Skip to main content
;

PACP 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.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication

Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 136
Tuesday, September 3, 2024, 10:08 a.m. to 2:11 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
John Williamson, Chair (Conservative)

• Parm Bains for Brenda Shanahan (Liberal)
• Larry Brock for Jake Stewart (Conservative)
• Pam Damoff for Iqra Khalid (Liberal)
• Garnett Genuis for Arnold Viersen (Conservative)
• Bryan May for Brenda Shanahan (Liberal)
• Rick Perkins for John Nater (Conservative)
Library of Parliament
• Mahdi Benmoussa, Analyst
• Dillan Theckedath, Analyst
National Research Council of Canada
• Mitch Davies, President
• David Lisk, Vice-President, Industrial Research Assistance Program
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(g), the committee resumed consideration of Report 6, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, of the 2024 Reports 5 to 7 of the Auditor General of Canada referred to the committee on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

Mitch Davies made a statement and, with David Lisk, answered questions.

Motion

Rick Perkins moved, — That, as part of the committee’s ongoing study of Sustainable Development and Technology Canda (SDTC), the committee agrees to:

(a) extend its current study of the Auditor General’s Report by inviting the following additional witnesses:

(i) John Knubley, former Deputy Minister of the Department of Industry;

(ii) Cassie Doyle, acting board member of SDTC;

(iii) Martha Morgan, acting board member of SDTC;

(iv) Steven Guibeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change;

(v) Andrée-Lise Méthot, founder of Cycle Capital and former member of SDTC Board

(vi) Steven Kakucha, former board member of SDTC;

(vii) Guy Ouimet, former board member of SDTC; and

(viii) Annette Verschuren, former chair of SDTC.

(b) that the committee report to the House that it asks the Auditor General to undertake a value for money and performance audit on the work done by SDTC since Monday, January 1, 2017.

Debate arose thereon.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

At 12:20 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:35 p.m., the meeting resumed.

The debate on the motion of Rick Perkins resumed.

Amendment

Iqra Khalid moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “(iv) Steven Guibeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change;”, and by adding the words “Karen Hogan, Auditor General of Canada”, and “Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner”.

Debate arose thereon.

Subamendment

Garnett Genuis moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing the words “Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner” with the words “Michel Bédard, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Council of the House of Commons”.

By unanimous consent, the subamendment was withdrawn.

Subamendment

Garnett Genuis moved, — That the amendment be amended by deleting the words “(iv) Steven Guibeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change”.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Garnett Genuis and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Larry Brock, Blake Desjarlais, Garnett Genuis, Rick Perkins — 4;

NAYS: Parm Bains, Valerie Bradford, Iqra Khalid, Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Patrick Weiler, Jean Yip — 6.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Iqra Khalid and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Parm Bains, Valerie Bradford, Iqra Khalid, Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Patrick Weiler, Jean Yip — 6;

NAYS: Larry Brock, Blake Desjarlais, Garnett Genuis, Rick Perkins — 4.

On motion of Garnett Genuis, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by adding the following: “(xi) Michel Bédard, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel”.

Amendment

Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné moved, — That the motion be amended by adding the following: “(xii) Judith Athaide, Carl Landry, Ellen McGregor, Ron Koudys, Jill Earthy, Chris Wormald and Erin Mahoney”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Parm Bains, Valerie Bradford, Larry Brock, Blake Desjarlais, Garnett Genuis, Iqra Khalid, Rick Perkins, Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Patrick Weiler, Jean Yip — 10;

NAYS: — 0.

At 1:31 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 1:40 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Amendment

Iqra Khalid moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “(b) that the committee report to the House that it asks the Auditor General to undertake a value for money and performance audit on the work done by SDTC since January 1, 2017.”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Parm Bains, Valerie Bradford, Iqra Khalid, Patrick Weiler, Jean Yip — 5;

NAYS: Larry Brock, Blake Desjarlais, Garnett Genuis, Rick Perkins, Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné — 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the amendment was negatived.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Parm Bains, Valerie Bradford, Larry Brock, Blake Desjarlais, Garnett Genuis, Iqra Khalid, Rick Perkins, Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Patrick Weiler, Jean Yip — 10;

NAYS: — 0.

The motion, as amended, reads as follows:

That, as part of the committee’s ongoing study of Sustainable Development and Technology Canda (SDTC), the committee agrees to:

(a) extend its current study of the Auditor General’s Report by inviting the following additional witnesses:

(i) John Knubley, former Deputy Minister of the Department of Industry;

(ii) Cassie Doyle, acting board member of SDTC;

(iii) Martha Morgan, acting board member of SDTC;

(iv) Andrée-Lise Méthot, founder of Cycle Capital and former member of SDTC Board

(v) Steven Kakucha, former board member of SDTC;

(vi) Guy Ouimet, former board member of SDTC;

(vii) Annette Verschuren, former chair of SDTC;

(viii) Karen Hogan, Auditor General of Canada;

(ix) Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner;

(x) Michel Bédard, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Council of the House of Commons; and

(xi) Judith Athaide, Carl Landry, Ellen McGregor, Ron Koudys, Jill Earthy, Chris Wormald and Erin Mahoney.

(b) that the committee report to the House that it asks the Auditor General to undertake a value for money and performance audit on the work done by SDTC since Monday, January 1, 2017.

At 1:53 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 1:58 p.m., the meeting resumed.

The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

Rick Perkins moved, — That the committee resume consideration of his motion moved on Thursday, June 20, 2024, which read as follows:

Given, the Auditor General's audit of Sustainable Development and Technology Canada, and given that government appointed board members approved:

(a) $59 million towards ten ineligible projects;

(b) 76 million towards ninety projects in which board members had conflicts of interest and violated internal conflict of interest policies, and in violation of the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Act;

(c) $259 million towards ninety-six projects where board members held conflicts of interest; and

(d) $58 million towards projects without ensuring contribution agreement term were met;

the committee therefore expresses extreme concern with the blatant disregard of taxpayer funds, and therefore calls on the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, to recoup these funds for Canadians taxpayers within 100 days following the adoption of this motion, and that the committee report this matter to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

It was agreed, — That debate be resumed at the next meeting.

At 2:11 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Miriam Burke
Committee clerk