Hon. Jim Quinn: Senator Gold, regardless of the outcome of the vote on a pre-study for Bill C-11 — and, I would add, Bill C-13 — would you agree to make arrangements for members of the Transport and Communications Commitee and, I would add, as well, members of the Official Languages Committee to receive, when we return from next week’s recess, a copy of the technical briefing binders and any other briefing material supplied by government when reviewing legislation? I would find it vastly more valuable than that of a technical brief and a PowerPoint deck. If the main point of a pre-study is to be informed, why wouldn’t the government provide committee members with this information, regardless of the outcome of these pre-study votes?

Senator Patterson: Thank you for that. Senator Gold, this is perhaps a little bit of a wrinkle on Senator Quinn’s question, but you just justified having a pre-study of Bill C-11 so that members of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications will have a better opportunity to understand its content. Could this goal of improving the understanding of a bill not be better accomplished by a briefing, which could be available to all senators and not just members of the Transport and Communications Committee?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question, senator. I have heard many times how important it is that bills get proper study in committee and not be rushed through. It is passing strange, if I could borrow a phrase from my colleagues from the East, to think that somehow a briefing is a proper substitute for hearing witnesses, interrogating witnesses and engaging in the kind of good work that senators and Senate committees do. With respect, no, I don’t think that is anywhere close to a substitute, and thank you for the question.

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