Government Operations committee  Could you repeat the page where you are finding that information?

Government Operations committee  Originally.... Well, you have to go back a little bit. The commission was created in November 2009 and was to report 18 months later. However, there was an understanding that there was a good chance it would become more complicated than originally envisaged, so an interim report

Government Operations committee  Mr. Blanchette, I understand that you are focusing on immigration, but the issue is a huge one that really goes well beyond immigration. The international crime aspect is no small matter. That is why so many countries in the international community are interested. Mr. Elcock's ro

Government Operations committee  I don't know how much public information has been given. If you're interested I can look into this and perhaps communicate that information through the chair if it's in the public domain.

Government Operations committee  The $3.1 million you're talking about, which is called the contribution program, is included in the $10.6 million. The $3.1 million we're talking about here is actually for the assistance given to groups that have been given party status before the commission so they can retain p

Government Operations committee  That's exactly right.

Government Operations committee  Maybe I should take this one. The commission of inquiry, as part of its mandate, actually has to look into how the fishery was managed in British Columbia around the sockeye salmon. It would be completely inappropriate for—

Government Operations committee  Absolutely, for Fisheries and Oceans to be managing the commission, so to speak--not that we're really managing it, but we're getting the money and helping with how the money should be allocated.

Government Operations committee  It is expected that Justice Major will report before the summer recess. Indeed, speaking of commissions of inquiry, we also expect the Oliphant commission of inquiry into the business dealings between Mr. Schreiber and the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney to also report before the

Government Operations committee  The way the government is organized, so to speak, is the prerogative of the Prime Minister. He has chosen to have these ministers as part of his portfolio. It is certainly possible that the Prime Minister might choose to organize things otherwise, but I don't foresee that as bein

Government Operations committee  I would just like to add something here. I completely agree with my colleague. We are somewhat comparable countries. The Australian states make up a confederation that operates under what is called a Westminster system of government. We can learn from them and they can learn from

Government Operations committee  I would first like to add that we certainly must not forget, as Ms. MacPherson said a little earlier, that the Prime Minister's portfolio includes five ministers, and that creates additional pressure. That is the sense in which we are talking about chronic pressure.

Government Operations committee  I will quote the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. In her recent report, she noted that in a political environment, it may be expected that there is an interest in making accomplishments known. At the same time, it is not an insignificant factor to say that Canadians

Government Operations committee  This clerk, and the previous one, because I have served both of them in the last four years, have been insisting in just about every forum where they appear on the fact that the public service must serve its political masters in a non-partisan way. It is, I think, understood thro

Government Operations committee  And that person is an officer of Parliament; but within the organization itself, you don't necessarily need to go outside. It is understood in our culture that we are dealing with these matters in a non-partisan manner, and if there is an infringement or a violation of this, with