Ministers' appearance sparks committee chaos

[CHIMO]

A parliamentary committee looking into the Rahim Jaffer affair has descended into chaos during an unprecedented — and uninvited — appearance by a trio of Conservative cabinet members led by Transport Minister John Baird.

Baird, appearing alongside Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis and junior science minister Gary Goodyear on Wednesday in Ottawa, clashed with opposition MPs on the government operations committee over parliamentary procedure until the testimony of two other witnesses was suspended by a vote call in the House.

The feisty committee session suggests an escalation in the battle between Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government and opposition MPs over the Conservatives' decision to bar ministerial staffers from appearing before committees as witnesses.

Baird repeatedly spoke over the committee's chair, Liberal MP Yasmin Ratansi, and tried several times to present a point of order, despite not being a member of the committee. He also denied he was appearing as a witness, although his letter stating his intention to appear before the committee said otherwise.

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/06/02/jaffer-committee-ministers-appearance-baird-paradis-goodyear.html
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 | 5:41 PM ET

The minister is responsible.

The parliamentary committee has the authority to hold the minister responsible by calling any and all witnesses except the ministers.