Finance Committee on April 30th, 2020

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

There's the Auditor General.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes, the Auditor General. Let's think about that and put a four-hour panel together from the parties for the week after next.

Next week we meet on Tuesday. We already have manufacturing and construction. Then each party can pull from the clerk's list of people who requested to appear for the second panel.

What do we want to do on Thursday?

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I'll put up my voice for arts, culture and sport, please. Whether it's next Thursday or the following Tuesday, I'm okay. I think fisheries was one of them, and that's a good suggestion. I also think that arts, culture and sport.... That committee is definitely not meeting, so this is a good spot for them to come.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Chair, is the heritage committee meeting?

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

What's the acronym for the heritage committee? Does anybody know?

The ones that are meeting are industry or INDU, OGGO, HUMA, agriculture, and HESA or health. That's it.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

There's PROC.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

PROC is meeting, but they don't—

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

They don't deal with sectors, yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

The indigenous committee is meeting as well, starting next week.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Yes, but not the arts.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Is the indigenous committee meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Is INAN the indigenous one? I'm not sure of the acronyms, to be honest.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

It is—indigenous and northern affairs.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay. They're meeting next Friday.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

That's positive.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes.

Go ahead, Marty.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I just want to put a placeholder in at some point, although I agree that we need to fulfill our core mandate, as Pierre said.

I have heard from a number of people in the charitable sector. It may be relevant to our committee because most of the rules by which the charitable sector runs are under the Income Tax Act. Could you add that to your list at some point as a placeholder? Maybe we'll get there. I'm not sure how long we'll be meeting on the COVID crisis.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay.

We'll have Annie first, then James Cumming and then Peter.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

I want to highlight the importance.... Whether it's the finance committee that does a panel or half a panel on the self-sufficiency piece....

I have heard from quite a few dentists, just to pick one professional order, in my riding and broader. Their concern is having enough PPE as they go back to work. It's a real concern. They're very worried for themselves, for their staff, for patients. Whether it's our committee that hears them or another, maybe there are opportunities for us to become self-sufficient and there's an opportunity to export to other areas, so let's learn from this experience. Whether it's at PROC, INDU or the finance committee, I think this merits a full discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We have the Canadian Dental Association tomorrow in the time slot from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Go ahead, James and then Peter.

[James Cumming, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I absolutely agree with Pierre that, first and foremost, our role is to deal with issues related to finance, so that has my full support.

Many of the questions we hear from constituents and at this committee are directly related to the portfolio for the Minister of Small Business. I still think it would be worthwhile for us to hear from her on how those programs are being executed, because they have a big impact on finance and the economic activity in the country.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Hearing that, I'm not sure if anybody can tell me at which committee the Minister of Small Business would normally appear.

[James Cumming, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

She has appeared in front of the industry committee, but I think it would be worthwhile for us to hear her at the finance committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay. I made note of that.

Peter Fragiskatos is next.