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CANADA

Standing Committee on Official Languages

NUMBER 004 
l
2nd SESSION 
l
39th PARLIAMENT 

EVIDENCE

Thursday, November 22, 2007

[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]

  (1055)  

[Translation]

The Chair (Mr. Steven Blaney (Lévis—Bellechasse, CPC)):
    We are no longer in camera. You may open the doors.
Hon. Mauril Bélanger (Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.):
    Mr. Chair, I would like to invite the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage to repeat, if he wishes, his information about the presence at the committee of people who perhaps should not have been there. Since this matter has already raised in public and in camera—my apologies if I am mistaken—I invite Mr. Lemieux, with your permission, Mr. Chair, to repeat the information he gave us, now that the meeting is no longer in camera.
The Chair:
    First I would like to check a matter of procedure. As I understand it, we are in a routine matters committee meeting, we are studying a draft report on the Court Challenges Program and we have just come from an in camera session to a public one. That is where we are.
    Is your question relevant to the Court Challenges Program?
Hon. Mauril Bélanger:
    No.
    If I may, Mr. Chair, I would point out that the session is now public and the matter of the Court Challenges Program that we discussed in camera is not on the agenda of the public part of our meeting. There is none. So I was just asking a question, Mr. Chair. I am giving Mr. Lemieux, if he is ready and willing, to give us this information now that the session is public. That is all. He can say no, he can say yes.
The Chair:
     I am wondering about the relevance of your request in the context of the agenda, Mr. Bélanger. I am wondering whether it is in order.
Hon. Mauril Bélanger:
    Is there an agenda?
The Clerk:
    It is the Court Challenges Program.
Hon. Mauril Bélanger:
    No, that was in camera.
The Chair:
    But this is the continuation of...
Hon. Mauril Bélanger:
    If he does not want to provide this information, he just has to say so.
The Chair:
    Your information has been noted. If there are no further comments, I will adjourn the meeting.

[English]

Mr. Pierre Lemieux (Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, CPC):
     Thank you for your question. I take it under advisement.

[Translation]

Mr. Yvon Godin:
    The meeting is supposed to last until 11 a.m. It is just one question.
Mr. Pierre Lemieux:
    Yes, I have just answered it.
The Chair:
    Just a moment. Let us go in order.
Mr. Yvon Godin:
    He just asked one question. I think that Mr. Bélanger has been fair. We are no longer in camera. I do not see why the question would be out of order, because it is something that came up as we were studying the Court Challenges Program. We want to know if he will publicly reveal the names of the people who attended that meeting. He just has to answer yes or no.
    Do not try to end the session, Mr. Chair. Ask the government members if they are ready to answer. Ask them.
The Chair:
    The members of the committee can speak if they want to. Are there any members who want to speak at this time?

[English]

Mr. Pierre Lemieux:
    No.

[Translation]

The Chair:
    In that case, the meeting is adjourned.