CACN Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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Minutes of Proceedings
Michael D. Chong moved, —
That pursuant to its order of reference of Monday, May 16, 2022, the committee undertake a study of the matters revealed in the Winnipeg lab documents together with the broader concerns they represent in relation to Canada’s national security, as well as the obstacles encountered in obtaining these documents, provided that the committee:
- make this study a priority over its other business, notwithstanding the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, December 4, 2023, respecting the appearance of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance;
- instruct the Chair and the clerk to take the necessary steps to arrange for two meetings of the committee each sitting week for the purposes of this study;
- take into consideration the relevant evidence and documentation received by the former Special Committee on Canada-China Relations during the First and Second sessions of the 43rd Parliament;
- invite and, if this invitation is not accepted, summon, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1) the following witnesses to appear, at dates and times to be fixed by the Chair:
(i) the Departmental Security Officer, Executive Director of Security, Public Health Agency of Canada;
(ii) the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Stephen Lucas;
(iii) the Vice President, Infectious Diseases Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Donald Sheppard;
(iv) the Vice President, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Guillaume Poliquin;
(v) the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Heather Jeffrey;
(vi) the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, David Vigneault, and
(vii) the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Nathalie G. Drouin;
- invite the following to appear on dates to be fixed by the Chair:
(i) the Minister of Health, the Honourable Mark Holland,
(ii) the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, and
(iii) other witnesses whose names shall be provided by the parties to the clerk of the committee within one week of the adoption of this motion; and
- report its findings to the House.
Debate arose thereon.
At 9:15 a.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 9:20 a.m., the sitting resumed.
Yasir Naqvi moved, — That the motion be amended by adding the words “two meetings” after the words “the committee undertake a study of”.
Debate arose thereon.
René Villemure moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding the words “at least” before the words “two meetings”.
Debate arose thereon.
After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of René Villemure and it was agreed to.
The committee resumed consideration of the amendment of Yasir Naqvi, as amended, — That the motion be amended by adding the words “at least two meetings of” after the words “the committee undertake a study of”.
The debate continued.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Yasir Naqvi, as amended, and it was agreed to.
The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Michael D. Chong, as amended.
Yasir Naqvi moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “a. make this study a priority over its other business, notwithstanding the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, December 4, 2023, respecting the appearance of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance;”.
Debate arose thereon.
The question was put on the amendment of Yasir Naqvi and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Chris Bittle, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Marie-France Lalonde, Yasir Naqvi, Jean Yip — 5;
NAYS: Luc Berthold, Michael D. Chong, Stephen Ellis, Tom Kmiec, Heather McPherson, René Villemure — 6.
Yasir Naqvi moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “b. instruct the Chair and the Clerk to take the necessary steps to arrange for two meetings of the committee each sitting week for the purposes of this study”.
Debate arose thereon.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Yasir Naqvi, as amended, and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Chris Bittle, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Marie-France Lalonde, Yasir Naqvi, Jean Yip — 5;
NAYS: Luc Berthold, Michael D. Chong, Stephen Ellis, Tom Kmiec, Heather McPherson, René Villemure — 6.
Yasir Naqvi moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “and, if this invitation is not accepted, summons, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)”.
Debate arose thereon.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Yasir Naqvi and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Chris Bittle, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Marie-France Lalonde, Yasir Naqvi, Jean Yip — 5;
NAYS: Luc Berthold, Michael D. Chong, Stephen Ellis, Tom Kmiec, Heather McPherson, René Villemure — 6.
Yasir Naqvi moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “(iii) other witnesses whose names shall be provided by the parties to the Clerk of the committee; and”.
Debate arose thereon.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Yasir Naqvi and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Chris Bittle, Marie-France Lalonde, Yasir Naqvi, Jean Yip — 4;
NAYS: Luc Berthold, Michael D. Chong, Stephen Ellis, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Tom Kmiec, Heather McPherson, René Villemure — 7.
It was agreed, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “within one week of the adoption of this motion” .
The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Michael D. Chong, as amended.
After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to.
The motion, as amended, read as follows:
That pursuant to its order of reference of Monday, May 16, 2022, the committee undertake a study of at least two meetings of the matters revealed in the Winnipeg lab documents together with the broader concerns they represent in relation to Canada’s national security, as well as the obstacles encountered in obtaining these documents, provided that the committee:
- make this study a priority over its other business, notwithstanding the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, December 4, 2023, respecting the appearance of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance;
- instruct the Chair and the clerk to take the necessary steps to arrange for two meetings of the committee each sitting week for the purposes of this study;
- take into consideration the relevant evidence and documentation received by the former Special Committee on Canada-China Relations during the First and Second sessions of the 43rd Parliament;
- invite and, if this invitation is not accepted, summon, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1) the following witnesses to appear, at dates and times to be fixed by the Chair:
(i) the Departmental Security Officer, Executive Director of Security, Public Health Agency of Canada;
(ii) the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Stephen Lucas;
(iii) the Vice President, Infectious Diseases Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Donald Sheppard;
(iv) the Vice President, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Guillaume Poliquin;
(v) the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Heather Jeffrey;
(vi) the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, David Vigneault, and
(vii) the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Nathalie G. Drouin;
- invite the following to appear on dates to be fixed by the Chair:
(i) the Minister of Health, the Honourable Mark Holland,
(ii) the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, and
(iii) other witnesses whose names shall be provided by the parties to the clerk of the committee; and
- report its findings to the House.
On motion of Yasir Naqvi, it was agreed, — That the committee do now adjourn.
At 10:30 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.