QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
Mandate of the Independent Special Rapporteur
April 25, 2023
Minister, a few minutes ago, you committed to sharing the contact information for the Special Rapporteur as per the terms of reference that I suggested. You agreed to share that contact information with us in the Senate.
The terms of reference say “interested persons.” I’m hoping, minister, that this information will be shared with the Canadian public. I would like your commitment that it will be, in fact, shared with the Canadian public as per the reference letter because, if it isn’t, minister, would you not agree that it will, again, look like another cover-up?
Your Honour, it won’t surprise you that I don’t share Senator Plett’s pessimism.
Again, this is the Catch-22. We have an independent Special Rapporteur in whose integrity, independence and judgment I have full confidence, and I think most Canadians do.
The government shouldn’t proscribe the details of how he executes the function that the government gave him. However, his ability to receive information from interested persons is, as Senator Plett properly identified, a fundamental part of his terms of reference.
You’ll forgive me, senators; I don’t micromanage the website of the Special Rapporteur, or whom he hires to help him with his work. That is properly done in his independent judgment — that was a term of reference.
When the Right Honourable David Johnston was the Governor General, he opened up and made Rideau Hall accessible in a way that, I think, made all Canadians proud. I would think he would be sensitive to the importance of the transparency of the important work that he’s doing.
I will be sure that officials at Privy Council share with the independent Special Rapporteur Senator Plett’s concern regarding how these persons would properly access or be able to submit information to him. I’m very confident that the Right Honourable David Johnston will have the judgment to do what is appropriate with that request.
