THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 5, 2024
(110)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 6:49 p.m., in room W110, 1 Wellington St., the chair, the Honourable Claude Carignan, P.C., presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Carignan, P.C., Dalphond, Forest, Gignac, Kingston, Loffreda, MacAdam, Marshall, Pate, Ross and Smith (11).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senator Oudar (1).

Participating in the meeting: Shaowei Pu and André Léonard, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, May 9, 2024, the committee continued its consideration of the subject matter of all of Bill C-69, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024.

WITNESSES:

Employment and Social Development Canada:

Douglas Wolfe, Director General, Policy Development and Legislative Reform, Labour Program;

Christina Norris, Director General, Canada Education Savings Program;

Jonathan Wallace, Director General, Canada Student Financial Assistance Program (by videoconference);

Hugues Vaillancourt, Director General, Social Policy Directorate, Strategic and Service Policy Branch;

Neal Leblanc, Director, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Policy and Legislation;

Neil Burron, Manager, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform;

Charles Philippe Rochon, Senior Policy Analyst, Labour Program;

Benoit Cadieux, Director, Policy Analysis and Initiatives, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch;

Russell Sharpe, Manager, Policy Analysis and Initiatives, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch;

Lorraine Pelot, Director General, Income Security and Social Development Branch.

Health Canada:

Celia Lourenco, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch;

Aysha Mawani, Director General, Controlled Substances and Overdose Response Directorate;

David K. Lee, Chief Regulatory Officer, Health Products and Food Branch;

Sonia Johnson, Director General, Tobacco Control Directorate, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch;

Jennifer Pelley, Director, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Controlled Substances and Opioid Response Directorate, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch.

Department of Justice Canada:

Anna Dekker, Senior Counsel and Deputy Director, Judicial Affairs Section;

Marie-Josée Poirier, Counsel, Judicial Affairs Section;

Daniel Bourgeois, Senior General Counsel, Tax Law Services Portfolio;

Erin Cassidy, Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section;

Sandro Giammaria, Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada:

Jason Hollmann, Director General, Asylum Policy Branch;

Chris Hamilton, Senior Director, Asylum Policy Branch.

Canada Border Services Agency:

Richard St. Marseille, Director General, Immigration and External Review Policy;

Carl Desmarais, Director General, Enforcement.

Correctional Service Canada:

Luc Bisson, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Policy.

Canadian Heritage:

Sarah Boily, Director General, Official Languages;

Mathieu Demilly, Analyst.

Christina Norris, Douglas Wolfe, Celia Lourenco, Aysha Mawani, Marie-Josée Poirier, Daniel Bourgeois, Jason Hollmann, Carl Desmarais, Luc Bisson and Sarah Boily each made a statement and, together with Jonathan Wallace, Benoit Cadieux, Neal Leblanc, Jennifer Pelley and Lorraine Pelot, answered questions.

At 8:49 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 8:50 p.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1)(d), the committee resumed in camera to discuss a draft report.

It was agreed that each committee member be allowed to have one staff member present during the in camera portion of the meeting.

At 9:18 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mireille K. Aubé

Clerk of the Committee