ETHI Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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Minutes of Proceedings
Michael Barrett moved, — That the Committee commence a study on the Trudeau II Report. That the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner be invited to the first meeting of the study to brief the Committee on his Report and that he be given 30 minutes for a prepared statement; and that the Committee invite a Law Clerk of the House of Commons to provide a brief on the principle of the Cabinet Confidences and that he be given 20 minutes for a prepared statement. Also, that the Committee invite other witnesses as required and that the Committee table a report in the House of Commons.
Charlie Angus moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “30 minutes” with the words “20 minutes” and by replacing the words “invite a Law Clerk of the House of Commons to provide a brief on the principle of the Cabinet Confidences and that he be given 20 minutes for a prepared statement”with the following “that the Committee invite the Law Clerk of the House of Commons to provide an in camera briefing on the principle of Cabinet confidences”.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Charlie Angus and it was agreed to.
The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Charlie Angus, Michael Barrett, Jacques Gourde, Damien Kurek — 4;
NAYS: Élisabeth Brière, Han Dong, Greg Fergus, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Michael Levitt, Brenda Shanahan — 6.
Brenda Shanahan moved, — That Marie-Hélène Gaudreau be elected Second Vice-Chair of the committee.
Charlie Angus moved, — That Charlie Angus be elected Vice-Chair of the committee.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), the election was conducted by secret ballot.
The ballots having been counted, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau was declared duly elected Second Vice-Chair.
It was agreed, — That the committee consider electing a third Vice-Chair once the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs has considered the matter and reported to the House.
Charlie Angus moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vii), the Committee, in light of recent media reports of inappropriate partisan consultations over judicial appointments, invite key actors named in those reports, including, but not limited to PMO senior advisor Mathieu Bouchard, to testify before this committee to account for these serious allegations.
Greg Fergus moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “including, but not limited to PMO senior advisor Mathieu Bouchard” and by adding after the words, “key actors named in those reports”, the following: “and study the current selection process and how it compares to previous allegations of partisan interference.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Fergus and it was agreed to.
After debate, by unanimous consent, the motion, as amended, was withdrawn.
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), the Committee study the possibility of reforming the identity system and separating the SIN with identity and by recommending the deployment of a new solution and that the Committee study the solutions deployed in other countries such as in Europe with smart identity cards (eID).
After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.
Charlie Angus moved, — That pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vii), the Committee study the use or possible use of facial recognition technology by various levels of government in Canada, law enforcement agencies, private corporations and individuals; that the committee investigates how this technology will impact the privacy, security and safety of children; that the committee study includes how this technology may be used nefariously, such as a tool for criminal harassment or for other unlawful surveillance purposes; that the committee investigate any possible link, formal or informal, between Canadian law-enforcement agencies and private technology corporations or start-ups including, but not limited to Clearview AI and Palantir; that the committee examines the impacts of facial recognition technology and the growing power of artificial intelligence.
Greg Fergus moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “safety of children” the following: “and racialized communities”.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Fergus and it was agreed to.
Charlie Angus moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “safety of children” the following: seniors and vulnerable populations; that the Committee examine the impacts of facial recognition technology on racialized communities.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Charlie Angus and it was agreed to.
After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to.
The motion, as amended, read as follows:
That pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vii), the committee study the use or possible use of facial recognition technology by various levels of government in Canada, law enforcement agencies, private corporations and individuals; that the committee investigate how this technology will impact the privacy, security and safety of children, seniors and vulnerable populations; that the committee examine the impact of facial recognition technology on racialized communities; and that the study include how this technology may be used nefariously, such as a tool for criminal harassment or for other unlawful surveillance purposes; that the committee investigate any possible link, formal or informal, between Canadian law-enforcement agencies and private technology corporations or start-ups including, but not limited to Clearview AI and Palantir; that the committee examine the impacts of facial recognition technology and the growing power of artificial intelligence.
At 5:19 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 5:20 p.m., the sitting resumed.
At 5:27 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.