Evidence of meeting #18 for Declaration of Emergency in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was list.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Joint Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Josée Harrison
Kim Wilford  General Counsel, GoFundMe
Peter Harder  Senator, Ontario, PSG
Joint Chair  Hon. Gwen Boniface (Senator, Ontario, ISG)
Dennis Glen Patterson  Senator, Nunavut, CSG
Jacob Wells  Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
Angelina Mason  General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association
Michael Hatch  Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Credit Union Association

8:55 p.m.

NDP

The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green

I don't believe that's a point of order, but I will say that the round is done, and I do appreciate the editorial.

We will now go to Ms. Bendayan.

Ms. Bendayan, you have the floor for five minutes.

November 17th, 2022 / 8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to begin by quickly clarifying something.

Various members of this committee have asked questions both of Ms. Mason and of Mr. Hatch that included reference to the seizure of bank accounts. I would just like to make absolutely clear on the record, Ms. Mason, that I understand that no seizures actually ever took place. What we are talking about here is the freezing of bank accounts. Nothing was taken from these bank accounts.

It was a freeze, which then would be lifted.

Ms. Mason, is that correct?

8:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

That is correct. Where there may be some confusion is that it was one of the questions we asked after the freezing was lifted: whether or not we were able to release the funds.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Mr. Hatch, was there ever any seizure of your members' bank accounts?

8:55 p.m.

Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Credit Union Association

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Thank you.

I also understand from previous testimony by other witnesses that accounts were unfrozen as soon as someone ceased participating in the illegal blockades; even accounts were unfrozen prior to the revocation of the Emergencies Act. Is that correct, Ms. Mason?

8:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

That's correct, and that happened in two ways. One, they were removed from the list from the RCMP, and we were advised of that. One would be that they went and were actually able to prove it to their bank.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Mr. Hatch, is that correct?

8:55 p.m.

Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Credit Union Association

Michael Hatch

It's also correct with us, yes.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Thank you.

Ms. Mason, you indicated in answer to previous questions that the RCMP provided you with high-level information about the activities of blockaders, which helped inform your decision whether or not to freeze bank accounts. Would it be possible to receive copies of that information? Was it provided to you in writing?

8:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

That was actually part of the list. If you went through the list, it would be described in the list. I no longer have that list. I was going to offer.... We destroyed it. We no longer have it.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Can you give us a bit of a sense of what might have been included on that list?

8:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

Well, it would describe the individual and what their involvement was. Perhaps they were a particular fundraiser. They were conducting certain types of activities. Again, very high level...but it was in the list. I no longer have that list. That is probably something that the RCMP could be able to inform on.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

But it allowed you to make a determination?

8:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

No. To be clear, we weren't making a determination. We got confirmation from the RCMP that these were designated persons.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Okay. In essence, the RCMP was giving you the information you needed in order to proceed or not.

8:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

That's right. They told us that these are designated persons so we should act on this list.

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Thank you.

I also have a question arising from testimony earlier this evening, Mr. Hatch.

You spoke about the real impacts of communication, and in fact disinformation, even though you hesitated, and of course I understand why you referred to a possible run being incited by that disinformation. I understand that the Conservative member for Sarnia—Lambton, for example, suggested that a constituent's account was frozen for buying a T-shirt, and that statement contributed to some concern. Was that ever the case to your knowledge?

8:55 p.m.

Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Credit Union Association

Michael Hatch

Do you mean freezing accounts for such insignificant activity?

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Correct.

8:55 p.m.

Vice-President, Government Relations, Canadian Credit Union Association

Michael Hatch

No, of course not.

9 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Ms. Mason.

9 p.m.

General Counsel and Vice-President, Canadian Bankers Association

Angelina Mason

Not correct.

9 p.m.

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, with the time that I have remaining, I would like to move the motion that I indicated earlier with respect to GiveSendGo.

I would move at this time: That, the members of the committee call on GiveSendGo to appear before this committee by Thursday, December 1, 2022, at the latest, in order to provide the testimony that they were supposed to provide to this committee this evening.

Mr. Chair, I am open to the suggestion as to how you would like to move forward on that motion.

9 p.m.

NDP

The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green

It appears there is unanimous consent around the table to take care of that administrative manner.