THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, October 2, 2024
(121)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 6:45 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 Fridhandler (1).

Participating in the meeting: Shaowei Pu and Sylvain Fleury, Analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the committee continued its examination of the expenditures set out in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, with the exception of Library of Parliament Vote 1.

WITNESSES:

VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc.:

Martin Imbleau, Chief Executive Officer.

VIA Rail Canada:

Carl Delisle, Chief Financial Officer;

Denis Lavoie, General Council.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation:

Carol Najm, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer;

Shaun Poulter, Executive Director, Strategy, Public Affairs and Government Relations.

Canada Council for the Arts:

Michelle Chawla, Director and Chief Executive Officer;

Eva Jacobs, Chief Financial, Administration and Security Officer;

Lise Ann Johnson, Acting Director General, Arts Granting Programs.

Canadian Heritage:

David Dendooven, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, Planning and Corporate Affairs;

Joëlle Montminy, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs.

Carl Delisle, Martin Imbleau, David Dendooven, Carol Najm and Michelle Chawla each made a statement and, together with Denis Lavoie, Shaun Poulter, Eva Jacob, Lise Ann Johns and Joëlle Montminy, answered questions.

At 8:50 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Andrea Mugny

Clerk of the Committee