Evidence of meeting #30 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was subamendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Wassim Bouanani

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Pardon me. For clarification, it's someone who was involved with the Prime Minister's Office and communicating with Minister Blair and Commissioner Lucki.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Is that clear to all members of the committee?

Okay. We'll go ahead and administer the vote on the subamendment by Ms. Dancho.

(Subamendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We now move back to a discussion of Madam Damoff's amendment.

Who would like the floor to resume that debate?

Go ahead, Ms. Damoff.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Thank you, Chair.

Being mindful of the time and the fact that we have another vote at 1:30 p.m., perhaps I could encourage our colleagues to maybe move to a vote on my amendment and see where that lands. I would very much like us to finish this today. I don't want us to have to come back another day for this meeting. We're all here today. This is the last day of Parliament. If colleagues are okay with it, perhaps we can move to a vote on my amendment and go from there.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Do we have agreement from colleagues that we can move to a vote on Ms. Damoff's amendment?

No, we don't. There are hands up.

Mr. Lloyd, go ahead.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think we're coming very close to the end of what we're going to do here. I think there's maybe really only one outstanding issue. I know Ms. Michaud expressed concern about when we would have this meeting. I know she expressed concern that there is a maintenance period in the House of Commons from July 4 to July 22. I note that the clerk did say that resources could be made available, and I know Ms. Michaud knows that, because she was told that. We were all told that before, so what I would propose is a subamendment that we meet by July 23 or when the maintenance ends, whichever is sooner. I think that might be a compromise that the committee could agree on.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

We have a subamendment on the table.

Is there any commentary on Mr. Lloyd's subamendment?

Ms. Damoff.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Quickly, Mr. Lloyd, do you want to clarify as to whether it is the week of July 25 or when the maintenance is completed? It could go later, too, so do you want to amend it to say, “the week of July 25”?

1 p.m.

Conservative

Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB

To clarify, what my amendment is saying is that we recognize that this maintenance is happening. It's scheduled from the 4th to the 22nd, so we want to get this done as soon as the maintenance is done. I had originally suggested the 22nd, but the clerk told me that is a Saturday, and I don't think we want to be having this meeting on a Saturday, so I would.... That's the 23rd. I'm sorry.

I am clarifying that my subamendment is that it would be the 25th, which would be the Monday. If the maintenance is still ongoing on the 25th, we would still have the meeting. If the maintenance ends before the 25th, then we could have the meeting the day after. The idea is that it would be whichever happens sooner, the maintenance ends or the 25th of July. I hope that will be good for the committee.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Are there any other comments?

Madame Michaud.

1 p.m.

Bloc

Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Lloyd. I'm grateful to you for making this compromise. I'm very happy with your proposal.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Okay.

Are we ready for the vote? Are there any other hands up?

1 p.m.

Conservative

Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB

Mr. Chair, just to clarify, in sum, we are having nine witnesses appear through three panels for a four-hour meeting the day after the maintenance is done, and we are having zero representation from the Prime Minister's Office. Can you confirm that's the case, that we are meeting in a month, with no representation from the Prime Minister's Office?

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Clerk...?

1 p.m.

The Clerk

Mr. Chair, that's my understanding.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Okay. Are we ready for the vote?

(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

The subamendment passes. We now revert to Ms. Damoff's amendment.

Are there any other comments?

I'm very conscious of the time, and I would encourage members to keep their interventions short so that we can move this to a vote.

Are there any hands up?

Mr. Lloyd.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB

Mr. Chair, given that this has been heavily amended, I think it would be a good opportunity for the clerk to give us a final reading on what we will be voting on with the amendments.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

I agree. It's always a good idea.

Clerk, would you please read out Ms. Damoff's amendment as amended?

1 p.m.

The Clerk

Yes, Mr. Chair.

The motion as amended by Ms. Damoff would read that the committee study the allegations of political interference in the 2020 Nova Scotia mass murder investigation and communications, and that the committee hold one four-hour meeting that will include a panel to hear from the following officials from the Nova Scotia RCMP: (i) Superintendent Darren Campbell, support services officer, Nova Scotia RCMP; (ii) Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, Nova Scotia RCMP; (iii) Chief Superintendent Chris Leather, Nova Scotia RCMP; (iv) communications director Lia Scanlan, Nova Scotia RCMP; and (v) senior communications manager Sharon Tessier, RCMP; the second panel will be held to hear from (i) Brenda Lucki, commissioner of the RCMP; and (ii) Deputy Commissioner Brian Brennan; the third panel to hear from (i) former minister of public safety and emergency preparedness Bill Blair; and (ii) deputy minister of public safety Robert Stewart; and that the meeting be held on the week of July 25.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC

I have a point of order. The clerk's read-back was essentially correct; however, the language did not specify a second panel or a third panel. It just said “a panel” and “a panel”.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB

I have a point of order as well, Mr. Chair.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Can we agree to make that modest change, colleagues?

1:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

I see yes.

Continue, Clerk.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB

I have a point of order. My point of order is just to clarify that the meeting would be held on July 25 or the day after the end of maintenance, whichever is sooner.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jim Carr

Yes, I believe I heard you say that.

Clerk, make sure that is included in the language that describes the amendment as amended.

Okay. Are you finished reading or is there more?

Clerk, are you done?