THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Thursday, June 2, 2022
(17)

[English]

Pursuant to the order of the Senate of May 5, 2022, the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, and with videoconference, at 11:30 a.m. ET, the chair, the Honourable Percy Mockler, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Arnot, Cordy, Dagenais, Duncan, Loffreda, Marshall, Pate and Simons (8).

Members of the committee present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Galvez, Gignac, Mockler and Richards (4).

Participating in the meeting: Kalina Waltos, Procedural Clerk and Annie Trudel, Administrative Assistant, Committees Directorate; Shaowei Pu and Michaël Lambert-Racine, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, the committee continued its consideration of the subject matter of all of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures.

WITNESSES (by videoconference):

Department of Finance Canada:

Galen Countryman, Director General, Federal-Provincial Relations Division;

James Wu, Senior Director, Debt Management, Funds Management Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch;

Kathleen Wrye, Director, Pensions Policy;

Robert Sample, Director General, Financial Stability and Capital Markets.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:

John Millons, Director of Policy;

Lucas Cherkewski, Policy Analyst;

Leanne Labelle, Head of Platform Growth.

Privy Council Office:

Timothea Gibb, Director of Operations, Parliamentary Affairs.

Employment and Social Development Canada:

Kristen Underwood, Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat;

Kevin Wagdin, Director, Old Age Security Policy and Legislation;

Annik Casey, Director General, Employment Insurance Benefits Processing, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch, Service Canada;

Steven Côté, Executive Director, Skills and Employment Branch;

Fariya Syed, Director, Employment Program Policy and Design, Skills and Employment Branch;

Saajida Deen, Director General, Employment Program Policy and Design, Skills and Employment Branch;

Anamika Mona Nandy, Acting Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch;

George Rae, Acting Executive Director, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch;

Lorraine Pelot, Director General, Canadian Pension Plan Disability;

Neal Leblanc, Acting Director, Canada Pension Plan Policy;

Matthew Lye, Senior Policy Analyst, Canada Pension Plan Disability Directorate;

Douglas Wolfe, Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program;

Rouba Dabboussy, Director General, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch, Service Canada;

James Scott Patterson, Acting Director, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch, Service Canada.

Canada Revenue Agency:

Robert Greene, Director General, Individual Returns Directorate, Assessment, Benefit and Service Branch;

Guy Lafrance, Director General, Collections Directorate, Collections and Verification Branch.

Galen Countryman, James Wu, Kathleen Wrye, Robert Sample, Lucas Cherkewski, Timothea Gibb, Kevin Wagdin, Steven Côté, Saajida Deen, Anamika Mona Nandy, Lorraine Pelot, Kristen Underwood, Douglas Wolfe and Rouba Dabboussy each made a statement and, together with James Scott Patterson, answered questions.

At 1:32 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mireille K. Aubé

Clerk of the Committee