PACP Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met in camera at 9:03 a.m. this day, in Room 237-C, Centre Block, the Chair, Shawn Murphy, presiding.

The Committee commenced consideration of a draft report.

It was agreed, — That the draft report, as amended, be adopted.

It was agreed, — That the report be entitled: “Chapter 2, “Selecting Foreign Workers under the Immigration Program” of the Fall 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada”.

It was agreed, — That the Chair, Clerk and Analyst be authorized to make such grammatical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report..

It was agreed, — That the Chair present the report to the House.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report.

It was agreed, — That the Clerk of the Committee prepare and issue a press release following the presentation of the report in the House.

The Committee resumed consideration of a draft report.

It was agreed, — That the draft report be further considered following receipt of information requested from the Department of National Defence during its appearance before the Committee on Tuesday, March 30, 2010.

At 10:16 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:16 a.m., the sitting resumed in public.

Derek Lee gave notice of the following motion:

That the 22nd Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts titled Power of Committees to Order the Production of Documents and Records and presented on Thursday, December 3, 2009, be readopted in the current session by the Committee and presented to the House, without a request for a comprehensive Government response.

The Chair presented the Fifth Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure which read as follows:

Your Subcommittee met on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, to consider the business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. That, pursuant to S.O. 108(3)(g), the Committee undertake a study of Chapter 4, “Electronic Health Records,” of the Fall 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada; and

That this study be undertaken concurrently with the study on “Electronic Health Records in Canada—An Overview of Federal and Provincial Audit Reports” of the Spring 2010 Report of the Auditor General of Canada, as provided in the motion adopted by the Committee on Thursday, April 22, 2010

2. That, in relation to the Committee’s Twenty-Second Report, The Power of Committees to Order the Production of Documents and Records, presented to the House on Thursday, December 3, 2009, the Chair be authorized to write to all Accounting Officers.

3. That, pursuant to S.O. 108(3)(g), the Committee allocate time during its meeting on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, to receive a briefing from the Auditor General of Canada on the special report expected to be tabled in the House of Commons on Monday, May 10, 2010; and

That, in connection with the special report, the Auditor General of Canada be invited to appear before the Committee at a later date, if necessary

4. That the Committee schedule an informal meeting with Members of Parliament from Mali and the Auditor General of Mali, on Wednesday June 2, 2010, over lunch.

After debate, the question was put on the motion that the Fifth Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be concurred in and the result of the vote was announced: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the motion was agreed to.

The Committee proceeded to consider draft correspondence to be sent to Accounting Officers, pursuant to the recommendation of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure adopted on April 29, 2010.

Andrew Saxton moved, — That the text of the letter be finalized in two weeks' time, corresponding to the two-week consultation period provided by the Speaker of the House in his ruling delivered on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 on the question of privilege concerning the provision of information to the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the motion was negatived.

Terence Young moved, — That the draft letter be amended:

(a) in the third paragraph, by deleting the following words: “This position was reaffirmed by Speaker Milliken in his ruling of April 27, 2010, on the question of privilege concerning the provision of information to the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan.”;

(b) in the fourth paragraph, by deleting the following words: “the denial of documents to parliamentary committees is a recurring problem, and that”.

The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the motion was negatived.

At 11:00 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.