Finance Committee on May 9th, 2017

Evidence of meeting #86 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was health.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Subject Matter of Bill C-44, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures

MPs speaking

Wayne Easter

Francesco Sorbara

Robert-Falcon Ouellette

Also speaking

Lisa Pezzack Director, Financial Systems Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Liane Orsi Senior Advisor, Financial Institutions Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Justin Brown Chief, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Maxime Beaupré Chief, Financial Systems Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Alison McDermott Director General, Program Coordination Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Atiq Rahman Acting Director General, Canada Student Loans Program, Department of Employment and Social Development

David Moore Director, Program Design, Canada Education Savings Program, Department of Employment and Social Development

Patricia Brady Director General, Investment Review Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Jocelyne Voisin Executive Director, Health Accord Secretariat, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Health

Omar Rajabali Chief, CHT/CST and Northern Policy, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Anna Dekker Counsel, Judicial Affairs, Courts and Tribunal Policy, Public Law Sector, Department of Justice

Adair Crosby Senior Counsel and Deputy Director, Judicial Affairs, Courts and Tribunal Policy, Public Law Sector, Department of Justice

Andrew Brown Executive Director, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development

Margaret Hill Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Department of Employment and Social Development

Rutha Astravas Director, Special Benefits, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Employment and Social Development

Marie-Hélène Lévesque Executive Director, Cost Recovery, Department of Transport

Deryck Trehearne Director General, Resource Management and Operations Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health

David Lee Executive Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health

Naira Minto-Saaed Director, Strategic Planning and Accountability Division, Resource Management and Operations Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

Sorry, Mr. Chair—

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Oh, hold on one second.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

—I have one final question.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

I thought we got you out of here before Mr. Ouellette got started again.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

On the provisions with regard to the Canadian Forces, will they be subject to the council or oversight committee for...?

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

You mean the new parliamentary oversight committee?

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

Yes, for national security.

4:10 p.m.

Director, Financial Systems Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Lisa Pezzack

Yes, that would be part of it.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Robert-Falcon Ouellette Liberal Winnipeg Centre, MB

Okay, thank you.

I'm sorry, I couldn't remember the term.

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Thank you again. You'd better get out fast before Robert starts again.

Part 4, division 5, deals with a payment to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Ms. McDermott is director general of the program coordination branch at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

4:15 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Mr. Chair.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Yes?

4:15 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

You passed over Shared Services. Is that because it's gone to another committee?

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Yes, this division 4 has been farmed out to another committee and we have not heard back.

4:15 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Okay.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

There are five that have been farmed out. Division 4 is one of them. We'll know tomorrow whether they're going to send it back to us.

4:15 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

You have heard from a couple of them, have you not?

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

We've heard from one.

4:15 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Okay, so we'll do that one?

May 9th, 2017 / 4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

We'll do that one. In respect of the other four committees now, one was reluctant, but they may take it on and then come back to us. On the infrastructure bank, I think we're going to deal with too, as well as the other committee.

Ms. McDermott, the floor is yours. Thank you.

4:15 p.m.

Alison McDermott Director General, Program Coordination Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Thank you very much.

This next clause is fairly straightforward. It provides authority for the Minister of Industry to make a payment of up to $125 million out of the consolidated revenue fund to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, commonly known as CIFAR, for the purpose of establishing a pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy. The measures are designed to strengthen Canada's position as a world leader in artificial intelligence research and lay the scientific foundation upon which to build national leadership in artificial intelligence innovation.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Dusseault.

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC

Thank you for being here.

As you surely know, the provision is copied and pasted from Bill C-43, An Act respecting a payment to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to support a pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy. My question isn't necessarily to determine why you decided to include it in Bill C-44, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures, but rather why you have chosen the legislative approach rather than a budgetary one, which is the regular and fastest way.

If the government believed that it was a priority to adopt this $125 million allocation, and if it had been included in the main estimates, the allocation would have already been adopted.

You're asking this committee to adopt this part of the bill, even though it could have been done in some other way. What motivated your decision to use the legislative process?

4:15 p.m.

Director General, Program Coordination Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Alison McDermott

Yes, you're right—

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Ms. McDermott, I am sure you're aware that you don't have to get into some of the political decisions that were made. They would be better asked of the minister on Monday, but you're certainly welcome to answer that question if you think you can.