Liberal Chair Yasmin Ratansi struggled to maintain order at the Government Operations Committee yesterday after Transport Minister John Baird, flanked by the Ministers of Asbestos and Creationism, showed up uninvited as witnesses in place of their staff.
Here Baird accuses the Chair of not knowing her job and lectures her on committee procedure in his trademark bullying pugnacious tone.
But it is Baird who is wrong here. He is correct that the rules allow him to sit in on committees as an MP if he likes. What he cannot do as a witness is raise motions and points of order, yet he does so repeatedly while bashing the Chair for not knowing the rules.
Later on at a Macleans gala, Baird received the Parliamentarian of the Year Award in a vote responded to by 202 out of 308 of MPs.
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4 comments:
Dear Allison,
I just have a quick question for you but couldn't find an email so had to resort to this. I am a progressive blogger. Please email me back at barbaraobrien@maacenter.org when you get a chance. Thanks.
Barbara
Hmmm...I got the same question left at my blog.
Why would someone from a US cancer patients advocacy group be poking random Canadian bloggers like that ... or is this just a fishing expedition on somebody's part?
Greetings, MgS!
Barbara O'Brien is an advocate in the fight against mesothelioma and cancer caused by asbestos.
Given that Canada's one remaining asbestos mine is the second largest exporter of asbestos in the world and is situated in the riding of our Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis, perhaps she thought we might like to mention her research.
I've previously linked to her a couple of time at The Galloping Beaver and here.
Ah ... that makes a bit more sense. I was drawing a complete blank on the connection.
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