INDU 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
The Chair presented the Seventh Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which read as follows:
Your subcommittee met on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, to consider the business of the committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:
1. That, on April 8, 2024, the Committee commence clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-27, An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts.
2. That one meeting in the month of May be set aside for the study of the Main Estimates 2024-2025 and that the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry be invited.
3. That the committee hold two extra meetings, one during the month of April and one in the month of May.
4. That the additional meeting in the month of April be held on the study of the feasibility and expected timeline for the implementation of ELYSIS technology at the Rio Tinto and Alcoa facilities, and that Jérôme Pécresse, Chief Executive, Rio Tinto, and François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry be invited for one hour each.
5. That the additional meeting in the month of May be held to continue the study of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).
6. That, on June 3, 2024, the committee commence the study of Bill C-352, An Act to amend the Competition Act and the Competition Tribunal Act.
It was agreed, — That the Seventh Report from the subcommittee be concurred in.
Brad Vis moved, —
Given that the Bank of Canada is warning that weak productivity and low business investment has become a national “emergency”; that Canada has long lagged the United States when it comes to how much the economy produces per hour of work and that Canada has fallen behind G7 countries with only Italy seeing a larger decline in productivity relative to the United States; the lack of Canadian business investment in machinery, equipment and intellectual property and that new Canadians are working in low-wage, low-productivity jobs that don’t take advantage of skillsets they possess; and that this weak productivity it making the central bank’s job of controlling inflation more difficult; the committee call for four meetings to be held immediately and invite the following witnesses:
• Governor of the Bank of Canada,
• Interim chief statistician will be Andre Loranger,
• Various small and medium size business and industry representatives,
and that the committee hear from these witnesses the extent of the harm to the Canadian economy and ability to control high inflation caused by weak productivity and low investment and from government officials what they are doing to remedy this emergency and to report back to the House.The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Bernard Généreux, Rick Perkins, Brad Vis, Ryan Williams — 4;
NAYS: Jean-Denis Garon, Viviane Lapointe, Brian Masse, Jennifer O'Connell, Francesco Sorbara, Ryan Turnbull, Tony Van Bynen — 7.
The witnesses answered questions.
The committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.
Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of Clause 1 (short title) and of the Preamble was postponed.
The Chair called Clause 2.
On Clause 2,
Ryan Turnbull moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing line 3 on page 3 with the following:“Schedule 1 to this Act, is enacted:”
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Ryan Turnbull and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Jean-Denis Garon, Viviane Lapointe, Jennifer O'Connell, Francesco Sorbara, Ryan Turnbull, Tony Van Bynen — 6;
NAYS: Bernard Généreux, Brian Masse, Rick Perkins, Brad Vis, Ryan Williams — 5.
“Whereas there is a need to modernize Canada’s legislative framework so that it is suited to the digital age;
Whereas the protection of the fundamental right to privacy of individuals with respect to their personal information is essential to individual autonomy and dignity and to the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms in Canada;
Whereas Parliament recognizes the importance of the privacy and data protection principles contained in various international instruments;
Whereas the processing of personal information and data should respect minors’ privacy and their best interests;
Whereas trust in the digital and data-driven economy is key to ensuring its growth and fostering a more inclusive and prosperous Canada;
Whereas Canada is a trading nation and trade and commerce rely on the analysis, circulation and exchange of personal information and data across borders and geographical boundaries;
Whereas the design, development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems across provincial and international borders should be consistent with national and international standards to protect individuals from potential harm;
Whereas organizations of all sizes operate in the digital and data-driven economy and an agile regulatory framework is necessary to facilitate compliance with rules by, and promote innovation within, those organizations;
Whereas individuals expect a regulatory framework that ensures transparency and accountability with respect to how organizations handle their personal information and that is backed by meaningful enforcement;
Whereas the modernization of national standards for privacy protection to align them with international standards ensures a level playing field for organizations across Canada and assists them in maintaining their competitive position;
Whereas a modern regulatory framework governing the protection of personal information should promote the responsible collection, use and disclosure of such information by organizations for purposes that are in the public interest;
Whereas Parliament recognizes that artificial intelligence systems and other emerging technologies should uphold Canadian norms and values in line with the principles of international human rights law;
And whereas this Act aims to support the Government of Canada’s efforts to foster an environment in which Canadians can seize the benefits of the digital and data-driven economy and to establish a regulatory framework that supports and protects Canadian norms and values, including the right to privacy;
Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:”
Debate arose thereon.
At 1:05 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.