process would be to dedicate the first hour of the meeting—it's a two-hour meeting, I would imagine—to the departmental officials explaining it and to the questioning of those officials, and then dedicate the second hour to discussion among the committee members about what the selection criteria should be? Then a motion could come at the end.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Chair, we are dealing with this motion. So if this motion passes.... This motion doesn't actually talk about that, so we could....

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

That would be all right. To have the committee talk about--

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

I hope one hour is enough. Maybe we could do an hour and a half with the witnesses, and then the last half-hour would be for our discussion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

It's so everybody would get the opportunity to ask these guys their questions.