Evidence of meeting #32 for Industry and Technology in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was technology.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette—Manawan, QC
Thank you for your answer. I also think there could be partnerships with industry sectors in Europe.
Time is running out. I'd like to hear your comments on that, Ms. Weitzman.
Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, Clean Transportation, Electric Autonomy Canada
The battery opportunity is not just for electric vehicles; it's for battery energy storage systems. To reiterate what Moe was saying, the opportunity here is huge for Canada. The world needs more clean power, and AI centres, as we know, are power-hungry, so batteries are an essential resource that we should be developing. That manufacturing can go into both stationary storage and mobile storage, otherwise known as electric vehicles.
Liberal
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all our witnesses for coming to committee today with your testimony.
Mr. Bisson, I would like to begin with you.
First, I would like to let you know that I served a rotation on the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. I have some fairly in-depth knowledge of the capabilities of CSIS and what they do. I would like to thank you for your service there.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
We often talk about our Five Eyes partners. I'm not sure that everybody on the committee understands what that is or who it is, or if Canadians watching these proceedings understand who our Five Eyes partners are.
Could you briefly tell the committee who the Five Eyes partners are and what they do?
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
Yes. The Five Eyes partners are one of the largest amalgamation of intelligence organizations in the world. They comprise us, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Is it an intelligence and security sharing organization or arrangement that we have with those other four countries?
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Prime Minister Carney has previously stated that China is our greatest national threat. Would you agree with that assessment?
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
I would say that China poses the largest threat to Canada from an intelligence perspective, yes.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
As you stated in your opening remarks, we have previously banned the technologies of certain products from Canada that originated in China.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
You indicated that the United States is among the group of our Five Eyes security partners. Are you familiar with the FBI tipping off our law enforcement agencies of threats here in Canada?
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
Yes, that has happened on occasion.
Conservative
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
The United States has provided the Canadian intelligence community with information and intelligence for decades, yes.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
You've previously said that our Five Eyes partners have indicated that Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles pose a threat to our national security. If we move in the direction of allowing Chinese technology through the 49,000 EV vehicles, it poses the risk that we'll be isolating ourselves from our partners.
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
The importation of 49,000 Chinese vehicles could put us in a position where other Five Eyes partners would be concerned about the integration into our technology.
Conservative
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
It could mean, as with any other implemented technology that is connected to communication, that individuals who are in sensitive areas and who have access to or are being accessed by this type of technology might be considered a potential compromise.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Could that lessen the degree of confidence that some of our Five Eyes partners have with us concerning intelligence sharing?
Director, Global Intelligence Knowledge Network
It's a difficult question to answer, because I am aware that other Five Eyes partners have Chinese EVs. That would be a further consideration, if it was ever determined or identified that any of the information that is detrimental to the national security of our Five Eyes partners or us had been essentially taken by using the type of technology being incorporated into our systems.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
In my home province of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro is a primary supplier of fibre optics cable and, due to that, the host of a lot of Internet services. You have expressed concern that plugging Chinese-made electrical vehicles into our electricity grid poses a security threat. Could you expand on that a bit?
