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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 51
Thursday, February 9, 2023, 11:01 a.m. to 1:12 p.m.
Televised
Presiding
Hon. Bardish Chagger, Chair (Liberal)

• Jenna Sudds for Hon. Greg Fergus (Liberal)
• Michael Barrett for John Nater (Conservative)
Library of Parliament
• Andre Barnes, Analyst
• Laurence Brosseau, Analyst
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
• Adam Fisher, Director General, Intelligence Assessments
• Cherie Henderson, Assistant Director, Requirements
Communications Security Establishment
• Lyall King, Director, Risk Mitigation Programs
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Lisa Ducharme, Acting Director General, Federal Policing National Intelligence
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(a)(vi) and the motion adopted by the committee on Thursday, September 22, 2022, the committee resumed its study of the foreign election interference.

Lyall King made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

Motion

Michael Cooper moved, — That, given the Global News report published by Sam Cooper on February 8, 2023, revealing that national security officials drafted a warning for the Prime Minister in June 2017, alleging that Beijing agents were assisting Canadian candidates running for political offices and included well-documented evidence of Beijing’s efforts to infiltrate “all levels of government,” the committee,

(a) add additional meetings as required to its study on foreign election interference;

(b) invite the following witnesses to testify in public on the contents of the report: Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister; Michael Wernick, Former Clerk of the Privy Council; and Daniel Jean, Former National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister; and,

(c) order the production of all memoranda, briefing notes, e-mails, records of conversations, and any other relevant documents, including any drafts, which are in the possession of the government, with respect to the matters referred to in the Global News report, provided that the documents, which may be redacted to protect the identities of employees or sources of Canadian or allied intelligence agencies, shall be deposited with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, within two weeks of the adoption of this motion.

Debate arose thereon.

At 12:58 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 1:03 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Amendment

Ryan Turnbull moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister,” and the words “and (c) order the production of all memoranda, briefing notes, e-mails, records of conversations, and any other relevant documents, including any drafts, which are in the possession of the government, with respect to the matters referred to in the Global News report, provided that the documents, which may be redacted to protect the identities of employees or sources of Canadian or allied intelligence agencies, shall be deposited with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, within two weeks of the adoption of this motion.”.

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

YEAS: Rachel Blaney, Jennifer O'Connell, Sherry Romanado, Ruby Sahota, Jenna Sudds, Ryan Turnbull — 6;

NAYS: Luc Berthold, Blaine Calkins, Michael Cooper, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, John Nater — 5.

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

YEAS: Luc Berthold, Rachel Blaney, Blaine Calkins, Michael Cooper, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, John Nater, Jennifer O'Connell, Sherry Romanado, Ruby Sahota, Jenna Sudds, Ryan Turnbull — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, given the Global News report published by Sam Cooper on February 8, 2023, revealing that national security officials drafted a warning for the Prime Minister in June 2017, alleging that Beijing agents were assisting Canadian candidates running for political offices and included well-documented evidence of Beijing’s efforts to infiltrate “all levels of government,” the Committee,

(a) add additional meetings as required to its study on foreign election interference;

(b) invite the following witnesses to testify in public on the contents of the report: Michael Wernick, Former Clerk of the Privy Council; and Daniel Jean, Former National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister.

At 1:12 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Miriam Burke,
Sophia Nickel
Clerks of the committee