Canada-China Relations Committee on March 22nd, 2021

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Dr. Poliquin, scientists and governments around the world have been working together to combat COVID-19, and Canada has been an active partner in the global fight.

Can you tell us more about Canada's collaboration with the international community and any work that PHAC and NML are doing with international partners?

[Dr. Guillaume Poliquin]

The global community has collaborated extensively in the response to COVID-19, including through the convening power of the World Health Organization. The sharing of sequence data from China on the weekend of January 10 was what made the NML able to develop our first generation test for COVID-19 in five days, following the publication of that sequence. I think this illustrates the essential nature of international collaboration as we continue to fight the pandemic.

The National Microbiology Laboratory continues to be engaged, both domestically and internationally, on a number of efforts, including through the global health security lab network, which has been an essential forum for the sharing of information, science and learning with respect to SARS-CoV-2. It continues to be a source of ongoing support.

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Does this international collaboration also extend to PHAC's policy on participation with the foreign talent recruitment program?

[Dr. Guillaume Poliquin]

My apologies, Mr. Chair, but I am....

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Let me just restate this, to make it clearer.

What is PHAC's policy on participation in foreign talent recruitment programs?

[Iain Stewart]

On participation in foreign talent programs, are you referring to a specific program, like, for instance, the thousand talents program, or do you mean just talent development programs generically? Please excuse me for the clarification.

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I meant the ones offered by China.

[Iain Stewart]

Do you mean things like the thousand talents program?

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

That's right.

[Iain Stewart]

We tend to see programs of that nature as a conflict of interest. If you're an employee of the Government of Canada, we expect that you would not also be involved in another government's programs in that way.

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Are there any Chinese nationals visiting or working at the NML right now?

[Dr. Guillaume Poliquin]

With respect to how visiting officials are handled when working at the National Microbiology Laboratory, following the development of the working officials policy, which is in the final status of its current review, a working official agreement is required prior to working at the NML. That includes an agreement that covers things such as IP rights and access to facilities. It also requires a valid secret level security clearance, to be obtained prior to work commencing at the National Microbiology Laboratory.

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Is there currently a security policy, or is what you just stated in the works?

[Dr. Guillaume Poliquin]

There is an existing security policy. The National Microbiology Laboratory requires a secret clearance and a number of other supportive documents prior to commencing work at the NML, but we are an organization of continual improvement and the latest iteration of the working official policy is under [Technical difficulty—Editor].

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I only have a bit of time left. What is the major improvement in the new working policy?

[Dr. Guillaume Poliquin]

Mr. Chair, it's not necessarily a significant change. It is just an ongoing review of these policies and of the development of streamlined processes.

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Yip.

This concludes the first panel, and I will now excuse and thank the witnesses. We'll take a very short pause, I think, as we go to the next panel.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, just before the witness is excused, I want you to clarify your intention with respect to following up with the witness on the follow-up information that was requested. Mr. Williamson had put forward a motion that the question be responded to. Mr. Stewart noted he would seek advice on how to respond.

This is a simple piece of information that I think the committee could receive on a fairly time-sensitive basis. I'm just trying to understand from a perspective of procedure what your intention is, Mr. Chair, on following up and distributing this information.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It's certainly my intention to await.... I anticipate a response from Mr. Stewart—I presume a written response—in terms of how he proposes to deal with what's been raised this evening, which I would then, of course, share with the committee.

The committee, of course, could choose, for example, to pass a motion giving a time limit and indicating that it wants and is expecting a response. Then it would proceed from there in whatever manner it wishes.

If you wish, we could ask Mr. Stewart if he has a timeline in mind. What is the preference of the committee?

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent from the committee to ask Mr. Stewart to provide a response by the end of the week.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much.

Are there any members who are opposed to that motion? Seeing none—

Mr. Fragiskatos.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'm sorry. There was an audio issue on my end. Could you have Mr. Genuis repeat what his motion is?