Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 12th, 2026

[René Ouellette]

Can I just clarify a point I made earlier, when you asked about authorities? I wouldn't want to leave the impression that the CSIS Act can't use some modernization. I think we all agree that it can. I think what we were trying to point out is that the modernization that would come to the CSIS Act would apply equally to the Arctic as to anywhere else.

These are regional agnostic authorities that we think could stand to be modernized, and we will provide our advice to government on those measures as well.

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Wonderful.

That's everything I had.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you, MP Fancy.

Thank you, gentlemen, for appearing before the committee and for your testimony.

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

Just briefly, I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

The committee, as you know, received a communication dated January 26 from the PRC, asking this committee to extend a formal invitation to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress to come to Canada and be hosted by us. Our subcommittee proposed, and I agree, that the chair should reply and seek clarification on whether the sanctions remain in place on the subcommittee on international human rights, and on me.

If the members of the committee agree, Mr. Chair, I ask that you proceed on that basis.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Are there any comments from any member regarding that intervention?

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

It was hard for the interpreters to translate what Mr. Chong just said, but I think I got the gist of it. What I understood was that we were talking—

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester, ON]

We were talking about the letter.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

—about the foreign affairs committee of the People's Republic of China. Is that correct?

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

I'll repeat what I said.

The subcommittee proposed, and I agree, that the chair of the committee send a response to his counterpart in China and inquire whether the sanctions against the Subcommittee on International Human Rights and myself are still in place.

I asked the committee members whether they agreed that the chair should send a message to China to ask for that clarification.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Perfect. Thank you.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester, ON]

I would add that we have two other members around the table who are also caught up in this.

So I think it's important that we move forward with the proposal that was discussed at the subcommittee, and that has since been discussed, to ensure that a letter is sent and that it contains a response. I think everyone agrees with the response. It's to support everyone affected by this situation.

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

Yes.

I also asked that we do it publicly, because I think it's important in a democracy to make sure that we're transparent.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Chair, while there are three members of the committee, as far as I'm aware, who are implicated in this, there are others in Parliament. I would say that it should be all the members of Parliament who are impacted, not just the three on this committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Okay.

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

Mr. Chair, if I might, when you seek clarification on this, I think you should use the exact wording that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China used in March 2021 when it imposed the sanctions. I think that would be the proper way to do it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Is that agreeable to Ms. Vandenbeld?

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much for that. It's duly noted, as is the agreement of the committee.

Once again, gentlemen, I thank you for appearing in front of the committee.

We will now briefly suspend to prepare for the last portion of our meeting, which will be in camera. Only duly authorized persons are permitted to remain in the room when we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]