SRSR 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
Mark Bonta, Kyle Bobiwash, Jared Gonet, and Brenda Parlee made statements and answered questions.
At 4:47 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 5:26 p.m., the sitting resumed.
Questioning of the witnesses resumed.
Corey Tochor moved, — Given that: the Openmind Research Institute decision to partner with Huawei, and considering the dangers of advanced AI falling into the wrong hands, and given the risks posed by the People’s Republic of China which have advanced to such a level that the Director of CSIS has publicly warned that “Everything that they're doing in our universities and in new technology, it's going back into a system very organized to create dual-use applications for the military” and, given that this committee has received expert testimony characterizing this as an “existential threat” to Canada, while the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has consistently failed to proactively protect Canadians from the risks posed by companies with ties to the Chinese Communist regime such as Huawei, while insisting that “Our government's commitment to research security was further affirmed” the Science and Research Committee expresses its deep concern with this partnership to the House.
Richard Cannings moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “this partnership to the House.” the following: “That the committee invite witnesses to appear in light of this partnership, in view of its study of the use of federal government research and development grants, funds, and contributions by Canadian universities and research institutions in partnerships with entities connected to the People’s Republic of China".
Michelle Rempel Garner moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “People’s Republic of China.” the following: “That the committee hold this meeting prior to December 15, 2023”.
Ryan Turnbull moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.
The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Valerie Bradford, Richard Cannings, Shaun Chen, Lena Metlege Diab, Helena Jaczek, Ryan Turnbull — 7;
NAYS: Ben Lobb, Michelle Rempel Garner, Gerald Soroka, Corey Tochor — 4.
Questioning of the witnesses resumed.
At 6:00 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 6:05 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.
It was agreed, — To resume debate on the motion of Maxime Blanchette-Joncas..
At 6:34 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 5:02 p.m., on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, the sitting resumed.
At 5:40 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 5:45 p.m., the sitting resumed.
At 6:10 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 6:15 p.m., the sitting resumed.
At 7:45 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 3:31 p.m., on Monday, December 11, 2023, the sitting resumed.
At 5:31 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, the sitting resumed.
It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(i), the Standing Committee on Science and Research conduct a study on the balance of federal government funding among Canada's universities, and more specifically on the concentration of funding among U15 member universities in comparison with small and medium-sized universities; that the committee devote at least 12 hours to the study and that the committee report its findings to the House.
At 11:07 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.