Government Operations committee  Not too long ago, I was the information commissioner. So I am going to refer to the reports I produced at the time, where I did not praise the government's transparency. Of course, being against transparency is like being against motherhood. One cannot disagree with it; there is

Government Operations committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I don't have a formal presentation. I just made a few notes. You have an hour, so I thought I would spare you the Magna Carta evolution of supply. However, if you want, though, I gave some of that testimony to the precursors of this committee i

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Although I am no longer clerk of the House, I am still an honorary officer of the House. I have always been very careful not to criticize question period too much because it is a very powerful exercise in accountability. It is very powerful, bar none, in the Commonwealth. The P

Procedure and House Affairs committee  : I've experienced this type of situation from both sides, I assure you. A member who was the main critic for a bill being studied by a committee was excluded from the House during the final hours before the vote on the bill in question. He could not be present, which seriously p

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes, I’d say that he does. In the past, there have been long interruptions. It has even happened that work was suspended for 20 minutes, until the House came to its senses, so to speak. The fact is that in a debate, after 3:30 p.m., it’s less serious. During Question Period, dela

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I don't know how you would write a standing order that would cover integrity and honesty, to be honest.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  My understanding is it went to the House leaders. The Speaker passed it on to the House leaders. Since the Speaker himself or herself cannot initiate amendments to Standing Orders, it became a leadership issue as to whether they wanted to follow up.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think it would add meaningfulness to the consequence of being suspended. It's less than it was at one time, but there's still an incestuous relationship with the media. It used to be a good way to get the headline. But I think it would add some meaningfulness to the decision th

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There is a very long tradition in Commonwealth parliaments to accept an honourable member's word, however doubtful you might be, when he or she delivers it.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, I would say to Mr. Godinthat we are not in complete disagreement.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I’d say that you are using much more specific language than I am. I’m not criticizing you for adopting this position. On the contrary, I agree with you. In the beginning, I believed it was a partnership between the Speaker and the leadership, and that if the Speaker made a dec

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It was a vote of the House, a secret vote.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It would be very easy to make a small change to the Rules and express that very idea as the will of the House.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think it wouldn’t hurt, but I must repeat: think twice about it before writing the rule.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  May I make a comment? Perhaps Madam Champagne would like to add a few words, because she has more experience in the Chair than I do. The matter of applause and ovations that replaced the thumping of desks, once the debates began to be broadcast, is another problem. This proble