THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, DEFENCE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 12, 2024
(57)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs met this day at 11:32 a.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the deputy chair, the Honourable Jean-Guy Dagenais, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Anderson, Boehm, Cardozo, Carignan, P.C., Dagenais, Dalphond, Deacon (Ontario), Kutcher, Patterson, Richards, Woo and Yussuff (12).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senators Cotter, Dasko, Housakos, McBean, McNair and Moodie (6).

Participating in the meeting: Karine Déquier, Acting Co-clerk of the Committee, and Martine Willox, Legislative Clerk, Committees Directorate; Ariel Shapiro and Anne-Marie Therrien-Tremblay, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the committee continued its consideration of the subject matter of Bill C-70, An Act respecting countering foreign interference.

APPEARING:

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs;

The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

WITNESSES:

Public Safety Canada:

Shawn Tupper, Deputy Minister;

Richard Bilodeau, Director General.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service:

David Vigneault, Director;

Sarah Estabrooks, Director General, Policy and Foreign Relations.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police:

Mark Flynn, Deputy Commissioner, Federal Policing.

Department of Justice Canada:

Shalene Curtis-Micallef, Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General of Canada;

Heather Watts, Deputy Assistant Deputy Minister.

The ministers each made a statement and, together with David Vigneault and Shawn Tupper, answered questions.

At 12:33 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 12:38 p.m., the committee resumed.

Richard Bilodeau, Mark Flynn, Heather Watts and Sarah Estabrooks answered questions.

At 1:14 p.m., the Honourable Senator Dalphond, took the chair.

At 1:17 p.m., the Honourable Senator Dagenais resumed the chair.

At 1:31 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Andrea Mugny

Acting Clerk of the Committee