Foreign Affairs Committee on May 2nd, 2022

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Colleagues, we have just under 20 minutes left in our time with this panel. We do have a second panel that we do not need to sound-check because they're here in person. If it's okay with you, I would propose for our second round allocations of three minutes and of one and a half minutes. That should take us right up to noon.

With that, we will give the floor to Mr. Chong, please, for three minutes, to start us off.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The European Commission has called on Canada to increase deliveries of liquefied natural gas to Europe. The Prime Minister and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, issued a joint statement establishing a working group on this about six weeks ago.

The matter was of such urgency the working group began immediately meeting that week. Can you update us on what has happened at that working group?

[Heidi Kutz]

I'm afraid I'm unable to give you the details of an update on that, but we'll be happy to try to get that for you.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Okay.

During the same time period, six weeks ago, Minister Wilkinson, in Paris, at the International Energy Agency's meeting, announced that Canada would produce an additional 300,000 barrels of oil and gas a day by year-end in order to come to Europe's assistance to displace Russian oil and gas.

We know that at the NATO summit energy was discussed as a vital matter of security and defence for Europe and North America. Is Canada proposing to produce any more natural gas for Europe or making any further proposals for the upcoming NATO summit in Spain at the end of June?

[David Angell]

Chair, the domestic decisions about production are not something I have visibility into, but I know from discussions here that the main challenge is getting LNG to Europe.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

We know that this matter was raised by the German chancellor with the Prime Minister at their bilateral meeting when the Prime Minister was in Europe just after the NATO summit.

Is the Canadian government doing anything to help European democracies with additional supplies of natural gas? A hundred thousand barrels a day of gas is a drop in the bucket of what Canada could produce, and it's a drop in the bucket of what Europe needs to displace Russian gas. Are there any initiatives going on?

GAC obviously would be the coordinating department. Are there any initiatives going on to come to the rescue, to answer the need of European democracies for natural gas to displace Russian gas, or is the equivalent of a hundred thousand barrels a day of natural gas it? Is that all we're doing? It is roughly, by my calculation, about six million cubic metres a year, a drop in the bucket in terms of some 60 billion cubic metres a year that Europe imports in gas from Russia.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Please give a very brief answer.

[Heidi Kutz]

Thank you. Reference has been made to Minister Wilkinson's announcement and Canada's commitment to engage with partners to help in ways that we can, including through the increase in production, as well as working with partners in areas of renewable energies.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chong.

Mr. Sarai, please. You have three minutes.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

My first question is to Ambassador Scanlon. You mentioned in a recent interview that a mobile biometrics processing project was established in a period of two weeks after the government removed in-person processing. You mentioned it could be used as a pilot project.

How has this project served Ukrainian refugees? How could this mobile processing project serve other vulnerable populations or serve as a guide for future crises?

[Leslie Scanlon]

To get specifics on that, you might get a better answer from IRCC, but what I believe I was referring in the interview was the rapid ramp-up at the embassy here in Warsaw. We haven't had a visa program for Poles going to Canada since 2008. I feel that we were very quick. IRCC responded incredibly fast and we had support.

Right now, for example, we have 29 temporary duty staff here from IRCC, from across Canada and other missions in the region, helping exactly with getting the Ukrainians who are applying for visas to go to Canada. If you're in one of six countries in the region, you can get your visa very quickly. If you are outside those six countries, it takes a bit longer, but everything is flowing as quickly as it possibly can.

I'm not sure what to say about the use in other circumstances. I'm sorry. I can take note of your question, though, and I can reach out to IRCC to get more information on that.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you. That would be appreciated.

Also, can you share with the committee your insights on the role of disinformation and how it's played in Russia's attack on Ukraine?

[Leslie Scanlon]

Maybe Heidi would be better to respond to that. In Poland, they do talk a lot about disinformation from Russia, but maybe Heidi has a broader answer than what I could give you.

[Heidi Kutz]

Thank you.

Disinformation and its continuous use is, of course, of considerable concern to Canada. We have condemned President Putin's use of disinformation, not only to create a pretext for the original invasion but also in pursuing a narrative throughout the period of the conflict.

Canada has undertaken a number of initiatives in order to support efforts against disinformation, including through the Canada-led G7 rapid response mechanism. As well, the Prime Minister has announced a $13.4-million support to the rapid response. We are working with stakeholders with a $15-million multi-donor stabilization initiative in Ukraine and also work to identify disinformation, including disinformation in Ukraine, in order to counter it.

We're also working through our peace and security operations funding in Ukraine to support Ukraine in combatting disinformation on the ground.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Mr. Sarai, thanks very much. That was spot-on three minutes.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Mr. Bergeron, the floor is yours for a minute and a half.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Chair, my question is for Ambassador Angell.

I'd like to follow up on an earlier question from our Conservative colleague, Mr. Morantz , about the fact that we more or less gave Vladimir Putin carte blanche to do just about whatever he wanted in Ukraine.

How would NATO react if Russia were to use a tactical nuclear weapon?

[David Angell]

I'd like to thank the member for his question.

We have been very clear that every inch of NATO territory would be defended. We've put in place absolutely robust defence plans, which were implemented seamlessly. If there were a use of nuclear or chemical weapons against NATO territory, there would absolutely be a response.

Certainly, use of nuclear or chemical weapons on Ukrainian territory would also cross a red line globally, given that the impact would be felt elsewhere, but this is not the sort of decision that is taken beforehand. The alliance would take the decisions required immediately when required.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Bergeron.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Madam McPherson, please, for one and a half minutes.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

My question is around food security predominantly, but how Canada can be supporting Ukraine as we look at.... This is spring; this is the planting season. We know that Ukraine grows food. This is a key role that they play in the global economy, and we have heard from people who say that the land mines that have been put in some of these fields are a big problem.

Will Canada be playing a role to help Ukraine demine those fields so that planting can go forward?

[Heidi Kutz]

I can respond quickly just confirming that Canada has already dedicated funding through its peace ops funding in support of demining. As well, we are working with our development partners on the ground, programs that we have worked with previously, to see if there are areas that we can pivot areas of support into agriculture and food security.