Industry Committee on Dec. 14th, 2023

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Okay, we're good. That was quick.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Yes. It's appreciated.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you.

Do we have a consensus on this amendment, or do we need to vote on it?

We're voting on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Is there any further discussion on the motion as amended?

Seeing none, are we voting on it, or is there a consensus?

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

I think there is a consensus, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Is there a consensus for the motion as amended?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

We'll go to a vote.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

I'd like a clarification. Does that mean that this information is no longer necessary?

If the Conservatives want a clarification and we refuse to receive it, I find that inconsistent. However, if they no longer need that information, we don't have to put someone to work unnecessarily.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Mr. Barrett.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

The spirit of the main motion, Mr. Chair, was for there to be a meeting to solicit the information. Of course, we want the information. As I understood it, the recommendation that was voted on in the amendment was that the decision for a further meeting would be taken at the steering committee. That decision will be taken there, but the intention was for there to be a meeting to deal with this.

The information is both desired and required, but the manner in which it's being requested by the committee is not consistent with the original ask.

Yes, we do want the information. We'd like it done in the format of a meeting of the standing committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

The motion as amended calls for it to be requested in writing. We'll put it to a vote if there are no other members who wish to speak.

We're putting the amended motion to a vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

I congratulate you, Mr. Perkins, because it was your basic motion.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I can't go a meeting without a motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Yes, but you got all the other parties to do the work.

Before we adjourn, I want to wish everyone happy holidays, a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I look forward.... Well, I don't look forward all that much to seeing you in the new year, but I'll be happy to when that happens.

I'd like to thank the interpreters and the analysts for all their work.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Just a moment, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Excuse me. I see that there's something else before we adjourn the meeting.

Mr. Perkins.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you very much.

I put a motion on notice.

Hopefully, we can deal with this quickly.

Thank you, MP Lemire.

I'll read it:

Whereas the company Shenghe Resources, which is 14% owned by Beijing, is attempting to acquire significant holdings in Vital, a Canadian-owned—

It says “neo-lithium mine”, but it's a rare earth company.

—the committee call on the Minister of Industry to invoke a national security review under the Investment Canada Act over Beijing’s takeover of Vital Metals.

It's just a vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

That's the motion you sent notice of.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Is there discussion on this motion?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

The reason it's urgent is the decision by the company that will be made within the next week or two. If the minister is going to invoke section 25 of the Investment Canada Act, he has to do it very quickly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Would you mind reading it again, Mr. Perkins, to be sure that all members...?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Sure. I'll go a little slower. I asked a question in the House on this last week, I think.

The motion reads:

Whereas the company Shenghe Resources, which is 14% owned by Beijing, is attempting to acquire significant holdings in Vital Metals, a Canadian-owned rare earth company, the committee call on the Minister of Industry to invoke a national security review under the Investment Canada Act over Beijing’s takeover of Vital Metals.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

We've heard the terms of the motion.

I'm conscious that there's a process for these to be called. I'm not sure the committee has much weight on this, but it can still be voted on. It's a valid motion, but I'm just not convinced, because the process is set up in the law.

Mr. Fragiskatos.