ETHI Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 27

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics met at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 237-C, Centre Block, the Chair, the Hon. Shawn Murphy, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Harold Albrecht, Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Paul Calandra, Patricia Davidson, Hon. Wayne Easter, Carole Freeman, Hon. Shawn Murphy, Pierre Poilievre, Bill Siksay and Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac.

Acting Members present: Malcolm Allen for Bill Siksay, Paule Brunelle for Carole Freeman and Rob Clarke for Kelly Block.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Élise Hurtubise-Loranger, Analyst ; Dara Lithwick, Analyst.

Witnesses: Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner: Mary Dawson, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner; Lyne Robinson-Dalpé, Assistant Commissioner, Advisory and Compliance; Nancy Bélanger, General Counsel.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), the Committee commenced consideration of the Annual Report of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner on activities in relation to the Conflict of Interest Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, referred to the Committee on Wednesday, June 16, 2010.

Mary Dawson made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Committee business.

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

Your Subcommittee met on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, to consider the business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

– The Committee invites 2 departments that that received an F as a result of the Information Commissioner Report Cards.

– The Committee requests that the analysts prepare a memo on the opportunity of a trip to Washington for the study on Proactive Disclosure.

– Tuesday, November 2 or Thursday, November 4: Invite Nigel Wright to appear before the Committee for 1 hour (the meeting could be extended) and ask him to provide in advance of the Committee meeting extracts of pertinent documents.

Wayne Easter moved, — That the report be amended by replacing the words “ask him to provide in advance of the Committee meeting extracts of pertinent documents” with the words “provide it with copies of any agreements with Onex Corporation for him to return from temporary leave to the Corporation. The Committee also requests that Nigel Wright provide copies of any recusal conditions that he has agreed to abide by as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister to ensure that he is not in conflict of interest. And that the information be provided to the Committee within 5 days.”.

Debate arose thereon.

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

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the amendment was agreed to.

It was agreed,— That the report of the Subcommittee, as amended, be concurred in

The report read as follows:

Your Subcommittee met on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, to consider the business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

– The Committee invites 2 departments that that received an F as a result of the Information Commissioner Report Cards.

– The Committee requests that the analysts prepare a memo on the opportunity of a trip to Washington for the study on Proactive Disclosure.

– Tuesday November 2 or Thursday, November 4: Invite Nigel Wright to appear before the Committee for 1 hour (the meeting could be extended) and provide it with copies of any agreements with Onex Corporation for him to return from temporary leave to the Corporation. The Committee also requests that Nigel Wright provide copies of any recusal conditions that he has agreed to abide by as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister to ensure that he is not in conflict of interest. And that the information be provided to the Committee within 5 days.

At 5:35 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Jacques Maziade
Clerk of the Committee

2010-10-27 2:42 p.m.