Public Accounts Committee on May 21st, 2024

[Jake Stewart, Conservative, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

See what I'm talking about?

If everybody just noticed, Mr. Chair, that was another deflection. This is very strange behaviour from a government that has a track record of spending public money like there's no tomorrow and putting it on the backs of the taxpayers.

I think right out of the gate, in the case of the member from the Liberal Party who spoke ahead of me, his own retreat in New Brunswick cost $1,000 more than some of the ones we're talking about. This is the kind of strange behaviour that you see when there's a very fatigued government at play.

Mr. Chair, I think it's very strange behaviour. I guess either they're trying to change the channel or they really believe that somehow the members of other parties spent more than they did, which is totally impossible—or maybe they could change the channel and the public would then see that potentially—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Go ahead, Ms. Khalid.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I would just like to know why we have additional Conservative members who are not part of our permanent committee and are yet coming in here and disrupting the committee as things are progressing. I think we all have to listen to what our members are saying.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

On the same point of order, Chair—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I'm trying to understand what's happening here, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Go ahead on the same point, Mr. Nater.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I would encourage Ms. Khalid to review the associate membership of this committee.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Hear, hear!

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

She will realize, if she were to do that, that every member who is currently in this committee room right now is either a member or an associate member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. As she's trying to imply that a member of this committee or an associate member shouldn't be at a public accounts committee, I'm quite concerned about her denying the opportunity for parliamentarians to play their role and attend meetings that they are entitled as parliamentarians to attend.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

On the same point, Chair—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

On that point of order, Chair—no, no. If I have the floor, I have the floor.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Whoa. Ms. Khalid has a point of order on the same point.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I appreciate Mr. Nater's jabs at me. However, what I asked was why there are additional members beyond our permanent members on this committee. Why are they disrupting the conversation that is happening in this committee?

I don't think Mr. Nater, much as he would love to defend his members here, really addressed my points. I think it is for you, Chair, to address why members who are not permanent members on this committee are being unruly right now.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you.

I have two answers to your point. My understanding is that members of the House of Commons are free to come to committee meetings and take a seat. In some circumstances they can participate if they're rotated in and out, or members can agree to hear from a member as we've done with the Green Party, for example.

On your second point, I would urge members from all sides to restrain their comments and allow the speaker who has the floor to be heard so that we can move on from one to the next. The interruptions, of course, do tend to both cause and allow members to go on longer than perhaps anticipated. The interpreters do not need to hear the excess noise as well.

I'll take this moment, actually, since I do have the floor, and if I've missed anyone, let me know. Next I have Mr. Desjarlais, Mrs. Shanahan, Mr. Nater, Ms. Yip, Ms. Ferreri, Ms. Khalid and Mr. Genuis. Did I miss anyone? That is where we're at.

Mr. Stewart, you have the floor.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Go ahead, Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

I wonder if Ms. Khalid's point of order was actually motivated by her own guilty conscience.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Genuis, you're on a—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

That was maybe an unnecessary preamble, but it was—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Genuis, I'm going to ask you to strike the point of order you are referencing.

You're a schooled man. You know the rules better than anyone.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'll defer to you, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you very much.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

The point is that she doesn't—