NDDN Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on National Defence met at 3:36 p.m. this day, in Room 362 East Block, for the purpose of electing a Chair, pursuant to S.O. 106(2).

Laurie Hawn moved, — That Maxime Bernier be elected Chair of the Committee.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division: YEAS: Maxime Bernier, Ray Boughen, Cheryl Gallant, Jack Harris, Laurie Hawn, Candice Hoeppner, LaVar Payne — 7; NAYS: — 0.

BGen G. Champagne made a statement and answered questions.

At 4:40 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:47 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

The Chair presented the Second Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure which read as follows:

Your Subcommittee met on Wednesday, March 4, 2009, to consider the business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. That the Standing Committee on National Defence meet on March 23, 25 and 30, 2009 to consider a draft report related to its study of health services provided to Canadian Forces personnel with an emphasis on post-traumatic stress disorder;

2. That the Standing Committee on National Defence meet on April 1, 2009 to receive a briefing from the Department of National Defence on the recent incident of a Russian military aircraft approaching Canada’s Airspace;

3. That the Standing Committee on National Defence meet on April 20, 22, 27 and 29, 2009 to hear witnesses related to it study on arctic sovereignty;

4. That the following witnesses be invited to appear before the Standing Committee on National Defence in relation to its study on Arctic Sovereignty:

• Witnesses from relevant Departments: DND, DFAIT, Environment, Natural Resources, Transport (Coast Guard), DIAND;

• DND: Vice-Admiral McFadden (Canada Command); Brigadier General David Miller (Commander Joint Task Force North), etc.;

• DFAIT: the legal aspects of the sovereignty issue, the legitimacy of Canada’s claims, competing claims, etc.;

• Canadian Polar Commission (Tom Hutchinson, Chair);

• Prof. Michael Byers, University of British Columbia; Authority on sovereignty issues, international legal issues;

• Prof. Dan Middlemiss, Naval expert, Dalhousie University;

• Commodore (Ret’d.) Eric Lehre, Navy and sovereignty issues, Dalhousie University;

• Commander (Ret’d.) Peter Hayden, Naval expert, particularly submarines;

• Prof. Ken Coates, University of Waterloo; Historian with a wide knowledge of northern issues;

• Prof. P. Whitney Lackenbauer, St. Jerome’s University, University of Waterloo; Leading expert on northern security and defence issues (Could also address Aboriginal Issues);

• Prof. William R. Morrison, University of Northern British Columbia; Leading Northern historian;

• Prof. Greg Poelzer; Leading expert on circumpolar affairs and the politics of the modern north; knowledgeable on Russia and Scandinavia;

• Prof. Louis Fortier, University of Laval; Northern Ecosystems;

• Prof. Donat Pharand, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa;

• Prof. Rob Huebert, Associate director of the Center for Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary;

• Colonel (Ret’d.) Pierre Leblanc, former Commander, Canadian Forces Northern Area;

• Prof. Franklyn Griffiths; Authority on Northern sovereignty issues;

• Prof. Suzanne Lalonde, University of Montreal. (Faculty of Law).

It was agreed, — That the Second Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on National Defence be amended by adding, in section (2), after the words “National Defence”, the following:

“, during its meeting on March 23, invite a representative of the Embassy of the Russian Federation on the recent incident of a Russian military aircraft approaching Canada’s Airspace, and that the Committee”.

It was agreed, — That the Second Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on National Defence be amended by adding, in section (4), after the words “University of Montreal. (Faculty of Law)”, the following:

• “Admiral Niels C. Wang, Kongelige Danske Marine (Royal Danish Navy)

• Jim Woolsley, former head of the CIA”.

It was agreed, — That the Second Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on National Defence, as amended, be adopted.

At 4:56 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.