ETHI Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics met at 9:03 a.m. this day, in Room 308, West Block, the Chair, Paul Szabo, presiding.

Joe Wild made a statement and, with the other witness, answered questions.

Dean Del Mastro moved, — That the Committee go to the next item on the agenda.

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.

Dean Del Mastro moved, — That, November 1, 2009, represents the fourth anniversary of the first report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities, presided over by Justice Gomery. Despite the time that has passed, we are no closer to knowing which Federal Liberal riding associations benefited from the stolen taxpayer funds or where the missing $43 million dollars highlighted by Justice Gomery ultimately wound up. The Standing committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics calls on the Auditor General of Canada to conduct a full audit of the sponsorship program to determine which federal Liberal riding associations received stolen funds and to clarify for Canadians who received the missing $43 million dollars.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the proposed motion inadmissible because it contravenes Standing Order 108(1).

Whereupon, Dean Del Mastro appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:YEAS: Jean Dorion, Meili Faille, Bill Siksay, Michelle Simson, Borys Wrzesnewskyj — 5; NAYS: Dean Allison, Patricia Davidson, Bob Dechert, Dean Del Mastro, Pierre Poilievre — 5.

The Chair's decision was sustained as the question was not negatived.

Pierre Poilievre moved, — That, After hearing from a large number of stakeholders, including the former Information Commissioner, Robert Marleau, the Committee concurs that the Federal Accountability Act is the greatest reform to the Access to Information Act since the Act came into force in 1983, and that this be reported to the House.

The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced: YEAS: Dean Allison, Patricia Davidson, Bob Dechert, Dean Del Mastro, Pierre Poilievre — 5; NAYS: Jean Dorion, Meili Faille, Bill Siksay, Michelle Simson, Borys Wrzesnewskyj — 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the motion was negatived.

At 10:35 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.