Public Safety Committee on May 10th, 2023

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Yes. Could you advise me to which standing order Mr. Julian was referring in his intervention that was offered uninterrupted, and which Ms. Dancho was speaking to but was interrupted, being told it was not a point of order, as the hackles rose from the government side?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I think all members have raised points of order that are not really points of order. The chair grants a certain latitude. However, if they get lengthy, I do try to step in and bring them to an end.

Let's go back to the bill if we could.

Are you finished your point of order?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I am.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Okay. You have the floor for questions. Do you wish to carry on?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I'll cede the floor to Ms. Dancho.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Ms. Dancho, go ahead.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I have 20 seconds on the clock.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Barrett and Mr. Chair.

This is for the officials, again, to confirm. Earlier, when I asked if I could email or call you, you mentioned that I would have to go through the minister's office. Was that correct?

[Phaedra Glushek]

For the Department of Justice, yes, we normally go through our cabinet and parliamentary affairs unit, which is attached to our deputy minister's office, and our minister's office as well.

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

We have the same procedure. You can reach out to parliamentary affairs at Public Safety Canada, and we would be absolutely willing to make ourselves available.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Thank you very much.

If I reach out to you with technical questions, would it have to be approved by the minister's office for you to respond to me? Is that correct?

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

Again, I'll point questions of procedure back to the department and—

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

It's just a bit confusing, because I have asked for additional briefings and have not been granted them.

Mr. Chair, I don't quite understand—

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

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

You have the floor, Ms. Michaud.

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

We’ve discussed this issue at length. If my colleagues in the Conservative Party wanted an additional briefing from officials, all they had to do was ask the Minister’s office for one. That’s what I did, and my questions were answered.

I think we can move on from this now.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Can I respond to that same point of order?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Michaud.

Who has—

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

On the point of order, as mentioned on the record, I asked for an additional briefing and was not granted one, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Again, it's not a matter for this committee; it's not the purview of this committee to do technical briefings. If this committee had wished at some point to pass a motion to request such a thing, we could have done so. We did not do so, but as a committee, we have no say in whether the department gives technical briefings or to whom they might give them.

It is well within the power, the capability, the authority, of every member of Parliament to reach out to the departments, and, in my experience, the departmental officials are always eager and willing to do what they can to help us all out.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Chair, just to clarify, then, when I asked the parliamentary secretary if I could have an additional briefing, she did not respond. Does that not count as reaching out to the department?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Again, that has nothing to do with the committee. The parliamentary secretary has certain—

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

It has to be the minister, then.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

It's not up to me to decide. Reach out to the department, to the officials, and you have—

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

They said they have to get it up the chain, Mr. Chair.