The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

At 11:08 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:10 a.m., the sitting resumed.

Martin Champoux moved, — Whereas:
1- The news media is in crisis due to the dominance of foreign digital companies;
2- Hundreds of newsroom positions across Canada have been cut since the beginning of the year, and hundreds more are likely to be cut in the near future;
3- Canadian broadcasters, journalists’ associations, news unions and many experts agree that urgent action must be taken to ensure adequate, diversified news coverage in all regions of Quebec and Canada;
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee undertake a study to determine the appropriateness of holding a national forum on the media and that the Committee determine its terms of reference.
That the Committee hold a minimum of four meetings and report its recommendations to the House .

A point of order was raised as to the procedural admissibility of the motion being moved during the questioning of witnesses.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the motion admissible since it directly relates to the subject before the committee.

Whereupon, Peter Julian appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was overturned on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Martin Champoux, Marilyn Gladu, Martin Shields, Rachael Thomas — 4;

NAYS: Michael Coteau, Anju Dhillon, Anna Gainey, Lisa Hepfner, Peter Julian, Taleeb Noormohamed — 6.

Accordingly, the Chair’s decision was overturned.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

Rachael Thomas moved, — That the committee resume consideration of the motion of Rachael Thomas moved on Thursday, November 23, 2023, which read as follows:
Given that,
the Department of Canadian Heritage, under the leadership of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, approved ‘anti-racism’ grants upwards of $130,000 to Laith Marouf of the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC),
on October 21, 2022, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez appeared before the Heritage Committee, during which time he was asked by a number of MPs about the date he was made aware of Laith Marouf’s derogatory remarks about Jews and Francophones and the minister reported to the Committee that he was not informed until after August 22, 2022,
an article by the Globe and Mail and an Access to Information Request indicate emails circulated from the former Diversity and Inclusion Minister, the Honourable Ahmed Hussein, his former chief of staff, Minister Rodriguez’s former chief of staff, and the deputy minister at Canadian Heritage between August 17thand August 19th, 2022, including one sent to Minister Rodriguez’s personal email account titled “Laith Marouf and antisemitic hate speech,”
the Committee invite the former Minister for Canadian Heritage, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, to appear before the committee as soon as possible for no fewer than two hours to clarify his remarks concerning Laith Marouf, and that the committee report its findings to the House.