Your tax dollars at work...
Sep. 15th, 2007 09:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ciroccojSo, I'm reading through public transcripts of sessions of Parliament for the project I'm getting into, and come across this bit of a catfight (not related to the topic I'm working on at all) at the end of a session. At issue was some stuff that had presumably been leaked to the press from an in camera (confidential) session. It's too bad transcripts don't have emoticons, because you can't tell who's being facetious, passive-aggressive, or just taking the mickey outta their fellow Parliamentarians:
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: I have one quick follow-up comment or question. I understand and I hear the rationalizations of the member. His body language is very interesting.
So, David, I'll ask you directly, were you the one who leaked that document to the media yesterday? You inferred earlier in the meeting that you don't have your document. Is it because you passed it on to the media yesterday?
The Chair: What I would suggest, Mr. Vellacott, is this. Why don't you and Mr. McGuinty go for a cup of coffee and discuss this?
Mr. David McGuinty: As long as he buys. You're in government.
The Chair: If you buy, he says he'll—
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: Well, he could respond and get it on the record pretty quickly.
Mr. David McGuinty: You have $27 million in the party. Take me out for a nice lunch and we'll have a chat.
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: Well, you could respond.
The Chair: I really don't believe we're going to get anyplace on this, so I believe we should move on.
Mr. Warawa, you don't think we should move on.
Mr. Mark Warawa: Mr. Chair, the question was asked, and I would appreciate an answer. If not, I have concerns. Can there be confidence in secure documents going through this committee if we're not able to deal with this issue? It was very clear it was in camera. They were confidential documents, and that trust...it's a breach of Parliament, Mr. Chair, and that is a very serious issue. It's a breach of Parliament. It's a breach of confidence. For us now to say we have dealt with it...I don't believe we have. If the person who leaked that document....
...
Hon. Geoff Regan: Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee now adjourn, and if it is unnecessary to have a vote, I'd certainly accept that it be simply returned.
The Chair: Mr. Warawa really has the floor in that he has suggested a motion. If he wishes to make such a motion--
Hon. Geoff Regan: He didn't make a motion; I just made a motion.
The Chair: He sort of made a motion.
Hon. Geoff Regan: I don't think you can sort of make a motion, Mr. Chairman. You either make a motion or you don't. You can talk about it, but I've made a motion.
...
The Chair: Your motion then, Mr. Warawa.
Mr. Mark Warawa: Yes, I will be making a motion. I move that if that person is not willing to make that apology, that this committee investigate and that the clerk investigate and provide a report back to this committee of where that breach happened.
As you said, we are creatures of our own making, and that's what the Speaker would rule.
The Chair: Is that the motion then?
Mr. Mark Warawa: That is my motion.
The Chair: That is the motion.
Is there discussion?
Hon. Geoff Regan: My motion came first. It takes precedence.
The Chair: That motion will certainly deal with your motion.
Hon. Geoff Regan: On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, you have to deal with a motion. In fact, a motion to adjourn is a priority motion. You're telling us that you didn't have a motion from Mr. Warawa until just now after I made my motion, and therefore the motion that I made takes precedence and must be voted on.
The Chair: I said it was sort of a motion.
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: Yes, he hadn't completed yet. He still had the floor.
Mr. Mark Warawa: I was given the floor by the chair, so you can't say he had the floor.
...
The Chair: We should be able to go to a vote now. I think we've heard enough.
Mr. Warawa, do you want to close the debate on your motion?
Mr. Bernard Bigras: Can you remind us of the motion we're going to vote on, Mr. Chair?
The Chair: Yes. Could you read the motion, Mr. Warawa, please--slowly.
Mr. Mark Warawa: Mr. Chair, I think the points have been made. I started off my comments by saying that I was quite sad and disappointed in the trust being broken, but I believe the points have been made and it wouldn't serve the committee well to now continue dividing us. We need to work together on the environment, and I'd like to remove my motion.
Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you.
Mr. Regan, now your motion is very much accepted and the meeting is adjourned.
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: I have one quick follow-up comment or question. I understand and I hear the rationalizations of the member. His body language is very interesting.
So, David, I'll ask you directly, were you the one who leaked that document to the media yesterday? You inferred earlier in the meeting that you don't have your document. Is it because you passed it on to the media yesterday?
The Chair: What I would suggest, Mr. Vellacott, is this. Why don't you and Mr. McGuinty go for a cup of coffee and discuss this?
Mr. David McGuinty: As long as he buys. You're in government.
The Chair: If you buy, he says he'll—
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: Well, he could respond and get it on the record pretty quickly.
Mr. David McGuinty: You have $27 million in the party. Take me out for a nice lunch and we'll have a chat.
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: Well, you could respond.
The Chair: I really don't believe we're going to get anyplace on this, so I believe we should move on.
Mr. Warawa, you don't think we should move on.
Mr. Mark Warawa: Mr. Chair, the question was asked, and I would appreciate an answer. If not, I have concerns. Can there be confidence in secure documents going through this committee if we're not able to deal with this issue? It was very clear it was in camera. They were confidential documents, and that trust...it's a breach of Parliament, Mr. Chair, and that is a very serious issue. It's a breach of Parliament. It's a breach of confidence. For us now to say we have dealt with it...I don't believe we have. If the person who leaked that document....
...
Hon. Geoff Regan: Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee now adjourn, and if it is unnecessary to have a vote, I'd certainly accept that it be simply returned.
The Chair: Mr. Warawa really has the floor in that he has suggested a motion. If he wishes to make such a motion--
Hon. Geoff Regan: He didn't make a motion; I just made a motion.
The Chair: He sort of made a motion.
Hon. Geoff Regan: I don't think you can sort of make a motion, Mr. Chairman. You either make a motion or you don't. You can talk about it, but I've made a motion.
...
The Chair: Your motion then, Mr. Warawa.
Mr. Mark Warawa: Yes, I will be making a motion. I move that if that person is not willing to make that apology, that this committee investigate and that the clerk investigate and provide a report back to this committee of where that breach happened.
As you said, we are creatures of our own making, and that's what the Speaker would rule.
The Chair: Is that the motion then?
Mr. Mark Warawa: That is my motion.
The Chair: That is the motion.
Is there discussion?
Hon. Geoff Regan: My motion came first. It takes precedence.
The Chair: That motion will certainly deal with your motion.
Hon. Geoff Regan: On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, you have to deal with a motion. In fact, a motion to adjourn is a priority motion. You're telling us that you didn't have a motion from Mr. Warawa until just now after I made my motion, and therefore the motion that I made takes precedence and must be voted on.
The Chair: I said it was sort of a motion.
Mr. Maurice Vellacott: Yes, he hadn't completed yet. He still had the floor.
Mr. Mark Warawa: I was given the floor by the chair, so you can't say he had the floor.
...
The Chair: We should be able to go to a vote now. I think we've heard enough.
Mr. Warawa, do you want to close the debate on your motion?
Mr. Bernard Bigras: Can you remind us of the motion we're going to vote on, Mr. Chair?
The Chair: Yes. Could you read the motion, Mr. Warawa, please--slowly.
Mr. Mark Warawa: Mr. Chair, I think the points have been made. I started off my comments by saying that I was quite sad and disappointed in the trust being broken, but I believe the points have been made and it wouldn't serve the committee well to now continue dividing us. We need to work together on the environment, and I'd like to remove my motion.
Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you.
Mr. Regan, now your motion is very much accepted and the meeting is adjourned.
