HUMA Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 12
Thursday, February 17, 2000
The Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities met at 11:22 a.m. this day, in Room 269, West Block, the Chair, Peter Adams, presiding.
Member(s) of the Committee present: Peter Adams, Bonnie Brown, Paul Crête, Jean Dubé, Raymonde Folco, Christiane Gagnon, John Godfrey, Judi Longfield, Larry McCormick, Rey Pagtakhan, Judy Sgro, Stéphan Tremblay, Maurice Vellacott, Bryon Wilfert.
In attendance: From the Library of Parliament: Sandra Harder, Kevin Kerr, Bill Young, Researchers.
It was moved, -- That on the occasion of the visit of a delegation from the Swedish Labour Committee, March 1st, 2000 the Committee pay for a small snack.
On a motion by John Godfrey, it was agreed, -- That the mandate of the Sub-Committee on Children & Youth at Risk be extended till March 2nd, 2000.
The 48 hour notice having been given, it was moved, -- That the Committee study and report to the House no later than April 15, 2000, the Transitional Jobs Fund and its successor, the Canada Jobs Fund, and send for, among others, the Minister of Human Resources Development to appear as a witness before the Committee."
Bryon Wilfert moved, -- That the motion be amended by deleting all the words after "no later than April 15, 2000" and replacing them by the words "no later than June 15, 2000 grants & contributions by the Department of Human Resources Development"
At 11:35, the sitting was suspended.
At 11:36 the sitting resumed.
After debate, it was agreed, that Bryon Wilfert amend its amendment to read:
"That the Committee study & report to the House no later than June 1st, 2000 grants & contributions by the Department of Human Resources Development, providing that an interim report be tabled by April 15, 2000.
After debate, the question being put on the amendment it was agreed to.
After debate it was agreed, -- That the main motion as amended be adopted.
The 48 hours notice having been given it was moved, -- That the Committee be empowered to authorize television and radio broadcasting, as it deems appropriate, of any or all of its proceedings or of proceedings of its sub-committees, pursuant to the principles and practices governing the broadcasting of the proceedings of the House of Commons."
After debate the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
The 48 hours notice having been given it was moved by Maurice Vellacott, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee send for the Clerk of the Privy Council, Mel Cappe, to appear as a witness before the Committee"
After debate the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved by Paul Crête, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee invite for the minister for International Trade, Pierre Pettigrew, to appear before the Committee. "
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: 5
Maurice Vellacott
Paul Crête
Christiane Gagnon
Stéphan Tremblay
Jean Dubé
NAYS:8
Bonnie Brown
Raymonde Folco
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judy Sgro
Bryon Wilfert
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved by Jean Dubé, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee invite for the President of the Treasury Board, Lucienne Robillard, to appear before the Committee."
After debate the question, being put on the motion, it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: 13
Bonnie Brown
Paul Crête
Jean Dubé
Raymonde Folco
Christiane Gagnon
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judi Sgro
Stéphan Tremblay
Maurice Vellacott
Bryon Wilfert
NAYS: 0
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved by Jean Dubé, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee invite for the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien, to appear before the Committee."
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following recorded division
YEAS: 5
Paul Crête
Jean Dubé
Christiane Gagnon
Stéphan Tremblay
Maurice Vellacott
NAYS: 8
Bonnie Brown
Raymonde Folco
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judy Sgro
Bryon Wilfert
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved, -- That, pursuant to Standing Order 108 the Committee send for the Auditor General of Canada, Denis Desautels, to appear before the Committee"
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to on the following recorded division
YEAS: 13
Bonnie Brown
Paul Crête
Jean Dubé
Raymonde Folco
Christiane Gagnon
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judi Sgro
Stéphan Tremblay
Maurice Vellacott
Bryon Wilfert
NAYS: 0
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved by Maurice Vellacott, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee send for the Information Commissionner, John Reid, to appear as a witness before the Committee"
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: 13
Bonnie Brown
Paul Crête
Jean Dubé
Raymonde Folco
Christiane Gagnon
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judi Sgro
Stéphan Tremblay
Maurice Vellacott
Bryon Wilfert
NAYS: 0
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee send for the Director General of the Internal Audit Bureau, James K. Martin, to appear as a witness before the Committee"
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to on the following division:
YEAS: 13
Bonnie Brown
Paul Crête
Jean Dubé
Raymonde Folco
Christiane Gagnon
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judi Sgro
Stéphan Tremblay
Maurice Vellacott
Bryon Wilfert
NAYS:0
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved by Maurice Vellacott, That pursuant to Standing Order 108, the Committee send for Greg Fergus, Assistant to the Minister of International Trade, to appear as a witness before the Committee."
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following division:
YEAS: 5
Maurice Vellacott
Paul Crête
Christiane Gagnon
Stéphan Tremblay
Jean Dubé
NAYS: 8
Bonnie Brown
Raymonde Folco
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judy Sgro
Bryon Wilfert
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved by Maurice Vellacott, -- That pursuant to Standing Order 108 (1)(a), that a complete 12-column list, encompassing the time period from the inception of the Transitional Jobs Fund Program until April 1, 1999, be tabled with the Committee for distribution to Members. The twelve categories are as follows: 1. MP 2. Constituency 3. Province 4. Project/Company 5. Address of Project/Company 6. Amount of money approved 7. Direct full-time jobs that the application said would be created 8. Direct full-time jobs that were actually created 9. Whether the company is still in business/operation 10. Names of other partners contributing dollars 11. Dollar amounts contributed by other partners 12. Date of approval of application"
Bonnie Brown moved, -- That the motion be allowed to stand till the meeting scheduled Tuesday, February 22, 2000.
After debate, the question being put on the motion to allow the main motion to stand, it was agreed to on the following division:
YEAS: 8
Bonnie Brown
Raymonde Folco
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judy Sgro
Bryon Wilfert
NAYS: 4
Maurice Vellacott
Paul Crête
Stéphan Tremblay
Jean Dubé
The 48 hours notice having been given, it was moved, -- That the Minister of Labour be requested to appear before the Committee at the earliest opportunity, but not later than February 29, 2000, to address the Performance Reports of the Department of Labour-HRD for the fiscal year 1999-2000."
After debate, Paul Crête moved, -- That the motion be amended by deleting the words:
"not later than February 29th"
The question being put on the amendment it was agreed to on the following division:
YEAS: 11
Bonnie Brown
Paul Crête
Jean Dubé
Raymonde Folco
John Godfrey
Judi Longfield
Larry McCormick
Rey Pagtakhan
Judy Sgro
Maurice Vellacott
Bryon Wilfert
NAYS: 0
After debate it was agreed, -- That the main motion as amended be adopted.
On the subject of questioning of witnesses raised by Maurice Vellacott the Chairman ruled:
"Two related obstacles stand in the way of compelling a public servant to answer a question: one is the concept of Crown privilege and the other is the concept of ministerial responsibility. Crown privilege encompasses the confidential advice officials provide to their ministers."
(Diane Davidson, "Powers of Parliamentary Committees", Canadian Parliamentary Review, Vol.18, No.1, Spring 1995, p.12)
"The obligation of a witness to answer all questions put by the committee must be balanced against the role that public servants play in providing confidential advice to their ministers. The role of the public servant has traditionally been viewed in relation to the implementation and administration of government policy, rather than the determination of what that policy should be. Consequently, public servants have been excused from commenting on the policy decisions made by the government." (House of Commons Procedure and Practice, edition 2000, p.863-864)
At 12:54 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
Danielle Belisle
Clerk of the Committee