Foreign Affairs Committee on April 23rd, 2026

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Ambassador, thank you for being with us today. I'd also like to highlight the fact that you said the error that was made was unacceptable. You had no choice, but you did it anyway, so thank you for that.

You're going to be called upon to be the voice of Canada—and therefore of Quebec—in Washington. You're going to be called upon to promote and defend Quebec's economic, linguistic and cultural interests in Washington.

You actually cast a very wide net in your opening remarks. Unfortunately, there wasn't a word about supply management, even though that's systematically and even publicly targeted by President Trump when it comes to the renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. That struck me, because your opening remarks were quite long and, in the past, in a 2024 column, you described supply management as a system that secures the market for a protected group of established players that hinder innovation and keep prices artificially high for Canadian consumers.

I won't hide the fact that your appointment is raising a lot of concerns in Quebec. I think you're aware of that.

Is your personal position still the same as it was two years ago?

How can you reconcile your public position from two years ago with the fact that you now find yourself defending and promoting supply management in Washington?

[Mark Wiseman]

First of all, on supply management, my instructions are very clear and my role is very clear. My role is to support and implement the policies of the Government of Canada. The Prime Minister has been clear, as has Parliament through Bill C-202, that supply management is not on the table.

Whatever my views may have been or may be today, it is completely irrelevant to the job I have to carry out. I will carry out that job faithfully in protecting supply management insofar as I have a role in that, because that is the policy of the Government of Canada and that is my job.

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

What you're telling me is that your position on supply management is the same today as it was in 2024, but that's okay, because it's the government's policies that you're going to defend in Washington. That's my understanding.

What we're saying is that it isn't normal for someone who doesn't think like the government to go promote and defend something they don't believe in. You have just told us that you don't believe in the supply management system. You just now told us that. You're also telling us that we can still trust you to defend and promote supply management. That's still quite worrying for producers and farmers in Quebec.

I say that in good faith. You understand that the fact that you don't believe in the supply management system raises serious doubts about your ability to defend it.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

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

I think Mr. Guilbeault has a point of order because he's unhappy with my question, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Go ahead, Mr. Guilbeault.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I heard the same testimony from the ambassador as Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe did, and what the ambassador said—we can look at the evidence—is that, regardless of his personal position, he's going to defend the position of the Government of Canada. He didn't say his personal position on the issue of supply management, a system that I also support and that I worked on for a long time when I worked at Équiterre. What he said was that he was there to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

I think—

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I think the member is putting words in the ambassador's mouth. He's claiming he said things he never did. I think that with issues like this, it's important that we stick to what is clearly said.

If the member wants to ask more questions about this, he can, but that isn't what the ambassador said.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, go ahead.

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

I want to speak to the same point of order. I imagine my clock has been stopped.

Mr. Guilbeault, what I understand is that the ambassador said he didn't want to tell us what his position is. Since he was against supply management the last time he spoke about it, I assume that must still be the case. That's what he implied indirectly and very diplomatically. In fact, that's his new role. He's pretty good with diplomatic language. That's what we understood.

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

I have a point of order on the point of order.

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

I think I can continue my remarks on—

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

I believe we're into debate. As a point of order, I would like to hear from the witness.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

I was going to say the same thing. I think we can all have our own views and opinions about answers, but I think the ambassador has made it very clear that he represents the government's and Parliament's position, which has been reflected in his answers.

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

That's fine.

May I continue my remarks?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Yes, of course.

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

Mr. Ambassador, if I understand correctly, you're telling me that, for example, Mr. Carney could have appointed a Quebec separatist as Canada's ambassador to France, because, given that this isn't the government's vision, it's no big deal if a Quebec separatist is appointed to such a position. That's sort of what you're telling me, but for supply management, it raises a lot of doubts.

Another one of your positions has raised a lot of doubts. You're the co-founder of the Century Initiative, and despite the upcoming mandate on which we will remain focused, you posted a message on the social media platform X that was hostile toward Quebec. The message indicated that the goal of a Canada with 100 million inhabitants had to be achieved, even if it made Quebec howl.

Do you know how shocked Quebeckers were by you sharing that publication?

Did you know what that sentence was referring to when you shared it?

[Mark Wiseman]

In the past, I was involved—as I'm sure many members of the committee are aware—in an organization called the Century Initiative. I'd encourage anyone who is interested to contact that organization and read the information. I am no longer affiliated with that organization. I've resigned from all of my outside positions to take on the role of ambassador.

Again, my job is to promote the policies of the Government of Canada, and I will continue to do so. I should also say that my role as ambassador, as it relates to the United States, does not cover Canadian immigration policy.

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

You're now the voice of Quebec in Washington, and you shared a publication that was hostile toward Quebec.

It's a simple question. It has to do with your mandate.

Do you sincerely and seriously think that people in Quebec are happy to see someone who shared a publication that was hostile toward Quebec become their voice and their representative in Washington? That's my first question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Mr. Duceppe.

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

I have a second question. In the Century Initiative, there is no mention of French—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe, I would have to—

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

—or the culture and the nation of Quebec in relation to the population of Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe, it seems like you're making a comment rather than asking a question. We agreed, as members, that the approach of today is to get a sense, as a committee, of the mandate of the ambassador. This is taking—