Canada-China Relations Committee on April 12th, 2021

[Shelly Bruce, Chief, Communications Security Establishment]

Sure, Minister, just to reinforce, we have both a foreign intelligence mandate and a cyber-defence mandate, so we have the capability of monitoring.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

It's not the mandate that I'm concerned about, or the authorities either. It's capability. We see these things going on in other places. We've seen recent examples of them, allegedly from China or potentially from Israel or somewhere else.

It's a question of whether Canada has those—

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Harris. Your time is up.

We'll go on now to Mr. Williamson, for five minutes.

Mr. Williamson.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Thank you, Minister, for joining us this evening. Could you tell us what you think of the Halifax International Security Forum?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

In what way? Can you elaborate further?

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

What are your views? You've co-hosted it the last couple of years. You've attended it many times.

Is it an organization from which Canada and Canadian taxpayers derive a benefit? Is it a useful agency?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

I'm glad you asked that question. I want to make sure you're talking about the Halifax International Security Forum, not the office it has in Washington. Is that correct?

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

I'm talking about the event held in Halifax every year.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

That's just the event itself, not the office and not the employees or former Conservative staffers who work in that office. Is that correct?

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

That is correct.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Even before I was minister, I used to watch the Halifax International Security Forum. I felt it actually provided a very unique and intimate conversation that you could not have in other parts of the world, and I've said that publicly a number of times.

When I was actually able to take part in it for the first time, I had the former minister of defence, Peter MacKay, there. I told him how much I really valued the work it did. More importantly, it provided a really good economic benefit for Halifax. In fact, I spoke with Peter Van Praagh and some of other people. I asked, “How can we look at expanding it, so that maybe Atlantic Canada can benefit even more?” I always want to look at opportunities for how it can be better for Halifax every single year.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

It's not something you would want to see leave Halifax or Canada. Is that correct?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

I am really mindful.... Why are you asking those questions?

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

I'm just getting a sense. I assume if it's important to you—

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

I just told you how I felt about it. I couldn't give a stronger endorsement for the Halifax International Security Forum as it happens in Halifax.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

As defence minister, would you rather go to the meetings there than over in London or elsewhere?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

No, you actually do need to go to other meetings in other places. Halifax is important. As Mr. Bezan also knows, they tend to be—

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Fair enough.

I'm surprised you referenced the Washington office, and the supposed Conservative staff, which kind of opens up something that I'd heard around this town. In fact, it's an open secret that your government doesn't like the fact that it was started under a Conservative government. It's an open secret that you'd like to find a way to defund it.

In fact, this John McCain award that is being proposed—potentially or apparently from the news reports—to the heroic president of Taiwan gives you an excuse to do just that, to cut its funding while maintaining your close relations with Beijing.

What say you to that, since you're so quick to label these Conservative organizers or employees? I didn't know that was an issue.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

That couldn't be further from the truth.

In fact, when Peter MacKay was there, I actually said to him, in front of everybody, how important this was, and that I wanted to make sure this continues. If you actually recall, and if you take a look at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the report it put out in a news release, it talks about this.

I want to make sure that Canadian tax dollars go to the Halifax International Security Forum, because at the same time, when you were talking about the same organization, the business side of it is headquartered in Washington. When you were asking me that question, I didn't know what exactly you were talking about. I support the Halifax International Security Forum.

I don't know what's so funny about this, because it's extremely serious. One, it provides a lot of economic benefit. We invite people from all over, and if you—

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

All right.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

I'm trying to answer the question.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Based on this strong support and your support for the group in Halifax, can you commit to us today that regardless of what award is presented or not presented at this next meeting, you'll continue to fund this organization?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Why are you concerned? I thought we were talking about the Canada-China relationship. I've stated that when the funding request comes to me, as it does every year, I will take a look at it. I have given my public endorsement for the Halifax International Security Forum so often, and I'm kind of surprised that you keep going on about the support for this.

The reason I asked this question was that the company is actually headquartered in Washington, and I want to make sure our Canadian tax dollars—

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Minister, read the newspaper then.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order.

Thank you very much, gentlemen.

We'll now go to Ms. Yip for five minutes.