Evidence of meeting #24 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sandbox.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
Absolutely. It definitely provides an easier way to get innovative products and processes to market faster, get them tested and get that permanent regulation made.
It's not the right tool for every situation, though.
Executive Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
We have multiple tools in the tool box, but this is one very good tool we could use.
Liberal
Pauline Rochefort Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
I mentioned that this is innovation within the government to some extent, but it is becoming increasingly a practice in the United States and across the world. I was surprised to find regulatory frameworks in other jurisdictions. You talked about Japan and the United Kingdom, and the list can go on. It's in private industry and Canada's financial sector. There are all kinds of examples out there.
Would that also be a fair statement?
Executive Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
Absolutely. There are quite a few international examples. Some countries apply them quite broadly, like we're doing, so that all sectors can take advantage of and use these authorities. France, Germany, the U.K. and Mauritius all have these broad authorities. Then there are a number of countries that specifically target AI with their use, so something like the EU, which has 27 member states.... There's also Brazil and Colombia.
Lots of countries are taking advantage of this approach.
Liberal
Pauline Rochefort Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
I would say, as we come around this table, my sense is that we're all in favour of Canada's moving faster. I can't see anyone not being in favour of that, but I can certainly appreciate some of the concerns.
One I have that I'd like to ask about is—
February 3rd, 2026 / 4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Liberal
Pauline Rochefort Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
—if a minister can supersede a conflict of interest requirement, for example.
Executive Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
No.
First of all, a minister can grant an authority only to the legislation and regulations under their own portfolio. Second of all, for the conflict of interest, for example, that would be the President of the Treasury Board, and an exemption under that authority wouldn't fit within the guardrails that are baked into the legislation.
As I mentioned, to make a future regulatory change, all the pieces that are required to make a regulatory sandbox—not just a broad exemption—wouldn't meet those criteria, so you could not make an exemption under the Conflict of Interest Act.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thanks very much.
We are going to suspend in a couple of seconds to bring in our new witnesses.
Before you go, I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind.
On the exemption under public interest, will the justification of the public interest or the evidence behind granting it be published as well, as part of the other publications that you've stated will be public every year?
Senior Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
Whenever a minister makes a decision to—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I'm sorry. We're really short of time. It's a really straightforward question. Would the justification be—
Senior Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
They would have to justify the rationale for their decision-making.
Conservative
Senior Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
The minister responsible for the exemption would be the one to publish the decision for the rationale.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Is it required to be published, that justification for public interest?
Senior Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
As part of the exemption order, yes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thanks.
How many people are in the new red tape office, please?
Executive Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
We can't share.... I don't think we can speak to the numbers.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
What are you trying to hide? You don't know or you won't tell me?
Executive Director, Red Tape Reduction Office, Treasury Board Secretariat
We can't speak to staffing and those sorts of pieces.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Maybe you can get back to us, then. Is that something you can do?