ETHI Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics met at 3:42 p.m. this day, in Room 269, West Block, the Chair, Paul Szabo, presiding.

The Committee resumed consideration of the motion of Charles Hubbard, — That the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics investigate the actions of the Conservative Party of Canada during the 2006 election, in relation to which Elections Canada has refused to reimburse Conservative candidates for certain election campaign expenses in order to determine if these actions meet the ethical standards expected of public office holders.

Russ Hiebert moved, — That in reference to Standing Orders 18 and 116, the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics rescind the vote "that the Chair's ruling be sustained", taken at 3:55 p.m. during meeting 38 of the Committee on Tuesday June 3, 2008 so that the vote may be taken again.

The Chair ruled the proposed motion out of order.

Whereupon, Pierre Poilievre 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: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6; NAYS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5.

Debate resumed on the motion of Charles Hubbard.

Mike Wallace moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “Conservative Party of Canada” the following: “and the Liberal Party of Canada and the Bloc Québécois” and by replacing the words after the words “in relation to” with the following: “the Elections Act” .

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment out of order.

Whereupon, Pierre Poilievre 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: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6; NAYS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5.

Mike Wallace moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “Conservative Party of Canada” the following: “and the Liberal Party of Canada”.

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment out of order.

Whereupon, Mike Wallace 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: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6; NAYS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5.

Mike Wallace moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the word “ethical”.

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment out of order.

Whereupon, Mike Wallace 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: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6; NAYS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5.

Mike Wallace moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “public office holders” the following: “including Liberal public office holders, who were candidates at the time of the election”.

Whereupon, Mike Wallace 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: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6; NAYS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5.

At 5:01 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:21 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Debate resumed on the motion of Charles Hubbard.

Pierre Poilievre moved, — That the Committee adjourn until 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, 2008.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:YEAS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5; NAYS: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6.

At 5:45 p.m., the sitting was suspended until 9:30 p.m..

At 9:28 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Dave Van Kesteren moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “public office holders” the following: “and should the Committee find in their investigations similar ethical practices by other parties, the Committee will broaden their investigations to include the study of these ethical practices and make recommendations to Elections Canada as to whether theses ethical practices ought to be continued”.

The Chair ruled the amendment in order.

On a point of order, David Tilson challenged the previous ruling of the Chair on the admissibility of Charles Hubbard's motion.

Whereupon, David Tilson 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: Sukh Dhaliwal, Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Pat Martin, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 6; NAYS: Russ Hiebert, Pierre Poilievre, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren, Mike Wallace — 5.

Debate arose on the amendment of Dave Van Kesteren.

Russ Hiebert moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “to be continued” the following: “but not until after the Committee has finished hearing witnesses and completed its study of reforms of the Privacy Act”.

The Chair ruled the proposed subamendment out of order.

Russ Hiebert moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “to be continued” the following: “ but not until the civil suit between the Conservative Party of Canada and Elections Canada, in which Elections Canada is the defendant, is resolved”.

Russ Hiebert moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “to be continued” the following: “ and to determine why Elections Canada has applied a double standard in sanctioning Conservative MPs and not any of the myriad of other MPs from the parties who have undertaken the same actions involving their past campaign expenses”.

The Chair ruled the proposed subamendment out of order.

On motion of Marcel Proulx, it was agreed, — That the Committee do now adjourn.

At 11:32 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.