Public Accounts Committee on May 21st, 2024

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Order.

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

I have a point of order, Chair.

There is a wide latitude for relevance.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Genuis, calm down.

Mr. Stewart, go ahead, please.

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

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Go ahead, Ms. Khalid.

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

I would still like an answer to my question, if that's okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Okay.

Look, there is a motion before the committee. Mr. Stewart has the floor.

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

To my colleague's point, I get it. No member of Parliament has expensed a few thousand dollars to go stay at the barn at the National Capital Commission's property. However, that's another $8-million racket that Liberal members have had to answer for. It may seem small to some, but today we're talking about much bigger amounts of money, Mr. Chair. We're talking about a half-million-dollar trip to Montana, and maybe they went to Yellowstone. We forgot to look into that part.

There was a $90,000 Jamaican vacation and a $428,258 taxpayer-funded Liberal Party caucus retreat in New Brunswick in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea. It's a very beautiful place in Canada, but that's still a substantial amount of money.

Mr. Chair, when I read this motion, I'm just going to say.... I have done little bit of rambling here. I'm a little bit tired today. I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, if I've rambled a bit, but I'm just going to cut to the chase, and this is going to be really important: This is just simply a deflection.

What is it a deflection from? They don't want the RCMP here until after—

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

I have a point of order, Chair. Is this just filibustering? We can actually go to the vote—

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

I have a point of order. Mrs. Shanahan wasn't acknowledged on her point of order—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

We have a long speaking list—

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

If you have a point of order, you have to be acknowledged—

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

—unless the Conservatives are looking to avoid accountability—

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

You can't just say “point of order” and start talking—

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

Are we all just going to talk over each other? Is that how it works, Mr. Genuis? We could do exactly the same thing, sir.

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

You don't have the floor—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Order.

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

Pardon me?

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

I have a legitimate point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Desjarlais—

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

I have a point of order. What are you implying, Blake?

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

I have a legitimate point of order. The interpreters are real people here—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Yes.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

—and I don't think we should just be slamming down the....

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you. That is true.

Mr. Stewart, go ahead, please.