THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 18, 2025
(5)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 6:01 p.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Claude Carignan, P.C., presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Carignan, P.C., Dalphond, Duncan, Forest, Galvez, Kingston, LaBoucane-Benson, Loffreda, Marshall, Moreau, Pate and Pupatello (12).

Participating in the meeting: Michaël Lambert-Racine, Analyst, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, May 29, 2025, the committee continued its examination of expenditures set out in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, with the exception of Library of Parliament Vote 1.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the committee continued its examination of the Supplementary Estimates (A) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.

WITNESSES:

Indigenous Services Canada:

Philippe Thompson, Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer;

Lisa Smylie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Partnerships;

Paula Hadden-Jokiel, Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations Sector;

Julien Castonguay, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch;

Kirsten Mattison, Director General, Child and Family Services Reform Sector.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada:

Manon Nadeau-Beaulieu, Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer;

Heather McLean, Assistant Deputy Minister, Modern Treaties, Consultation and Intergovernmental Relations;

Georgina Lloyd, Assistant Deputy Minister, Northern Affairs Organization.

Employment and Social Development Canada:

Wojo Zielonka, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer;

Elisha Ram, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch;

Atiq Rahman, Assistant Deputy Minister, Learning Branch;

Colette Kaminsky, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch;

Hugues Vaillancourt, Director General, Social Policy Directorate, Strategic and Service Policy Branch.

Department of Finance Canada:

Christopher Veilleux, Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate;

Maude Lavoie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy Branch;

Julie Turcotte, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch;

Julien Brazeau, Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy Branch;

Mallika Nanduri Bhatt, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch;

Galen Countryman, Director General, Federal-Provincial Relations Division, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch;

Steven Kuhn, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Finance Branch;

Samuel Millar, Assistant Deputy Minister, Economic Development and Corporate Finance Branch.

Philippe Thompson and Manon Nadeau-Beaulieu each made a statement and, together with Kirsten Mattison, Georgina Lloyd, Paula Hadden-Jokiel, Lisa Smylie, Heather McLean and Julien Castonguay, answered questions.

At 7:09 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 7:14 p.m., the committee resumed.

At 7:14 p.m., the deputy chair, the Honourable Senator Forest, took the chair.

Wojo Zielonka made a statement and, together with Elisha Ram, Colette Kaminsky, Hugues Vaillancourt and Atiq Rahman, answered questions.

At 8:02 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 8:08 p.m., the committee resumed.

Christopher Veilleux made a statement and, together with Samuel Millar, Julie Turcotte, Steven Kuhn, Maude Lavoie, Julien Brazeau, Galen Countryman and Mallika Nanduri Bhatt, answered questions.

At 9:01 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Andrea Mugny

Clerk of the Committee