ETHI 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
Conservative
Bloc Québécois
René Villemure moved, — That, as of January 29, 2024, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), the committee undertake a study concerning the use of technological tools capable of extracting personal data from telephones and computers in investigative processes conducted by several federal government departments and agencies; that the committee focus in particular on the reasons justifying the use of this investigative equipment by the various government institutions and on the privacy risk assessment process; that the committee devote at least six meetings to this study; that the committee invite each of the following witnesses to testify for at least one hour:
(a) the President of the Treasury Board;
(b) each of the senior officials of the following departments and agencies:
(i) Fisheries and Oceans Canada;
(ii) Environment and Climate Change Canada;
(iii) The Chairperson of Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC);
(iv) The Chair of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA);
(v) The President of Shared Services Canada;
(vi) The Commissioner of Competition Bureau;
(vii) Global Affairs Canada;
(viii) The Chief Operating Officer of Transportation Safety Board of Canada;
(ix) Natural Resources Canada;
(x) The Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada;
(xi) The President of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA);
(xii) National Defence;
(xiii) The Commissioner of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP);
(c) the Privacy Commissioner;
(d) any other expert witnesses the committee deems necessary, provided that the President of the Treasury Board be the first of all to testify;
and that the committee report its observations and recommendations to the House.
Debate arose thereon.
On motion of Matthew Green, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by adding, after the words “(c) the Privacy Commissioner; ” the words “(d) Chris Aylward, President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Jennifer Carr, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada;”.
The debate continued on the motion as amended.
Stephanie Kusie moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “as of January 29, 2024” with the words “between the dates of January 8 and January 29, 2024” and by replacing the words “at least six meetings” with the words “four meetings”.
Debate arose thereon.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Stephanie Kusie and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Jacques Gourde, Damien C. Kurek, Stephanie Kusie — 3;
NAYS: Parm Bains, Mona Fortier, Matthew Green, Lisa Hepfner, Mike Kelloway, Patricia Lattanzio, René Villemure — 7.
The debate continued on the motion as amended.
Parm Bains moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “, provided that the President of the Treasury Board be the first of all to testify”.
Debate arose thereon.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Parm Bains and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Parm Bains, Mona Fortier, Matthew Green, Lisa Hepfner, Mike Kelloway, Patricia Lattanzio, René Villemure — 7;
NAYS: Jacques Gourde, Damien C. Kurek, Stephanie Kusie — 3.
The debate continued on the motion as amended.
After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Parm Bains, Mona Fortier, Jacques Gourde, Matthew Green, Lisa Hepfner, Mike Kelloway, Damien C. Kurek, Stephanie Kusie, Patricia Lattanzio, René Villemure — 10;
NAYS: — 0.
The motion, as amended, read as follows:
That, as of January 29, 2024, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), the committee undertake a study concerning the use of technological tools capable of extracting personal data from telephones and computers in investigative processes conducted by several federal government departments and agencies; that the committee focus in particular on the reasons justifying the use of this investigative equipment by the various government institutions and on the privacy risk assessment process; that the committee devote at least six meetings to this study; that the committee invite each of the following witnesses to testify for at least one hour:
(a) the President of the Treasury Board;
(b) each of the senior officials of the following departments and agencies:
(i) Fisheries and Oceans Canada;
(ii) Environment and Climate Change Canada;
(iii) The Chairperson of Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC);
(iv) The Chair of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA);
(v) The President of Shared Services Canada;
(vi) The Commissioner of Competition Bureau;
(vii) Global Affairs Canada;
(viii) The Chief Operating Officer of Transportation Safety Board of Canada;
(ix) Natural Resources Canada;
(x) The Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada;
(xi) The President of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA);
(xii) National Defence;
(xiii) The Commissioner of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP);
(c) the Privacy Commissioner;
(d) Chris Aylward, President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Jennifer Carr, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada;
(e) any other expert witnesses the committee deems necessary;
and that the committee report its observations and recommendations to the House.
At 5:48 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.