John Gormley and Tara Henley made statements and answered questions.

At 4:22 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:30 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Brent Jolly and Sarah Andrews made statements and, with John Gormley and Tara Henley, answered questions.

Rachael Thomas moved, — Given that,
According to the 2021-22 and 2022-23 Public Accounts, The Department of Canadian Heritage has issued transfer payments to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in the sum total of $600,000 and $569,353 respectively, and that,
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council awarded a February 2022 Connection Grant in the sum of $24,999 in which the main applicant and speakers at the conference for which funding was granted have publicly expressed antisemitic views, including calling for a “global intifada” and support for designated terrorist organizations in Canada, and that,
The Department of Canadian Heritage has confirmed the implementation of an anti-racism declaration as a condition of funding in their grant applications, and that,
The Government of Canada has committed to the Canada Anti-Racism Strategy;
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee:
Invite the Ministers of Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science & Economic Development for a minimum of two hours each, to discuss the repeated and systemic awarding of grant funding to individuals or organizations expressing antisemitic views;
Recommend the Government of Canada immediately conduct a whole of government review of grant applications to include an anti-racism declaration as a condition of funding, and Report its findings to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

At 6:02 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 6:10 p.m., Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the sitting resumed.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the motion inadmissible because the expenses of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council exceeds the scope of the committee’s mandate.

Whereupon, Rachael Thomas appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Martin Champoux, Anju Dhillon, Andy Fillmore, Anna Gainey, Patricia Lattanzio, Taleeb Noormohamed — 7;

NAYS: Jacques Gourde, Philip Lawrence, Rachael Thomas, Kevin Waugh — 4.

Accordingly, the Chair's decision was sustained.

Martin Champoux moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee invite the CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, Catherine Tait, to appear for a period of two hours to answer questions concerning:
1. The increase in funding to the public broadcaster of nearly one hundred million dollars per year;
2. The exemption granted by the government to CBC/Radio-Canada to reduce its operating costs by 3.3%;
3. The payment of performance bonuses totalling nearly fifteen million dollars to CBC/Radio- Canada executives; And that she explain the impact of these announcements on the announced elimination of eight hundred (800) positions, as well as on the continuation of high-quality journalism in the regions of Quebec and Canada.

Debate arose thereon.

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

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Martin Champoux, Jacques Gourde, Philip Lawrence, Rachael Thomas, Kevin Waugh — 6;

NAYS: Anju Dhillon, Andy Fillmore, Anna Gainey, Patricia Lattanzio, Taleeb Noormohamed — 5.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee invite the CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, Catherine Tait, to appear for no less than two hours on April 9th to answer questions concerning:
1. The increase in funding to the public broadcaster of nearly one hundred million dollars per year;
2. The exemption granted by the government to CBC/Radio-Canada to reduce its operating costs by 3.3%;
3. The payment of performance bonuses totalling nearly fifteen million dollars to CBC/Radio- Canada executives;
And that she explain the impact of these announcements on the announced elimination of eight hundred (800) positions, as well as on the continuation of high-quality journalism in the regions of Quebec and Canada.

Rachael Thomas moved, — Given that the Liberal government's carbon tax has had a detrimental impact on the cultural, civic, and economic life of Canadians, making life increasingly unaffordable and severely limiting their ability to support and enjoy the arts and culture sector, the committee report to the House its recommendation that the government should immediately cancel the carbon tax.

A point of order was raised regarding the procedural admissibility of the proposed motion.

At 5:07 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:16 p.m., the sitting resumed.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the motion admissible because the accessibility of the arts and culture sector falls under the committee’s mandate.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Jacques Gourde, Philip Lawrence, Rachael Thomas, Kevin Waugh — 4;

NAYS: Niki Ashton, Martin Champoux, Anju Dhillon, Andy Fillmore, Anna Gainey, Patricia Lattanzio, Taleeb Noormohamed — 7.

Taleeb Noormohamed moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.

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

YEAS: Niki Ashton, Anju Dhillon, Andy Fillmore, Anna Gainey, Patricia Lattanzio, Taleeb Noormohamed — 6;

NAYS: Martin Champoux, Jacques Gourde, Philip Lawrence, Rachael Thomas, Kevin Waugh — 5.