On motion of Pierre Paul-Hus, it was agreed, — That Robert Kitchen be elected Chair of the committee.

Robert Kitchen took the Chair.

On motion of Steven MacKinnon, it was agreed, — That Francis Drouin be elected First Vice-Chair of the committee.

On motion of Steven MacKinnon, it was agreed, — That Julie Vignola be elected Second Vice-Chair of the committee.

It was agreed, — That the committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the Chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist it in its work.

It was agreed, — That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of five members, namely the Chair and one member from each recognized party; and that the subcommittee work in a spirit of collaboration.

It was agreed, — That the Chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least four members are present, including two members of the opposition and two members of the government, but when travelling outside the Parliamentary Precinct, that the meeting begin after 15 minutes, regardless of members present.

Julie Vignola moved, — That witnesses be given five minutes for their opening statements; that whenever possible, witnesses provide the committee with their opening statements 72 hours in advance; that, at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated six minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows:
Round 1:

• Conservative Party,
• Liberal Party,
• Bloc Québécois,
• New Democratic Party, and

that for the second and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning be as follows:
• Conservative Party, five minutes,
• Liberal Party, five minutes,
• Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes,
• New Democratic Party, two and a half minutes,
• Conservative Party, five minutes,
• Liberal Party, five minutes.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

It was agreed, — That the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute documents to members of the committee only when such documents exist in both official languages, and that witnesses be advised accordingly.

It was moved, —That the clerk of the committee be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees.

Debate arose thereon.

After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the clerk of the committee be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees, provided that members have confirmed their physical presence at the meeting.

It was agreed, — That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses not exceeding two representatives per organization; provided that, in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the Chair.

It was agreed, — That, unless otherwise ordered, each committee member be allowed to have one staff member at an in-camera meetings and that one additional person from each House officer’s office be allowed to be present.

It was agreed, — That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meetings be kept in the committee clerk’s office for consultation by members of the committee or by their staff.

It was agreed, — That a 48 hours’ notice, interpreted as two nights, shall be required for any substantive motion to be considered by the committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration, provided that (1) the notice be filed with the clerk of the committee no later than 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, that (2) the motion be distributed to Members in both official languages by the clerk on the same day the said notice was transmitted if it was received no later than the deadline hour, and that (3) notices received after the deadline hour or on non- business days be deemed to have been received during the next business day; and that when the committee is travelling outside the Parliamentary Precinct, no substantive motions may be moved.

It was agreed, — That, in relation to orders of reference from the House respecting Bills, a) the clerk of the committee shall, upon the committee receiving such an order of reference, write to each member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee to invite those members to file with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, any amendments to the Bill, which is the subject of the said order, which they would suggest that the committee consider; b) suggested amendments filed, pursuant to paragraph a), at least 48 hours prior to the start of clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill to which the amendments relate shall be deemed to be proposed during the said consideration, provided that the committee may, by motion, vary this deadline in respect of a given Bill; and c) during the clause-by-clause consideration of a Bill, the Chair shall allow a member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph a), an opportunity to make brief representations in support of them.

Patrick Weiler moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee conduct a 16-meeting study on: a) federal shipbuilding; b) ship procurement; c) the polar icebreaker; and d) the effect of COVID-19 on shipyard construction and delivery, and that the committee report its findings to the House by Thursday, November 26, 2020.

Debate arose thereon.

The Committee resumed consideration of the motion, as amended, of Patrick Weiler, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee conduct a 16-meeting study on: a) federal shipbuilding; b) ship procurement; c) the polar icebreaker; d) the effect of COVID-19 on shipyard construction and delivery; and e) the criteria for ranking shipyards in the awarding of contracts under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, and that the committee report its findings to the House by Thursday, November 26, 2020.

The debate continued.

Kelly McCauley moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Matthew Green, Dane Lloyd, Kelly McCauley, Pierre Paul-Hus, Julie Vignola — 5;

NAYS: Mark Gerretsen, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Steven MacKinnon, Patrick Weiler — 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the motion was agreed to.

Matthew Green moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Orders 108(2) and 108(3)(c), the committee resume the following studies and activities undertaken during the 1st Session of the 43rd Parliament; and that the evidence heard and documentation received by the Committee in relation to these studies be taken into consideration by the Committee in this session:

1. Defence procurement with a focus on shipbuilding
2. Government’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
3. Greening Government Strategy
4. Hiring Process in the Public Service
5. Hiring of veterans for public service positions
6. Review of the Red Tape Reduction Act
7. Departmental Results Reports 2018-19
8. Subject Matter of Supplementary Estimates (A), 2020-21: Vote 1a under Department of Public works and Government Services, Votes 1a and 5a under National Capital Commission, Vote 1a under Privy Council Office, Votes 1a and 5a under Shared Services Canada and Votes 1a, 20a and 30a under Treasury Board Secretariat
9. Subject Matter of Supplementary Estimates (B), 2019-20: Vote 1b under Department of Public works and Government Services, Votes 1b and 5b under Shared Services Canada and Vote 1b under Treasury Board Secretariat
10. Briefing on the Nuctech security equipment contract
11. Briefing by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement on Phoenix
12. Briefing by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement on Canada Post;
13. Awarding by the federal government of a $900 million sole-sourced contract to WE Charity, as well as prior contracts to this organization and,
That, in the context of its study of the government’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee send for all briefing notes, memos and emails from senior officials, prepared for the Minister of Health, the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Chief Medical Health Officer of Canada, and the Minister of Public Service and Procurement between 2010 and the present day, regarding the stockpiling, management, disposal and replenishment of medical equipment and supplies in the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile; that the committee receive the information no later than October 31, 2020; that matters of Cabinet confidence and national security be excluded from the request; that any redactions to protect the privacy of Canadian citizens and permanent residents whose names and personal information may be included in the documents, as well as public servants who have been providing assistance on this matter, be made by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel of the House of Commons and that these documents be posted on the committee’s web page;

That, in the context of its study of the government’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee send for documents from Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) containing the following disaggregated data related to businesses owned by under-represented groups (black, indigenous, women, and persons with disabilities) who have engaged with PSPC with regard to the federal government’s response to COVID-19: (a) (i) how many companies from under-represented groups have secured contracts with PSPC, (ii) the value of these contracts, (iii) the number of businesses from under-represented groups screened and approved as credited vendors, (iv) number and value of set aside contracts for these businesses, (v) the number of sub-contracts entered into; (b), that the committee send for all papers and records, in unredacted form, from Employment and Social Development Canada (“ESDC”) relating to the Federal Contractors Program, and in particular: (i) all current, signed Agreements to Implement Employment Equity (“Agreements”); (ii) the most current list of contractors covered by said Agreements; (iii) the most current compliance documentation furnished by each contractor covered by an Agreement, including the goal-setting report, achievement table, workforce analysis, revised goals for remaining gaps in representation, and any explanatory material; (iv) the most current documentation of ESDC’s compliance assessment for each contractor covered by an Agreement; (v) the most recent Limited Eligibility to Bid List; (vi) all documentation filed in an appeal of a finding of non-compliance by a contractor to the Minister; (vii) all documentation connected to an independent review of an appeal; (viii) any documentation internal to ESDC assessing or evaluating the Federal Contractors Program; that the committee receive these documents, papers and records no later than October 31, 2020; that departments tasked with gathering and releasing the following documents do their assessment and vetting as would be done through the access to information process; and that these documents be posted on the committee’s web page.

At 12:45 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:56 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Mark Gerretsen moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Mark Gerretsen, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Steven MacKinnon, Patrick Weiler — 5;

NAYS: Matthew Green, Dane Lloyd, Kelly McCauley, Pierre Paul-Hus, Julie Vignola — 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the motion was agreed to.

Pierre Paul-Hus moved, — That the committee undertake a study of the Main Estimates, 2020-21 and invite the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and senior officials from Public Services and Procurement Canada to appear.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Pierre Paul-Hus moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic including the procurement of medical equipment and the delays created by the COVID-19 pandemic on procurement activities and that the evidence and documentation received by the committee during the 1st Session of the 43rd Parliament, as part of its study of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, be taken into consideration by the committee in the current session.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Pierre Paul-Hus moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of the Nuctech security equipment contract; that the study start no later than Monday, November 23, 2020; that the committee send for all documents, memorandums, and briefing materials related to the Nuctech security equipment contract; that the documents be provided to the committee, in both official languages, no later than 5:00 p.m. (Ottawa time) on December 10.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Pierre Paul-Hus moved, — That the committee undertake a study on the upgrading of federal IT infrastructures.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mark Gerretsen, Matthew Green, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Dane Lloyd, Steven MacKinnon, Kelly McCauley, Pierre Paul-Hus, Julie Vignola, Patrick Weiler — 10;

NAYS: — 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the committee undertake a study on the upgrading of federal IT infrastructures, and that, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)c), the committee study and issue, as a report, recommendations and proposals to improve the efficiency, during the pandemic and after, of the various computer systems and other technological means in the administration of assistance services and programs, in particular in the context of the administration of online assistance programs (such as the CERB, etc.) and requests for routine administrative services such as, without limiting to it, the processing of immigration files.

Julie Vignola moved, — That the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates report to the House of Commons the following recommendation:
That the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates recommend to the House the creation of a special committee to hold hearings to examine all aspects of the design and creation of the Canada Student Service Grant, including those relating to the study to review the safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest in federal government expenditure policies; government spending, WE Charity and the Canada Student Service Grant; the government’s decision to select WE Charity, an anglophone organization, to implement the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG); and the administration of the Canada Student Service Grant and WE Charity;

1. That the committee be composed of 11 members, of which five shall be government members, four shall be from the official opposition, one shall be from the Bloc Québécois and one from the New Democratic Party;

2. That changes in the membership of the committee shall be effective immediately after notification by the whip has been filed with the Clerk of the House;

3. That membership substitutions be permitted, if required, in the manner provided for in Standing Order 114(2);

4. That the members shall be named by their respective whip by depositing with the Clerk of the House the list of their members to serve on the committee no later than three days following the adoption of this motion by the House;

5. That the Clerk of the House shall convene an organization meeting of the said committee no later than five days following the adoption of this motion by the House;

6. That the committee be chaired by a member of the official opposition;

7. That notwithstanding Standing Order 106(2), in addition to the Chair, there be one vice-chair from the official opposition, one vice-chair from the Bloc Québécois and one vice-chair from the New Democratic Party;

8. That quorum of the committee be as provided for in Standing Order 118 and that the Chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least four members are present, including one member of the opposition and one member of the government;

9. That the committee be granted all of the powers of a standing committee, as provided in the Standing Orders, as well as the power to travel, accompanied by the necessary staff, inside and outside of Canada;

10. That the committee have the power to authorize video and audio broadcasting of any or all of its proceedings;

11. That the committee continue all of the business of the following committees: the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics; the Standing Committee on Finance; the Standing Committee on Official Languages; and the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates; and that the documents and evidence received by each of these committees be deemed to have been received by the said committee, including the documents provided on August 18 to the members of the Standing Committee on Finance;

12. That the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, and the Leader of the Government in the House be among the witnesses ordered to appear from time to time as the committee sees fit..

Pierre Paul-Hus moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mark Gerretsen, Matthew Green, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Dane Lloyd, Steven MacKinnon, Kelly McCauley, Pierre Paul-Hus, Julie Vignola, Patrick Weiler — 10;

NAYS: — 0.