Evidence of meeting #29 for Canada-China Relations in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was documents.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Thank you, Mr. Dubourg.
We will continue with Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for two and a half minutes.
9:15 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am going to have to come back to the depressing remarks by my colleague Mr. Oliphant. He didn't get to the heart of the story of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.
My colleague from the riding of Saint-Jean resigned from the committee in February 2020 for personal reasons and has not been replaced since she left, in spite of a proposal by the Bloc Québécois. The government has therefore not done its job. Mr. Oliphant is trying to exploit the resignation for personal reasons of one of my colleagues. I find that depressing.
Now, knowing that, does the Minister still believe that the committee perfectly reflects all parties in the House of Commons?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I'm sorry, I wasn't sure there was a question. I thought it was more of a statement.
I obviously can't speak to your member's reason for departing the committee. I will just say that this is the appropriate committee for, as I've said before, reviewing documents of this nature—
9:15 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Your government has not named anyone from the Bloc Québécois to the committee, even though it has made a proposal. I want that to be on the record, because Mr. Oliphant is talking nonsense.
We won't take any more time up with that.
I have one last question for you, Minister—
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
I think committee members have to be careful about the words they use, whether in French or English. We have to behave respectfully.
9:15 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
I apologize. I meant to say "foolishness".
Mr. Chair, I have a question for the Minister.
As Minister of Health, would you approve of nationals who work for a government that is committing genocide working in our laboratories or with our military?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question. What was the question?
9:20 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
I will be happy to repeat it.
Would you agree to have nationals who work for a foreign government that is currently committing genocide against its own people being able to work and collaborate with us, in our laboratories or with our army?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Again, I think this question has been asked and answered.
First of all, I'll just say that all human beings deserve to live—
9:20 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
No, the question has never been asked. It is a hypothetical question, Minister.
If a government—
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I'm sorry, you asked a question. Would you like me to answer the question?
9:20 p.m.
Bloc
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. Unfortunately, your speaking time is up.
Mr. Harris now has the floor.
9:20 p.m.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Thank you, Chair.
First of all, I want to thank Mr. Chong for his very clear and correct interpretation of the role of the NSICOP and the fact of its existence. I know there's disagreement here between what's being said by the minister and by Mr. Dubourg, but clearly, according to the act, it is not a committee of Parliament. It reports to the Prime Minister. It keeps secret all of the things that the minister and a prime minister do not want reported.
The order of the House was very clear that the documentation should go to the law clerk of the House for his determination as to what's appropriate or not. That procedure was there and designed to do exactly what was pointed out.
I think it's also very clear that the government has not followed the order of the House. That's on the record. I want to thank Mr. Chong for elaborating that point and making it clear that what's being said here tonight is not correct in its description of the role of the NSICOP—a committee of the government that is appointed to report to the prime minister, who has control over the documentation and the release of the report.
I want to briefly ask a single question of Dr. Poliquin.
In addition to investigating the transportation of the viruses with respect to risk assessment, did they also do a risk assessment of what goes on at the lab in Wuhan? Was that part of the risk assessment? Was there any necessity for mitigation as a result?
9:20 p.m.
Acting Vice-President, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada
Yes, Mr. Chair, as part of the letter that was received from the Wuhan Institute of Virology articulating the reason for the request, it stipulated that the intended use was to develop medical countermeasures and that there would be no further transfer of pathogens. This would be for research only.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Thank you, Mr. Harris.
We now have about seven or eight minutes left.
Mr. Genuis, we go to you for four minutes.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Minister, do you think it's a good idea for Canadian labs to be collaborating with the Chinese military?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Minister, can you just answer the question? Do you think it's a good idea for Canadian labs to be collaborating with the Chinese military? It's a simple question.