Evidence of meeting #22 for Science and Research in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Members speaking

Before the committee

Evan Solomon  Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation
Schaan  Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Industry

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

There is no such thing as seeking information, or there is nothing in the Standing Orders. You are asking for information. We are getting that for you. However, your clock is running. One minute and 13 seconds are left.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

Madam Chair, when I ask for information through you, you tell me that it's part of my speaking time for questions to the witnesses.

Is that correct?

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

You have requested information, and I have told you that the clerk is trying to find an answer to that. It will take some time.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

Yes.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

I have explained that to you.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

Okay.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Your time is running. On that information, once we get an answer, only then can we give you the answer. We don't have an answer to that right away.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

We can come back to that, Madam Chair.

I'll start my five minutes of speaking time, if I may. I want the same treatment my colleagues get.

Madam Chair, I'm going to ask some questions.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

You have 30 seconds left.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

Madam Chair, I just asked for some information. Now you're telling me that my time is up, when you never notified me of that from the outset. I think it's just about getting the same treatment my colleagues get.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

I have been telling you—I have emphasized more than once—that your clock is going on. We are getting that information, but your time of five minutes is going on. I have told you that more than once.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

Yes, so—

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

I explained that in the beginning. I explained it after we came back from the suspension. Your time is up.

We started the meeting at 3:35. Seeing as we don't have an answer from the translation services yet on whether they have the resources available, but we have completed those two hours, is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

No.

Madam Chair, I made a request for information.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

MP Blanchette-Joncas.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC

From what I understand, today you're not allowing me to ask questions in my last turn. You notified me that I was not going to have my speaking time after suspending the committee meeting. If you had told me that at the outset, I would have understood, but now you're penalizing me for something you notified me about after suspending the meeting.

I wasn't trying to run out the clock unnecessarily. I just wanted to know how much time I had left so that I could focus my questions and prepare my strategy for asking them in the time remaining. I was just asking if we were going to extend the meeting. That's all I was asking.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

We are trying to find out, but I told you that your clock was running. There is no such thing as a point of information. I have explained that to you. I hope everyone was very clear that the clock was running, and your five minutes were going on while we were trying our best to get that information.

MP Deschênes-Thériault.

Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

It's okay.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

MP Noormohamed.

Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC

In the interest of trying to figure out how we move this thing forward, do we have a sense of how long it might take to get an answer to Mr. Blanchette-Joncas' question, and also to understand what specifically would make everyone feel as though they've been heard so that we can get on with our evening?

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

The clerk has sent an email. He hasn't gotten the answer yet. We are really not in a capacity to know until we get an answer in response to the email the clerk has sent.

MP Baldinelli.

5:35 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Baldinelli Conservative Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

Perhaps as a solution, we offer a five-minute round to my colleague. In the interim, if there is no response after the five-minute round, we adjourn the meeting after that period—if there's no response.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Are all the members okay with that?

Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC

Sure.

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Okay.

We can start the clock at five minutes. Then we can adjourn the meeting.