House of Commons Hansard #44 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.

Topics

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

(Motion No. 5 agreed to)

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The next question is on Motion No. 6. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

All those opposed will please say nay.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The recorded division on Motion No. 6 stands deferred.

The next question is on Motion No. 7. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

(Motion No. 7 agreed to)

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The next question is on Motion No. 9. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

(Motion No. 9 agreed to)

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I shall now propose the motions in Group No. 2.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

moved:

Motion No. 8

That Bill C-2, in Clause 89, be amended by adding after line 15 on page 85 the following:

“(2) However, the Commissioner shall not refuse under subsection (1) to disclose any record that contains information that was created by the Commissioner or on the Commissioner’s behalf in the course of an investigation conducted by, or under the authority of, the Commissioner once the investigation and all related proceedings, if any, are finally concluded.”

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC

moved:

Motion No. 13

That Bill C-2, in Clause 143, be amended by replacing line 1 on page 117 with the following:

“(b) any parent Crown corporation, and any wholly-owned”

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

moved:

Motion No. 14

That Bill C-2, in Clause 146, be amended by replacing lines 3 to 31 on page 118 with the following

“16.1 (1) The following heads of government institutions shall refuse to disclose any record requested under this Act that contains information that was obtained or created by them or on their behalf in the course of an investigation, examination or audit conducted by them or under their authority:

(a) the Auditor General of Canada;

(b) the Commissioner of Official Languages for Canada;

(c) the Information Commissioner; and

(d) the Privacy Commissioner.

(2) However, the head of a government institution referred to in paragraph (1)(c) or (d) shall not refuse under subsection (1) to disclose any record that contains information that was created by or on behalf of the head of the government institution in the course of an investigation or audit conducted by or under the authority of the head of the government institution once the investigation or audit and all related proceedings, if any, are finally concluded.”

Motion No. 17

That Bill C-2, in the English version of Clause 165, be amended by adding after line 24 on page 124 the following:

“Atlantic Canada Opportunities

Agency Agence de promotion économique du Canada atlantique”

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board

moved:

Motion No. 18

That Bill C-2, in Clause 165, be amended

(a) by deleting, in the French version, lines 38 to 40 on page 124.(b) by adding, in the French version, after line 44 on page 124 the following:

“Centre de recherches pour le développement international

International Development Research Centre”

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

moved:

Motion No. 19

That Bill C-2, in the French version of Clause 165, be amended by adding after line 44 on page 124 the following:

“Centre de recherches pour le développement international

International Development Research Centre”

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

moved:

Motion No. 20

That Bill C-2 be amended by deleting Clause 165.1.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board

moved:

Motion No. 21

That Bill C-2, in Clause 172.1, be amended by replacing, in the English version, line 5 on page 128 with the following

“Corporation's mandate, the Minister shall review”

Motion No. 22

That Bill C-2, in Clause 190, be amended by

(a) deleting, in the French version, lines 5 to 7 on page 135; (b) adding, in the French version, after line 11 on page 135, the following:

“Centre de recherches pour le développement international

International Development Research Centre”

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to address very succinctly the motions that we have before us in the Group No. 2 package of amendments to the accountability act. I will list very quickly the government's position on those amendments.

First is Motion No. 8 by the NDP. We are open to considering this amendment. This would provide a permanent exemption for information obtained during an investigation and an exemption for information created during the investigation until that investigation is complete for the commissioner of lobbying. This allows, for example, the commissioner of lobbying to carry out an investigation without being harassed by access to information requests. It seems to me to be a reasonable amendment. We will consider it and are open to be persuaded on it.

Second is Liberal Motion No. 13. We will support the amendment because it amends the definition of a government institution to include only wholly owned subsidiaries of crowns. The subsidiaries of crown corporations that are majority owned include private sector ownership. Under the ATI we do not want private sector owned organizations to be subject. As a result, we think Liberal Motion No. 13 is very reasonable and we can support it.

Motion No. 14 by the NDP removes the permanent ATIA exemption for records created by the Auditor General. We will oppose this amendment. We do not believe the Auditor General should have to reveal all of the documents and notes that she creates in the course of her investigation. She clearly operates in the spirit of transparency and is willing to release all relevant information when she tables her report to the House of Commons. It is not, therefore, necessary for all her notes to be made public. As well, it might inhibit open discussion within her office, when that office is carrying out audits, if it knows that those discussions may be subject to access to information. As a result, we will oppose NDP Motion No. 14.

Motion No. 17 by the NDP adds ACOA to the English version of clause 165. The government's Motion No. 18 accomplishes the same objective, but does so in a more legislatively eloquent fashion. Therefore, we do not believe that NDP Motion No. 17 is necessary.

Finally, I will address Motions Nos. 18 and 22, amendments to schedule 1 of the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act, resulting from the adoption of previous motions. These motions are worthy of some discussion. During the legislative committee's review of Bill C-2, motions were made by the NDP with respect to the definition of “government institution” under the Access to Information Act. Those were adopted.

The definition of “government institution” was amended to include parent crown corporations and their subsidiaries, which made listing them in the schedule of these acts duplicative and no longer necessary. To remove them from the schedules of these acts, the NDP put forward motions that contained the list from crown corporations to be removed. At this point, we will be looking for some commentary from the NDP on these matters. I suspect we will want to speak to Motions Nos. 18 and 22.

That is a very quick summary of the government's response to the motions in Group No. 2. By and large, we look forward to a vigorous debate and prompt passage of the accountability act.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Stephen Owen Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, could the parliamentary secretary provide a little more elaborate explanation of the amendments to the schedules where ACOA seems to be deleted and IDRC is added? Could he tell us why that is necessary? It was not clear to me in his remarks.

For the most part, the Liberals agree with the government's statements on these amendments, as well as those proposed by the NDP. I think there may still remain some confusion around the amendments to the schedule, both recommended by the NDP and by the government. Perhaps the parliamentary secretary could give me a little more detail on that.

Motions in amendmentFederal Accountability ActGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I would be delighted. I see our time is evaporating now, but in the brief time that we have left the NDP Motion No. 17 adds ACOA to the English version of clause 165.

We believe the government's motion, Motion No. 18, accomplishes that objective, but does so in a fashion that is more eloquent and drafted more correctly. As such, it is our hope, respectfully, that the NDP would consider withdrawing Motion No. 17 in favour of government Motion No. 18. However, in the event that the NDP does not withdraw Motion No. 17, we will vote against it.