ETHI Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics met at 3:31 p.m. this day, in Room 269, West Block, the Chair, Tom Wappel, presiding.

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

1. That the Committee sit on Monday afternoons and/or evenings;

2. That the Information, Privacy and Ethics Commissioners be invited to brief the Committee on their mandates;

3. That the Registrar of Lobbyists be invited to appear before the Committee on the mandate of the Office.

Paul Zed moved, — That the First Report be adopted.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

The Committee proceeded to the Notice of Motion of Carole Lavallée.

Carole Lavallée moved, — That this committee reaffirms the need to maintain the independence of the Office of the Information Commissioner, and recommends that the Justice Minister consider the advisability of introducing before June 23rd 2006 legislation in the House of Commons based on the provisions of the “Open Government Act” presented by Information Commissioner John Reid, with the assistance of the Legislative Counsel of the House of Commons.

Debate arose thereon.

On motion of Pat Martin, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “reaffirms the need to maintain the independence of the Office of the Information Commissioner”.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was negatived on the following recorded division: YEAS: Sukh Dhaliwal, Jean-Yves Laforest, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin — 4; NAYS: Bruce Stanton, Paul Steckle, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace, Paul Zed — 6.

At 4:10 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.