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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN)
44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 120
Thursday, June 6, 2024, 11:04 a.m. to 1:23 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Peter Schiefke, Chair (Liberal)

Expand AllCollapse All
• Chris Bittle for Vance Badawey (Liberal)
• Hon. Ed Fast for Scot Davidson (Conservative)
• Brenda Shanahan for Annie Koutrakis (Liberal)
Library of Parliament
• Geneviève Gosselin, Analyst
• Alexandre Lafrenière, Analyst
Competition Act and Air Travel in Northern, Rural, and Remote Communities of Canada
As an individual
• Gina Bento, Founding Chief Executive Officer, Arctic Aviation
Air Transport Association of Canada
• John McKenna, President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Union of Public Employees
• Sylvain Schetagne, Senior Researcher
Keewatin Air LP
• David White, Chief Executive Officer
National Airlines Council of Canada
• Jeff Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer
North Star Air Ltd.
• Jeff Stout, President and Chief Operating Officer
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the committee resumed its study of the Competition Act and air travel in northern, rural, and remote communities of Canada.

John McKenna, Jeff Morrison and Jeff Stout made statements.

Committee Business
The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

Motion

Leslyn Lewis moved, —

That, given that

  1. Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a one billion dollar taxpayer fund, is under investigation by the Auditor General of Canada and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and
  2. A former director of the fund, Andrée-Lise Méthot, helped to send multiple companies in which she has a financial interest millions of dollars, and despite this the government appointed her as a Director to the Canada Infrastructure Bank;

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee order the Canada Infrastructure Bank to provide the committee, within seven days of the adoption of this motion,

  1. The resignation letter of Andrée-Lise Méthot,
  2. A comprehensive and detailed summary of the projects and funds that she oversaw during her time on the Canada Infrastructure Bank Board, and
  3. Any internal communications regarding or relating to her resignation from the board;

And, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee call the following witnesses to testify before the committee for no less than two hours each:

  1. Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner, Cycle Capital,
  2. Jayne Huntley, Director of Appointments, Privy Council Office,
  3. Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and
  4. Ehren Cory, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Debate arose thereon.

Motion

Chris Bittle moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chris Bittle, Andy Fillmore, Angelo Iacono, Churence Rogers, Brenda Shanahan — 5;

NAYS: Taylor Bachrach, Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Ed Fast, Leslyn Lewis, Dan Muys, Mark Strahl — 6.

The debate resumed on the motion of Leslyn Lewis.

Amendment

Taylor Bachrach moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words after “her resignation from the board.”.

At 11:40 a.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 11:50 a.m., the meeting resumed.

The debate on the amendment continued.

At 12:02 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:07 p.m., the meeting resumed.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the committee proceed to witness statements.

Competition Act and Air Travel in Northern, Rural, and Remote Communities of Canada
As an individual
• Gina Bento, Founding Chief Executive Officer, Arctic Aviation
Air Transport Association of Canada
• John McKenna, President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Union of Public Employees
• Sylvain Schetagne, Senior Researcher
Keewatin Air LP
• David White, Chief Executive Officer
National Airlines Council of Canada
• Jeff Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer
North Star Air Ltd.
• Jeff Stout, President and Chief Operating Officer
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the committee resumed its study of the Competition Act and air travel in northern, rural, and remote communities of Canada.

Gina Bento, David White and Sylvain Schetagne made statements.

At 12:15 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:20 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Committee Business
The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, - That the committee resume consideration of the motion of Leslyn Lewis which read as follows:

That, given that

  1. Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a one billion dollar taxpayer fund, is under investigation by the Auditor General of Canada and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and
  2. A former director of the fund, Andrée-Lise Méthot, helped to send multiple companies in which she has a financial interest millions of dollars, and despite this the government appointed her as a Director to the Canada Infrastructure Bank;

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee order the Canada Infrastructure Bank to provide the committee, within seven days of the adoption of this motion,

  1. The resignation letter of Andrée-Lise Méthot,
  2. A comprehensive and detailed summary of the projects and funds that she oversaw during her time on the Canada Infrastructure Bank Board, and
  3. Any internal communications regarding or relating to her resignation from the board;

And, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee call the following witnesses to testify before the committee for no less than two hours each:

  1. Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital,
  2. Jayne Huntley, Director of Appointments, Privy Council Office,
  3. Dominic Leblanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and
  4. Ehren Cory, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Infrastructure Bank.

and of the amendment of Taylor Bachrach which read as follows:

That the motion be amended by deleting the words after “her resignation from the board.”

By unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

Amendment

Chris Bittle moved, —

That the motion be amended

  1. by deleting the text before “Pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a)”
  2. by replacing the word “seven” with the number “30”

The question was put on the amendment of Chris Bittle and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Taylor Bachrach, Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Chris Bittle, Andy Fillmore, Angelo Iacono, Churence Rogers, Brenda Shanahan — 7;

NAYS: Ed Fast, Leslyn Lewis, Dan Muys, Mark Strahl — 4.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Taylor Bachrach, Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Chris Bittle, Ed Fast, Andy Fillmore, Angelo Iacono, Leslyn Lewis, Dan Muys, Churence Rogers, Brenda Shanahan, Mark Strahl — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee order the Canada Infrastructure Bank to provide the committee, within 30 days of the adoption of this motion:

  1. The resignation letter of Andrée-Lise Méthot,
  2. A comprehensive and detailed summary of the projects and funds that she oversaw during her time on the Canada Infrastructure Bank Board, and
  3. Any internal communications regarding or relating to her resignation from the board;

And, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee call the following witnesses to testify before the committee for no less than two hours each:

  1. Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner, Cycle Capital,
  2. Jayne Huntley, Director of Appointments, Privy Council Office,
  3. Dominic Leblanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and
  4. Ehren Cory, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Competition Act and Air Travel in Northern, Rural, and Remote Communities of Canada
As an individual
• Gina Bento, Founding Chief Executive Officer, Arctic Aviation
Air Transport Association of Canada
• John McKenna, President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Union of Public Employees
• Sylvain Schetagne, Senior Researcher
Keewatin Air LP
• David White, Chief Executive Officer
National Airlines Council of Canada
• Jeff Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer
North Star Air Ltd.
• Jeff Stout, President and Chief Operating Officer
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the committee resumed its study of the Competition Act and air travel in northern, rural, and remote communities of Canada.

Gina Bento, David White and Sylvain Schetagne answered questions.

At 1:23 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Carine Grand-Jean
Clerk of the committee