Evidence of meeting #41 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was forward.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I've asked the minister a question, and he's refusing to answer it.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that.
If my honourable colleague is meeting veterans who are fearful of Veterans Affairs, I wish he'd bring that forward. We want to make sure that we serve veterans every way we possibly can to make sure they receive their benefits at an appropriate time.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Richards is fully aware that this government has put $2 billion per year into the pockets of veterans more than when his government was in power. He's also aware that we have asked—
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
—everybody to bring any information they have forward to the RCMP—
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Minister, please. I have a point of order, so I have to listen.
Please go ahead.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I really do not believe that the principle that you have chosen to apply here is actually an accurate one. We have a minister here, and I have asked him a direct question. He's not answering the question. He's going off on all sorts of other things because he's trying to fill the time. You've given him the opportunity by providing the power for him to do that, Mr. Chair.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I'm allotted six minutes, Mr. Chair. I should get the opportunity to ask questions—
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Mr. Richards, please. We have two hours for the meeting. I said that you know the rules, and there's not supposed to be any cacophony around here. The translation group has problems translating if we go back and forth. You asked a question, so please wait for the answer.
Go ahead, Mrs. Wagantall.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you so much, Chair.
I just would like to challenge you on your interpretation here. I agree that we can't all be talking at once. I struggle with that a bit myself, so I apologize.
That said, it is the member who has the floor to ask the questions and determine when they're ready to go to another question. I believe that's the case. Can you just quickly clarify that?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Yes. In the committee, when someone asks a question, let's say he has about six minutes. If he asks a question for four minutes, he has to allow the witness to answer the question. I don't say that the witness should take four minutes too, but allow him enough time to answer the question. It was that situation of answering the question. As you know, it's not for me to judge if the question is related or not—
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
No, nor to determine the time for the member to ask the number of questions they want to ask.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
That's a judgment you're making, when it's up to the member to determine when they want to move on to another question and do it appropriately.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Okay, great.
Mr. Richards, you have 30 seconds left in your six minutes. Please go ahead.