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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 20
Thursday, February 17, 2022, 3:31 p.m. to 6:54 p.m.
Televised
Presiding
Peter Fonseca, Chair (Liberal)

Library of Parliament
• Brett Capwell, Analyst
• Joëlle Malo, Analyst
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Mark Agnew, Senior Vice-President, Policy and Government Relations
Transparency International Canada
• James Cohen, Executive Director
Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
• Yves Giroux, Parliamentary Budget Officer
• Louis Perrault, Director, Economic Analysis
As an individual
• Patrick Taillon, Professor and Associate Director of the Centre for Constitutional and Administrative Law Studies , Faculty of Law, Université Laval
Pursuant to the order of reference of Thursday, February 10, 2022, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-8, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic and fiscal update tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 and other measures.

Patrick Taillon, Mark Agnew, Yves Giroux and James Cohen made statements and, with Louis Perrault, answered questions.

Motion

Philip Lawrence moved, — That, the committee undertake an emergency study on the invocation of the Emergencies Act and related measures taken regarding the 2022 Freedom Convoy, and that:

a) The study examine:

i. The financing of the protest and the blockades;

ii. The broadened scope of Canada’s anti-terrorist financing laws;

iii. The federal government’s increased ability to interfere with the business of crowdfunding websites; including but not limited to new Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) regulations with which crowdfunding websites must comply;

iv. The ability of Canadian financial institutions to temporarily and selectively cease providing financial services to specific clients;

v. The increased powers given to Canadian financial institutions to share personal information on anyone suspected of involvement with the 2022 Freedom Convoy;

vi. The long-term impacts of these measures on individual Canadians’ financial futures;

vii. Any other issue or topic related to the extension of powers or their effect on the Canadian financial system by the invocation of the Emergencies Act on Monday, February 14, 2022;

b) Hearings begin no later than Tuesday February 22, 2022, and continue until Friday, March 18, 2022, and that each of these meetings be three hours in length;

c) This study include the following witness testimony:

i. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance for 2 hours, with a 10-minute opening statement;

ii. Relevant officials from the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Department of Justice of Canada and the Department of Finance;

iii. Barry MacKillop, Deputy Director of Intelligence, FINTRAC;

iv. Angelina Mason, interim CEO and General Counsel and Lucie Blanchet, Chair of Executive Council from the Canadian Bankers Association;

v. Paul Tkachuck, VP of Finance and Data Insights, and any other relevant officials from GoFundMe.com;

vi. Brendan Wycks and Keith Martin, Co-Executive Directors of the Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance;

vii. Relevant finance officials from GiveSendGo.com;

viii. Relevant officials from the Canadian cryptocurrency sector;

ix. And any witnesses invited by committee members, and that these names be submitted to the clerk of the committee by 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 25, 2022;

d) The study include at least 5 meetings; and,

e) The committee table a report to the House of Commons no later than Thursday, March 24, 2022.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The chair ruled the motion inadmissible because 48 hours notice had not been met and the motion does relate directly to business now under consideration.

Whereupon, Philip Lawrence 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: Niki Ashton, Yvan Baker, Terry Beech, Valerie Bradford, Sophie Chatel, Julie Dzerowicz — 6;

NAYS: Adam Chambers, Philip Lawrence, Greg McLean, Gabriel Ste-Marie, Jake Stewart — 5.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

Niki Ashton gave notice of the following motion:

That the committee invite the Minister of National Revenue to discuss wrongful abuses of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program from enterprises like airlines and private non for profit organizations like private ski resorts, golf clubs and others, which recorded record profits and increased revenues throughout the pandemic; to testify whether the beneficiaries of the CEWS devoted the government provided funds to workers pay and reports to this committee what government action was undertaken to ensure that funds were properly devoted to eligible recipients.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

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

Motion

Greg McLean moved, — That, the committee undertake an emergency study on the invocation of the Emergencies Act and related measures taken regarding the 2022 Freedom Convoy, and that:

a) The study examine:

i. The financing of the protest an the blockades

ii. The broadened scope of Canada’s anti-terrorist financing laws;

iii. The federal government’s increased ability to interfere with the business of crowdfunding websites; including but not limited to new Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) regulations with which crowdfunding websites must comply;

iv. The ability of Canadian financial institutions to temporarily and selectively cease providing financial services to specific clients;

v. The increased powers given to Canadian financial institutions to share personal information on anyone suspected of involvement with the 2022 Freedom Convoy;

vi. The long-term impacts of these measures on individual Canadians’ financial futures;

vii. Any other issue or topic related to the extension of powers or their effect on the Canadian financial system by the invocation of the Emergencies Act on Monday, February 14, 2022;

b) Hearings begin no later than Tuesday February 22, 2022, and continue until Friday, March 18, 2022, and that each of these meetings be three hours in length;

c) This study include the following witness testimony:

i. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance for 2 hours, with a 10-minute opening statement;

ii. Relevant officials from the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Department of Justice of Canada and the Department of Finance;

iii. Barry MacKillop, Deputy Director of Intelligence, FINTRAC;

iv. Angelina Mason, interim CEO and General Counsel and Lucie Blanchet, Chair of Executive Council from the Canadian Bankers Association;

v. Paul Tkachuck, VP of Finance and Data Insights, and any other relevant officials from GoFundMe.com;

vi. Brendan Wycks and Keith Martin, Co-Executive Directors of the Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance;

vii. Relevant finance officials from GiveSendGo.com;

viii. Relevant officials from the Canadian cryptocurrency sector;

ix. And any witnesses invited by committee members, and that these names be submitted to the clerk of the committee by 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 25, 2022;

d) The study include at least 5 meetings; and,

e) The committee table a report to the House of Commons no later than Thursday, March 24, 2022.

Debate arose thereon.

At 6:14 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 6:46 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on division.

At 6:54 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Alexandre Roger
Clerk of the Committee