Foreign Affairs Committee on June 5th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 112 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Before we begin, I'd like to ask all members and other in-person participants to consult the cards on their table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. Use only the black approved earpiece. Keep your earpiece away from the microphones at all times. When you are not using your earpiece, place it face down on the sticker placed on the table for this purpose.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format. In accordance with the committee's routine motion concerning connection tests for witnesses, I'd like to inform all the members that thanks to the clerk, all witnesses have completed the required connection tests in advance of the meeting.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, January 29, 2024, the committee will commence its study of the appointment of Carolyn Bennett as Canada's ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark.

Dr. Bennett, Your Excellency, welcome. It's great to have you back here. Thank you for having made it possible. I understand that you have another commitment. You were very firm on trying to get out of here by 5:45, but you have graciously agreed to stay until 5:55. Am I correct?

[Carolyn Bennett, Ambassador of Canada to the Kingdom of Denmark, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Yes. It's Denmark's Constitution Day, and I am supposed to be at the farewell party for the Danish ambassador. We're trying to get there before the remarks, because Minister Joly will be speaking.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Excellent. Thank you very much, Ambassador.

[Carolyn Bennett]

We're trying to get a cab, for anybody who wants to come with us.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you for that.

You will be provided five minutes for your opening remarks.

If it's okay with everyone, given the time constraints, maybe we should do one round per party.

Is that agreeable to everyone?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Excellent.

Madam Ambassador, welcome. The floor is yours. You have five minutes for your opening remarks.

[Carolyn Bennett]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for the invitation to appear before the committee here on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin people, especially today, on the celebration of Constitution Day in Denmark.

I'm pleased to be here to answer any of your questions.

I'm joined by Robert Sinclair, the director general for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic and the senior Arctic official for Canada.

I have to say that I was truly honoured when Prime Minister Trudeau appointed me ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark in January, but especially humbled as I presented my credentials to His Majesty King Frederik X in Copenhagen on May 24.

Representing Canada at this time in history is especially crucial, and I will do everything I can to advance Canada's foreign policy priorities with the Kingdom of Denmark and our focus on Arctic issues.

Canada highly values its long-standing friendship and effective co-operation with the Kingdom of Denmark, which, as you know, comprises Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. More than 196,000 people in Canada claim Danish origins, and the Inuit in Canada and Greenland also have a shared history, culture and similar language, including family ties going back generations.

We have closely collaborated with Denmark and other like-minded nations in support of Ukraine's defence, recovery and reconstruction, and Denmark has joined the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children, the global carbon pricing challenge and the NATO climate change and security centre of excellence.

It has been two years since Canada and the Kingdom of Denmark signed the boundary agreement resolving the 50-year-old dispute over Lincoln Sea and Hans Island—Tartupaluk—establishing a boundary on the continental shelf in the Labrador Sea. I know that important work is being done to realize the promised achievement of this agreement, including the issue of Inuit mobility. The manner in which we resolved that dispute speaks to our shared commitment to the rule of law and the rules-based international order, as well as meaningful engagement with the Inuit.

The Arctic represents a strategic and particularly compelling area of collaboration between Canada and the Kingdom of Denmark. In October of last year, a letter of intent for co-operation on Pikialasorsuaq was signed by Canada and Greenland on the margins of the Arctic Circle Assembly in Iceland. This is an important step toward ensuring responsible management of one of the most biologically productive regions north of the Arctic Circle.

Like Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark is firmly committed to the enduring value of the Arctic Council, particularly as the Kingdom of Denmark is preparing to take over the chairship of the council in 2025.

In February, Greenland released its foreign affairs, defence and security policy, “nothing about us without us”, with chapter 6 focused squarely on Canada, its closest neighbour.

Canada and Denmark are strong NATO allies and active participants in alliance operations. The Canadian Armed Forces' joint task force north works closely in the Arctic with the joint command of the Danish armed forces in Greenland.

Denmark is a prosperous trading nation and a strong supporter of the Canada‑European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which was ratified in June 2017. Bilateral trade has increased by over 30% since its entry into force. Canadian North and Air Greenland have teamed up to provide a new seasonal service between Iqaluit and Nuuk starting in June 2024. Denmark has set some of the world's most ambitious climate change targets, creating trade opportunities for Canadian companies when it comes to multilateral co‑operation.

Canada has much to gain from an enhanced relationship with the Kingdom of Denmark. It is my role to ensure that those gains are realized. I will continue doing that job to the best of my abilities.

Merci. Thank you. Tak. Qujanak.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much, Madam Ambassador.

We will now open it up to questions from the members. Each member will have six minutes.

I must forewarn you all that when we hit the six minutes, I will have to cut it off, given the time constraints.

We will start off with MP Hoback for six minutes.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Thank you, Chair.

Ambassador, first of all, I want to congratulate you and wish you all the best in your new role. I want to thank you for your service as a minister and a member of Parliament. I had the pleasure of being in your riding door knocking for the Conservative member—future Conservative member—a couple of weeks ago. We'll see what happens there.

As you settle into this new role, what skill sets from your previous job will you be bringing into this new job? Where do you see that benefiting Canada, at the end of the day?

[Carolyn Bennett]

Thank you for the question, Randy.

I joined the Arctic caucus in 1998, when Nancy Karetak and I were elected at the same time. I've been part of that, travelling north every summer since then. I became the indigenous and northern affairs minister in 2015. That continued my interest in the north and also in the relationships with northern countries and Nordic countries from Barrow, Alaska, to the Arctic Circle meetings in Iceland.

I also think the relationship—the recognition of rights, the respect, and the co-operative partnership—with first nations, Inuit and Métis has been very much part of my wanting to be able to make sure that people have been heard and that this is how you get things done.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I'm running out of time here, so I'll be very quick.

With regard to advancing the relationship of Canada and Denmark, what would be the one thing you'd like to say you'd done by the time your role as ambassador ends? What would you like to see get across the finish line before you leave?

[Carolyn Bennett]

I think it would be formalizing the relationship with Greenland, in that with the new flights, with the ability, with their new policies, I think we know that we have.... They do see us as their closest neighbour. From telehealth to critical minerals to all of the things that we can benefit from as a country by working closely with Greenland and within the Kingdom of Denmark, who are very, very supportive of this, particularly as Denmark comes to chair the Arctic Council, the role of Greenland and their voice will become increasingly important.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Just quickly, when it comes to NATO and the role Denmark has in NATO and Canada and NATO in the Arctic, where do you see Canada and Denmark? Do you see more joint operations in the Arctic? Do you see some things like that, possibly?

[Carolyn Bennett]

Absolutely. When we were in Nuuk two weeks ago, we met with the Joint Arctic Command and Major-General Søren Andersen. It was very important to see the joint exercises that are taking place but also a real understanding of security and, again, how the people who live in the north need a say in what happens in the north. I think NORAD's been very, very important, and our partnership with Denmark there.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Okay.

Chair, I'll turn the rest of my time over to Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Ambassador. I do have a few questions about your new role, just based on your track record and how that history could impact your work.

According to an Order Paper question, when you were mental health and addictions minister you personally met four times in two years with a company called Fair Price Pharma. Fair Price Pharma is run by Dr. Perry Kendall, until very briefly a B.C. public health officer, and their business is heroin. It seems very unusual that a sitting minister would meet four times with a company selling heroin, and I do wonder how this could impact your new role. I have a couple of questions for you along those lines.

Did you have any interactions with Fair Price Pharma since you became ambassador?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Go ahead, Mr. Oliphant.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I really draw the chair's attention to the concept of relevance. This meeting is very specifically with respect to the work of the ambassador and with respect to representing Canada in Greenland.

One can try to draw some relationship between a previous life and that work—they have done this before—but I would say that this is not relevant to the questions we need to be asking the ambassador with respect to her work.

I would ask you to ask the member to move on.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Just on that point, I didn't even have a chance to ask the question. It's about credibility in the current role, so....

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Okay, but if you could establish some relevance, that would be great, Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Yes.

Just for the record, do I have two minutes and eight seconds left?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Yes.