Finance Committee on Feb. 9th, 2026

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Why not?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Well, it's not my job to remove it. It's a useful tool to have in the context, particularly if we're trying to get things done in a rapid fashion.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Well, the concern is that you are able to make decisions on your own, based on your prerogative, behind closed doors with no accountability to Parliament or to Canadians. In your remarks, you talked about protecting what makes Canada unique. In a democracy, this clause is undemocratic, so why would you like to keep it?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I'm sorry; I didn't hear your question.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Why would you like to keep the clause if it is undemocratic? You can exempt any company, entity or individual from almost any federal law except for the Criminal Code, on your own, with no public disclosure, behind closed doors.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Like I said, it's not an indispensable tool. It's a helpful tool to have. These clauses are often interpreted by courts on a standard of reasonableness in the context. In the context that we are seeing, with things moving very rapidly, it is important for us to be able to have some nimbleness.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

However, if there is no accountability to the public and you don't have to disclose what part of the Conflict of Interest Act was violated or anything like that, then I don't think that's in the best interest of the country.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

First, this is a bill on which members will be asked to vote. It is also one where, in my belief, this tool should be used sparingly, but again, it is useful to have in the context.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Why should one individual minister be allowed to bypass 150 years of Canadian law and exempt a person or a company of their choosing?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Look, that may be your view, but I don't think that is what's happening here.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Well, that's how it's written.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

It doesn't say people are being exempted from 150 years of law.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

It says from any federal law except the Criminal Code.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

There's no mention of years.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

It's any federal law that has been passed over the last 150 years.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Right. I'm not going to parse this out with you.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Just to be clear, you don't need it to do your job, but you want to keep it, nonetheless.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I think it's helpful to have.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Do you see the potential for abuse, though, in that companies or people will have to lobby you personally and not care about the law itself?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

No one's asked me to overturn any laws.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

You would have the ability to.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

In some context, perhaps, but again, this is something that would have to be used very judiciously.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

How could you possibly think that this would not undermine the trust in our democracy, then?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I think Canadians expect us to act reasonably. I think Canadians expect us to be judicious in our decision-making.

Passing a law like Bill C-15, which all members will have the opportunity to vote on, is something that is inherently accountable in and of itself.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Well, it has this particular clause that is very problematic. It is all over the news. I have a letter from 43 organizations asking you to strike it because of the potential for abuse, but you still want to keep it.