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FINA Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Finance (FINA)
45th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 38
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 8:15 a.m. to 10:06 a.m.
Televised
Presiding
Jasraj Hallan, Vice-Chair (Conservative)

Expand AllCollapse All
• Fares Al Soud for Jake Sawatzky (Liberal)
• Greg McLean for Eric Lefebvre (Conservative)
• Costas Menegakis for Sandra Cobena (Conservative)
Library of Parliament
• Shaowei Pu, Analyst
• Ryan van den Berg, Analyst
Federal Spending Power
As an individual
• Daniel Béland, Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada
C.D. Howe Institute
• William Robson, President Emeritus
Institut de recherche en économie contemporaine
• Robert Laplante, Director
Department of Finance
• Galen Countryman, Director General, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch
• Thomas Larouche, Director General, Budget and Government Operations
• Nelson Paterson, Director General, Economic Studies and Policy Analysis Division, Economic Fiscal and Intergovernmental Policy Branch
• Suzanne Kennedy, Senior Director, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, March 9, 2026, the committee resumed its study of the federal spending power.

Daniel Béland, William Robson and Robert Laplante made statements and answered questions.

At 9:13 a.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 9:16 a.m., the meeting resumed.

Galen Countryman made a statement and, with Thomas Larouche, answered questions.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That, notwithstanding the routine motion requiring that a 48-hour notice be given for any substantive motion to be moved in committee, Pat Kelly be permitted to move a motion.

Motion

Pat Kelly moved, — That the committee undertake a study of Bill C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update tabled in Parliament on April 28, 2026, provided that:

(a) the following witnesses be invited to appear separately, for no less than one hour each:

(i) the Minister of Finance and National Revenue;

(ii) the Minister of Jobs and Families, in relation to the proposed amendments to the Employment Insurance Act;

(iii) the Minister of Transport, in relation to the proposed amendments to the Canada Transportation Act;

(iv) The Governor of the Bank of Canada, in relation to the proposed amendments to the Bank of Canada Act;

(b) the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food be invited to appear for one hour, on the same panel, relating to the proposed amendments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act;

(c) the committee receive four hours of additional witness testimony, including at least one panel with departmental officials for a technical briefing, a panel of Canadians affected by high fuel, grocery and housing prices, another panel impacted by the annual alcohol excise duty inflation adjustment, and another panel featuring witnesses deemed relevant by members of the committee; and

(d) the Chair only be authorized to schedule a meeting for the purposes of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill after the witnesses have appeared as prescribed by this motion.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Ryan Turnbull moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting subparagraph (iv).

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Ryan Turnbull 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 the committee undertake a study of Bill C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update tabled in Parliament on April 28, 2026, provided that:

(a) the following witnesses be invited to appear separately, for no less than one hour each:

(i) the Minister of Finance and National Revenue;

(ii) the Minister of Jobs and Families, in relation to the proposed amendments to the Employment Insurance Act;

(iii) the Minister of Transport, in relation to the proposed amendments to the Canada Transportation Act;

(b) the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food be invited to appear for one hour, on the same panel, relating to the proposed amendments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act;

(c) the committee receive four hours of additional witness testimony, including at least one panel with departmental officials for a technical briefing, a panel of Canadians affected by high fuel, grocery and housing prices, another panel impacted by the annual alcohol excise duty inflation adjustment, and another panel featuring witnesses deemed relevant by members of the committee; and

(d) the Chair only be authorized to schedule a meeting for the purposes of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill after the witnesses have appeared as prescribed by this motion.

At 10:06 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Danielle Widmer,
Vicky Sedhya Maurice-Sevigny
Clerks of the committee