THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, December 13, 2023
(88)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 3:30 p.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Percy Mockler, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Dagenais, Forest, Galvez, Gignac, Loffreda, Marshall, Mockler, Pate and Smith (9).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senators Carignan, P.C., Dalphond, Deacon (Nova Scotia) and Ross (4).

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

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the committee began its consideration of the subject matter of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act.

WITNESSES:

Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project:

Keldon Bester, Representative.

OpenMedia:

Matthew Hatfield, Campaigns Director (by videoconference).

Competition Bureau Canada:

Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition;

Jeanne Pratt, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices Branch;

Anthony Durocher, Deputy Commissioner, Competition Promotion Branch.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce:

Matthew Holmes, Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations.

Keldon Bester, Matthew Hatfield, Matthew Boswell and Matthew Holmes each made a statement and, together with Jeanne Pratt, answered questions.

At 4:05 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 4:27 p.m., the committee resumed.

Witnesses continued to answer questions.

At 5:33 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 5:35 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 remain present during the in camera portion of the meeting.

It was agreed that the draft report be adopted, in both official languages and that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to approve the final version of the report, in both official languages, taking into consideration this meeting’s discussions, and with any necessary editorial, grammatical and translation changes required.

It was agreed that the chair be authorized to table the report, in both official languages, in the Senate or to deposit it with the Clerk of the Senate, at the earliest opportunity.

At 5:58 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mireille K. Aubé

Clerk of the Committee