William Lahey, Rick Connors, Scott Doherty and Marc Hollin made statements and answered questions.

At 11:13 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:24 a.m., the sitting resumed.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

At 12:38 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:43 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

It was agreed, — That the Second Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which read as follows, be concurred in:

Your Subcommittee met on Friday, January 29, 2021, to consider the business of the committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. That the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, along with government officials, be invited to appear before the committee as part of its ongoing study on Economic Recovery in the Forestry Sector on Friday, February 26, 2021.

2. That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of no less than six meetings on positioning Canada as a responsible source in critical minerals and battery value chains in support of renewable energy and clean technology in the post-COVID-19 economy; that the committee hear from witnesses not limited to but including the Department of Natural Resources, mining sector firms, and electric-vehicle battery producers; and that the committee report its findings to the House.

3. That, in relation to the above study, parties submit their list of suggested witnesses in order of priority to the clerk no later than 9:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.