RNNR 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
Charlie Angus gave notice of the following motion:
That, given the fact that the Standing Committee on Natural Resources has a mandate to examine issues of natural resource policy on behalf of the Canadian people; and given the fact that the committee is attempting to get answers regarding the ownership structure of Paper Excellence that is now reported to be holding 22 million hectares of Canadian forests; and given public reports that this company may be under the control of the Asia Pulp and Paper Company as part of the holdings of the giant Indonesian company Sinar Mas; and that given the outstanding concerns about connections to China based banks and industrial operations; that pursuant to Standing Order 108 (1)(a) the committee issue a summons for Jackson Widjaya, of Paper Excellence, to appear at a date and time to be determined by the Chair, but no later than June 20, 2023.
Shannon Stubbs gave notice of the following motion:
That, pursuant to the motion adopted on Friday, March 31, 2023, regarding a study into the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, appear for one hour alongside appropriate officials to discuss the ownership structure and business relations of Paper Excellence Corporation, and that the Chair schedule this meeting at the earliest possible opportunity.
Jean-François Guillot, Lana Wilhelm, Stew Gibson and John Williams made statements and answered questions.
By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That, notwithstanding the committee's routine motion, Elizabeth May be allocated 2.5 minutes during rounds of questions.
At 5:23 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 5:28 p.m., the sitting resumed.
Christian Leuprecht, Louis Bégin, Gilles Vaillancourt, Derek Nighbor, Mahima Sharma and Shane Moffat made statements and answered questions.
Mario Simard moved, — That the committee mandate the Chair to write a letter on behalf of the committee to Jackson Wijaya, Chief Executive Officer of Paper Excellence, to ask him to give his consent to waiving the confidentiality of the discussions and communications between him and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry regarding the company’s ownership structure and business relationships in the Canadian pulp and paper industry.
The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.
At 6:10 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.