THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Wednesday, April 22, 2026
(30)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications met this day at 6:45 p.m., in room B45, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Larry W. Smith, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Arnold, Cormier, Dasko, Lewis, Miville-Dechêne, Mohamed, Simons and Smith (8).
Participating in the meeting: Geneviève Gosselin and Marion Ménard, Analysts, Library of Parliament.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2025, the committee continued its study on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in the information and communication technology sector.
WITNESSES:
Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions:
Marie-Julie Desrochers, Executive Director;
John Degen, Chief Executive Director, The Writers' Union of Canada (by videoconference).
Music Canada:
Patrick Rogers, Chief Executive Officer.
Music Publishers Canada:
Margaret McGuffin, Chief Executive Officer.
GetFact.ca:
Wilf Dinnick, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder.
At 6:48 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 6:51 p.m., the committee resumed.
Marie-Julie Desrochers, John Degen, Patrick Rogers and Margaret McGuffin each made a statement and answered questions.
At 7:45 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 7:50 p.m., the committee resumed.
Wilf Dinnick made a statement and answered questions.
The Honourable Senator Smith moved that the Honourable Senator Wells (Newfoundland and Labrador), subject to his addition to the membership of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, be elected chair of this committee effective April 23, 2026.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 8:40 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Andrea Mugny
Clerk of the Committee