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

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Thursday, June 13, 2024
(58)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs met this day at 8 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 Dasko, Deacon (Ontario), Dean, Kutcher, Richards, Woo and Yussuff (13).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senators Housakos and McNair (2).

Participating in the meeting: Andrea Mugny, Acting Co-clerk of the Committee, Catlin Seibel-Kamél, 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.

WITNESSES:

Business Council of Canada:

Trevor Neiman, Vice President, Policy, and Legal Counsel.

National Security and Intelligence Review Agency:

Craig Forcese, Vice-Chair;

Charles Fugère, Senior General Counsel and Acting Executive Director.

Office of the Intelligence Commissionner:

The Honourable Simon Noël, K.C., Intelligence Commissioner;

Justin Dubois, Executive Director and General Counsel.

As individuals:

The Honourable Michael Chong, P.C., Member of Parliament, Wellington-Halton Hills.

Tim McSorley, National Coordinator, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group;

Guy Saint-Jacques, Former Canadian Ambassador to China (by videoconference).

Charles Burton, Senior Fellow, Sinopsis.

Aaron Shull, Managing Director and General Counsel, Centre for International Governance Innovation.

The Honourable Michael Chong, P.C., Tim McSorley and Trevor Neiman each made a statement and answered questions.

At 8:32 a.m., the Honourable Senator Dasko replaced the Honourable Senator Woo as a member of the committee.

At 8:59 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 9:09 a.m., the committee resumed.

Guy Saint-Jacques, Charles Burton and Aaron Shull each made a statement and answered questions.

At 10:01 a.m., the Honourable Senator Woo replaced the Honourable Senator Deacon (Ontario) as a member of the committee.

At 10:07 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 10:19 a.m., the committee resumed.

Craig Forcese and the Honourable Simon Noël, K.C., each made a statement and answered questions.

At 11:14 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Karine Déquier

Acting Clerk of the Committee