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NDDN Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN)
44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 112
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 3:40 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Hon. John McKay (Liberal)

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• Marcus Powlowski for Andy Fillmore (Liberal)
Library of Parliament
• Martin Auger, Analyst
• Andrés León, Analyst
Briefing on Threat Analysis Regarding Ukraine and the Baltic Region
Department of National Defence
• MGen Robert Ritchie, Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff, Canadian Armed Forces
• MGen Gregory Smith, Director General, International Security Policy
Embassy of Ukraine
• H.E. Yuliya Kovaliv, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, June 3, 2024, the committee proceeded to a briefing on threat analysis regarding Ukraine and the Baltic region.

MGen Gregory Smith made a statement and, with MGen Robert Ritchie, answered questions.

At 4:02 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 4:31 p.m., the meeting resumed.

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

Christine Normandin gave notice of the following motion:

Given that the members of this committee learned at the end of June 2024 from an article in the Globe and Mail that the former Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan, had allegedly ordered members of the Special Forces deployed by Canada in Afghanistan to carry out an evacuation operation in August 2021 involving 225 Afghans of the Sikh faith, thereby favouring the evacuation of individuals on the basis of their religious or ethnic affiliation, to the detriment of the evacuation of Canadians and allied Afghans,

That, within 15 days of the adoption of this motion, the committee invite the following persons to testify in order to answer the committee's questions:

  1. the Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, as well as government officials, for a minimum of two hours;
  2. the former Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan, for a minimum of two hours;
  3. the Chief of the Defence Staff at the time of the events;
  4. and any other witnesses the committee deems necessary; and

that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.

Briefing on Threat Analysis Regarding Ukraine and the Baltic Region
Department of National Defence
• MGen Robert Ritchie, Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff, Canadian Armed Forces
• MGen Gregory Smith, Director General, International Security Policy
Embassy of Ukraine
• H.E. Yuliya Kovaliv, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) [and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, June 3,2024, the committee resumed a briefing on threat analysis regarding Ukraine and the Baltic region.

MGen Gregory Smith and MGen Ritchie answered questions.

At 4:47 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 4:47 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Yuliya Kovaliv made a statement and, with MGen Gregory Smith and MGen Robert Ritchie, answered questions.

At 5:55 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Andrew Wilson
Clerk of the committee