It was agreed, — That the proposed budget in the amount of $2,250, for the study of the Order in Council appointment of Harpreet Singh Kochhar to the position of President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, be adopted.

It was agreed, — That the proposed budget in the amount of $2,250, for the study of the Order in Council appointment of Joss Reimer to the position of Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, be adopted.

Dan Mazier moved, — That the committee summon Michael Green, former CEO of Canada Health Infoway.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The chair ruled the motion out of order as it does not relate to the business under consideration and does not respect the notice requirement prescribed by the routine motions.

Whereupon, Dan Mazier appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Maggie Chi, Doug Eyolfson, Wade Grant, Brendan Hanley, Helena Jaczek, Aslam Rana — 6;

NAYS: Burton Bailey, Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Helena Konanz, Dan Mazier, Matt Strauss — 5.

Harpreet Singh Kochhar made a statement and answered questions.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the Committee order the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to table, within 21 calendar days, the following documents, unredacted:

1. All analyses, assessments, scientific opinions, and public health risk analyses, including preliminary and internal versions, that led or contributed to the decision to close, postpone, suspend, or modify the closure of the Longueuil laboratory;

2. The capacity analyses and the plan for transferring activities to other laboratories, including those related to food allergens, nutritional analysis, and marine biotoxins;

3. All internal or external correspondence related, directly or indirectly, to this decision, including communications with the minister’s office and with Health Canada;

4. Any assessment of the impacts on Canada’s international obligations and on access to export markets;

5. Any analysis concerning business continuity and risk management;

6. A complete chronology of decisions, including:

a) the decision that led to the issuance of notices to employees in January 2026;

b) the information available at the time of the testimony of Mr. Ianiro before the committee on March 12, 2026;

c) any developments that led to the postponement announced on April 24, 2026;

Debate arose thereon.

Maggie Chi 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: Maggie Chi, Doug Eyolfson, Wade Grant, Brendan Hanley, Helena Jaczek, Aslam Rana — 6;

NAYS: Burton Bailey, Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Helena Konanz, Dan Mazier, Matt Strauss — 5.

Questioning of the witness resumed.

At 4:46 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 4:52 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Joss Reimer made a statement and answered questions.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the Committee order the Public Health Agency of Canada to provide, within 21 calendar days, the following documents, unredacted, in its possession or under its control:

1. All public health assessments, analyses or advice, including preliminary and internal versions, regarding the impacts of the closure or postponement of the Longueuil laboratory;

2. All public health risk analyses related to food allergens and marine biotoxins, including impacts on testing timelines and emergency response capacity;

3. All assessments of the system’s capacity to respond to incidents or outbreaks, in the context of reduced laboratory capacity;

4. All internal or external correspondence directly or indirectly related to this matter, including briefing notes, emails, memoranda and presentations, including communications with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and the Minister’s Office;

5. All recommendations made by the Agency regarding the closure, postponement or maintenance of operations at the Longueuil laboratory;

6. A complete timeline of the Agency’s involvement, including:

a) any involvement prior to January 2026;

b) any assessments or advice available as of March 12, 2026;

c) any contributions or analyses that led to the postponement announced on April 24, 2026;

Debate arose thereon.

Maggie Chi 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: Maggie Chi, Doug Eyolfson, Wade Grant, Brendan Hanley, Helena Jaczek, Aslam Rana — 6;

NAYS: Burton Bailey, Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Helena Konanz, Dan Mazier, Matt Strauss — 5.

Questioning of the witness resumed.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the Committee order the Government of Canada to provide, within 21 calendar days, the following documents, unredacted, in its possession or under its control:

1. All public health analyses, assessments or advice, including preliminary and internal versions, regarding the composition, mandate or work of the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Working Group;

2. All documents demonstrating the involvement, consultation or validation of the Public Health Agency of Canada in the composition, mandate or work of the Working Group;

3. All assessments of public health risks related to conflicts of interest, representativeness of the group, and the balance between industry interests, patients, independent experts, provinces and public health;

4. All internal or external correspondence directly or indirectly related to these matters, including communications with the pharmaceutical industry, Health Canada and the Minister’s Office;

5. All documents demonstrating the participation of patients, independent public health experts, generic and biosimilar manufacturers, and provincial representatives, including Quebec;

Debate arose thereon.

Maggie Chi 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: Maggie Chi, Doug Eyolfson, Wade Grant, Brendan Hanley, Helena Jaczek, Aslam Rana — 6;

NAYS: Burton Bailey, Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Helena Konanz, Dan Mazier, Matt Strauss — 5.

Questioning of the witness resumed.