DEDC Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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THE SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Thursday, October 27, 2022
(16)
[English]
Pursuant to the order of the Senate of Thursday, September 22, 2022 and the order of the House of Commons of Thursday, June 23, 2022, the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency met this day in room 025-B, West Block, and with videoconference, at 6:33 p.m. ET, the joint chair, Mr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin, presiding.
Representing the Senate: The Honourable Senators Boniface, Carignan, P.C., Harder, P.C. and Patterson (4).
Representing the House of Commons: Rachel Bendayan, Larry Brock, Rhéal Éloi Fortin, Matthew Green, Glen Motz, Yasir Naqvi and Arif Virani (7).
Participating in the meeting: Stephanie Feldman, analyst, Library of Parliament.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on March 3, 2022 and the House of Commons on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, the committee continued its review of the exercise of powers and the performance of duties and functions pursuant to the declaration of emergency that was in effect from Monday, February 14, 2022, to Wednesday, February 23, 2022.
WITNESSES:
City of Ottawa:
Jim Watson, Mayor;
Mathieu Fleury, City Councillor;
Steve Kanellakos, City Manager;
Kim Ayotte, General Manager, Emergency and Protective Services.
Mr. Motz moved:
That the committee, having considered the October 24, 2022, briefing note prepared by appropriate experts of the Senate and House of Commons concerning the rights of committees to procure evidence from witnesses, directs the Joint Chairs to read the following statement to witnesses at the beginning of their appearances before this committee:
“Given their constitutional nature, a committee’s powers supersede statutory law and other privileges, including Cabinet confidences and solicitor-client privilege. When questioning witnesses, beyond the general requirement of relevance to the subject being studied by a committee, there is no specific evidence rule limiting the nature of questions that may be asked to a witness during committee work. Witnesses must answer the questions put to them truthfully. When a witness raises concerns about answering a question or refuses to answer, it is in that committee’s sole discretion to determine whether any reasons for withholding information should be accepted.”
After debate, Ms. Bendayan moved that debate on the motion be adjourned.
The question being put on the motion to adjourn debate, it was adopted on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators Boniface, Harder, P.C. and Patterson and Mr. Green, Ms. Bendayan, Mr. Naqvi and Mr. Virani – [7]
NAYS
The Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C. and Mr. Fortin, Mr. Brock and Mr. Motz – [4]
ABSTENTIONS
NIL
At 6:35 p.m., pursuant to House of Commons Standing Order 115(5), it was agreed that the committee continue to sit.
Mathieu Fleury and Steve Kanellakos each made a statement and answered questions.
The chair moved that the committee suspend pursuant to House of Commons Standing Order 115(5).
A point of order was raised by Mr. Virani concerning the motion to suspend.
The chair ruled the point of order out of order.
Whereupon, the chair’s ruling was appealed.
The question being put upon whether the chair’s ruling shall be sustained, it was adopted on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C. and Mr. Brock, Mr. Fortin, Mr. Green and Mr. Motz – [5]
NAYS
Ms. Bendayan, Mr. Virani and Mr. Naqvi - [3]
ABSTENTIONS
The Honourable Senators Boniface, Harder, P.C. and Patterson – [3]
At 6:52 p.m., pursuant to House of Commons Standing Order 115(5), the committee suspended.
At 7:22 p.m., the committee resumed.
Kim Ayotte made a statement and answered questions.
It was agreed that Jim Watson be granted 10 minutes for his statement.
Jim Watson made a statement and answered questions.
At 7:46 p.m., Mr. Green took the chair.
At 7:51 p.m., Mr. Fortin took the chair.
At 8:25 p.m., Mr. Green took the chair.
At 8:28 p.m., Mr. Fortin took the chair.
At 8:50 p.m., Mr. Green took the chair.
At 8:56 p.m., Mr. Fortin took the chair.
At 9:35 p.m., Mr. Green took the chair.
At 9:38 p.m., Mr. Fortin took the chair.
At 9:48 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Mark Palmer
Miriam Burke
Joint Clerks of the Committee