FOPO 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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Minutes of Proceedings
The Minister made a statement and, with Annette Gibbons and Mario Pelletier, answered questions.
The Chair called Vote 1 under Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The Minister made a statement and, with Annette Gibbons, Niall O’Dea, Mario Pelletier and Richard Goodyear, answered questions.
Dave Epp moved, —
(i) Whereas the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) appears to be in a structural conflict of interest/conflict of duties situation concerning their relationships with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC);
(ii) Whereas the DFO appears to be confusing their role as a contractor of the GLFC, with their function as the portfolio administrator (machinery of government source) of the Canada/US Convention-based organization;
(iii) Whereas the DFO is providing the machinery of government functions by which funding is provided from Parliament to the GLFC via the Treasury Board;
(iv) Whereas the full funding allocated in Canada's 2022 Spring budget, consistent with our obligations under the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries, was not fully transferred to the GLFC, without holdback, in compliance with the terms of the binational Convention;
Be it resolved that the committee direct the Chair to undertake all parliamentary efforts and steps necessary to formally ask the Auditor General of Canada to undertake a governance and conflict of interest/duties audit into the DFO with respect to its role as the machinery of government agent for the GLFC, and for the execution of Canada's commitments under the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries; and determine if Global Affairs Canada would be a more appropriate agent to provide conflict-free support and to function as the machinery of government source for the GLFC.
Debate arose thereon.
Mike Kelloway moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.
The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Lisa Marie Barron, Serge Cormier, Brendan Hanley, Ken Hardie, Mike Kelloway, Robert J. Morrissey — 6;
NAYS: Mel Arnold, Caroline Desbiens, Dave Epp, Rick Perkins, Clifford Small — 5.
By unanimous consent, the Chair called Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Fisheries and Oceans carried on division.
ORDERED, — That the Chair report Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Fisheries and Oceans to the House.
At 1:03 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.