Transport Committee on April 1st, 2010

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I did mention this. But to be clear, it's not our job, nor is it the chair's, to decide whether there has been a breach of privilege. That's the Speaker's job. We are required to report it if we believe there has been a breach of privilege. It is our job to report that to the House and Speaker. It's for the Speaker to make that determination.

So you've already suggested, Mr. Bevington, with respect, that there has been a breach, and possibly two others--but at least one. It's our job just to decide that, to pass that on to the Speaker, and let the Speaker decide. Whether the Speaker decides yea or nay is up to him based upon precedent.

Secondly, on the same point of order, on the timing that Mr. Laframboise was suggesting was short, we are under an obligation as well, in my understanding, from reading O'Brien last night, to report this as soon as possible. That's why I brought it forward as soon as possible.

Mr. Kennedy is not a consistent member of this committee. Even when he was a member of this committee, he wasn't consistent. So the difficulty is, of course... I'm sure he'll show up if he's either in front of a camera or responding to this breach of privilege accusation, but it's not our job to decide that. It's the Speaker's job. It's simply the chair's job to report it to the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

What I am going to do is this. The motion is on the floor. I'm going to listen to Monsieur Laframboise. I think it's fair that we get translation so the motion can be read and understood by everybody.

I will also take Mr. Volpe's advice and defer this to our first meeting after we come back from the break. It will be the first order of business, so I will instruct our witnesses that we will take a little bit of time. We will invite them probably a half hour later, so please keep that in mind.

If you choose to make public some of the discussion, I would ask that you honour and respect the rules that no names be attached to who said what, when, and where. Is that okay?

Mr. Pacetti.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Thank you.

I apologize. I'm not a regular member of this committee. I usually sit on the finance committee. All our motions that are debated are usually public, so I think it's just... My understanding is that when most committees' motions are discussed they are usually public. It may have just been a reflex on Mr. Kennedy's part.

I'm not here to defend him. But I have a couple of questions.

Mr. Jean, on the issue of who voted, it doesn't say anywhere in Mr. Kennedy's papers who voted. All it says is “as proposed by Sukh Dhaliwal and myself”. That's all it says. Once the motions would be posted on the site, would they not at least say who proposed the motion?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

No.

The document you have actually just says that the committee “agreed”, not--

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

No, but afterwards, don't you post the actual wording of the motion? It doesn't get posted on the site at all?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

No.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Our committee posts the motion--

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

The motion gets posted, the text gets posted, but is not accredited to that person.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

But not who the proposer is. Okay.

I have one more question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Okay.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

I'll be quick.

Mr. Kennedy's letter to the mayors says, “The Committee will be scheduling the hearings shortly and we will be pleased to pass along these details”. I don't think that really means anything. I don't see how that could be a problem.

The other problem that I see, though, is that there's probably a breach of privilege from the Liberal side because I'm not sure if Mr. Jean should be on the receiving end of these e-mails. I think you have another problem there.

It is not up to me, but I'm not sure how Mr. Jean would have got his hands on an e-mail directed to Liberal members, les deputés, and Liberal assistants.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you for your input.

We'll now move on.

I have a few brief items that we need approval on.

One is a budget, which you see circulated. It deals with the costs of guests.

Mr. Laframboise moves the motion. All those in favour?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Okay.

I would ask the committee members, if you could, over the next short period of time, to submit any other names of witnesses, particularly on the security side, for the future meetings on our study.

With that, have a nice break back in your constituencies.

Bonne journée.