Evidence of meeting #82 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Everyone has heard the terms of the subamendment proposed by Mr. Perkins.
Mr. Vis.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
I'll speak to the subamendment.
I wish Mr. Masse were here today. This is a really important amendment, when you think of businesses such as TikTok, for example, coming into Canada, and using Canadians' information. I wish he were here to speak to it, frankly, because he knows the subject pretty well, and we would have been better informed. That's not the case today.
As we're going to be debating in the fall and examining very closely...Canadians are very concerned about protecting their personal property. This subamendment, along with the subsequent amendment, will go a long way in ensuring that foreign companies protect the rights and privileges of Canadians and don't use their information in a negative way.
I'm concerned, especially in the realms of social media and companies already operating in Canada, that we don't have more provisions in place already to ensure that we have the information we need.
With that, my comments are done.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Thank you, Mr. Vis.
If there are no further comments, I will call the question on Mr. Perkins' subamendment.
Madam Clerk, please proceed with the vote.
(Subamendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
We are starting the roll call on NDP-5. I believe we had ended debate.
Shall NDP‑5 carry?
(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)
6:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
That brings us to the vote on clause 15.
Do you have an amendment to clause 15, Mr. Perkins?
June 19th, 2023 / 6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Yes, and the clerk has copies of it. Perhaps she could circulate it.
When I was reviewing the amendments we submitted last week, there was one area of testimony I was concerned about that we hadn't addressed. I think we had a discussion. A lot of it came from Mr. Balsillie and a few others.
It is the area of intangible assets. I would propose—and the amendment is being circulated now—that Bill C-34, in clause 15, be amended by adding after line 18 on page 8 the following: “(1.01) In determining whether to make an order under subsection (1), the Minister shall have regard to whether the non-Canadian could, as a result of the investment, have...the right to use intellectual property whose development has been funded, in whole or in part, by the Government of Canada.”
I'm sorry. I'm reading the wrong amendment, am I not? I'm sorry. That's the wrong one.
6:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Just to be clear, Mr. Perkins, is it the amendment referenced 12524557? I think that's the one.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Yes, I read the wrong one. I'm sorry.
Is it 751?
6:25 p.m.
Liberal
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
As it is, the primary purpose of that follows up on recommendation 6 from the report I referred to earlier, which said:
That the Government of Canada encourage Canadian entities to keep ownership of intangible assets developed with federal funds, including intellectual property, by requiring, when appropriate, that they return moneys received from federal programs or subsidies in full or in part.
It arises from the testimony and the committee report on this that said that the minister should have more power to deal with intangible asset sales.
6:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Thank you very much, Mr. Perkins.
Just to make sure and be clear, the amendment is the one referenced 12524557.
Are there any comments or questions?
(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Shall clause 15 as amended carry?
(Clause 15 as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(On clause 16)
Are there any amendments to clause 16?
Go ahead, Mr. Perkins.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I didn't give them this one. I'm sorry. It's 12525376 to clause 16, that Bill C-34 in clause 16 be amended by adding after line 28 on page 10 the following:
(2) section 25.4 of the act be amended by adding the following after subsection (1):
(1.1) If the investment would give the non-Canadian the right to use intellectual property whose development has been funded, in whole or in part, by the Government of Canada, an order made under subsection (1) may require any person or entity from whom or which the Canadian business or the entity referred to in paragraph 25.1(c) is being or has been acquired to repay all or part of any such funding
Again, it comes from the same report from the industry committee from the last Parliament. It called on the government to look at any IP related to an acquisition that is being sold to say that, if that's been done and it's going to a foreign entity, the taxpayer money that may have gone into that through a grant in council or any of the other various mechanisms.... If that IP is leaving the country, then that IP should be repaid.
I know the officials have just gotten it. They can take a look. I don't know if they—
6:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
In any event, Mr. Perkins, we're out of time. We'll keep in mind that, when we resume, we will be at clause 16, with your amendment from the floor being debated.
Colleagues, just to be transparent, given that we've lost a bit of time today and that we are moving very slowly, I'll seek additional resources for after Wednesday's meeting and see how it goes. At Wednesday's meeting, if we make good progress or not, we'll have some extra time to work on this important bill for Canadians. I'm sure you will all agree that it's a priority.
Thank you to our friends of the committee, who will be with us again next Wednesday. We hope that will be the end of this work.
I'd like to thank the legislative clerks, the clerk, the support staff and, of course, the interpreters.
The meeting is adjourned.