Industry Committee on Sept. 19th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Good afternoon, everyone.

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting No. 84 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, April 17, 2023, the committee is resuming consideration of Bill C‑34, an act to amend the Investment Canada Act.

A reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair. For the safety of our interpreters, please ensure that you speak into the microphone that your headset is plugged into.

I'd like to welcome back our witnesses today: Mark Schaan, assistant deputy minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector; Jamieson McKay, director general, Investment Review Branch; James Burns, senior director, Investment Review Branch; and Mehmet Karman, senior policy analyst, Investment Review Branch.

I hope everyone had a good summer. We are pleased to see you again. I would also like to welcome the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Ryan Turnbull, who is participating before our committee.

[Voices]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

I'm not sure the applause will last. I hope it lasts the whole session. We're off to a good start. Thank you for that, colleagues.

Before we get back to Bill C-34, I know there are some study motions that some of you want to table. We'll get that out of the way and then we'll resume with Bill C-34.

I yield the floor to Mr. Perkins.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome back.

Mr. Turnbull, welcome to the committee.

Officials, it's good to see you again. I'm sure you missed us over the summer.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

They're ready for a filibuster.

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

Is this the finance committee?

I have a study motion to move. I think Mr. Vis will move the other one. I'll get right to it.

The clerk has just distributed them. I understand we'll debate and discuss them once we're through Bill C-34, so this won't delay clause-by-clause.

I move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee invite the Parliamentary Budget Officer to appear for two hours, to address the report, “Break-even Analysis of Production Subsidies for Stellantis-LGES and Volkswagen”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Thank you, Mr. Perkins. As you mentioned, if we all agree, we'll get back to it at the end of the meeting. That motion has been tabled.

Mr. Vis.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

I'd like to move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee order the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to release a redacted copy of the Strategic Innovation Fund contracts with Volkswagen and Stellantis to build a battery plant in Windsor and St. Thomas, Ontario, in order to understand the contract that was agreed upon by both parties, and that such release be given to the committee via email no later than October 3, 2023, and that no speaking restrictions be placed on committee members with regard to said contract.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Thank you very much, Mr. Vis.

Mr. Lemire, you have the floor.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to welcome everyone, especially Mr. Turnbull. I hope we can keep up this collaborative spirit that is so dear to us, because the committee has a particularly busy fall ahead.

I would like to propose a study to the committee on the modernization of the regulatory framework and the convergence of wired and wireless products. The motion reads as follows:That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee undertake a study on the modernization of the regulatory framework and the convergence of wired and wireless products to ensure that future decisions are informed by robust data and recommendations for the benefit of all consumers in terms of accessibility and affordability; that it examine this convergence with relevant stakeholders and what they can enable through technological advancements such as 5G, fibre optics, Wi‑Fi 6, and many others; that it examine the need for ubiquitous connectivity, necessary data transmission speeds, and innovative opportunities for businesses and consumers in Canada and internationally; that it scrutinize the operating costs of these technologies and the maintenance of so-called critical infrastructure; that it specifically investigate unused spectrum in more remote and rural areas as well as deployment targets; that it examine telecommunications tower construction programs and infrastructure deployment financing; that the Committee allocates a minimum of 6 meetings for conducting this study and that it report its findings and recommendations to the House.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Mr. Lemire, has your motion been distributed?

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

No, it hasn't, but I don't think it'll be discussed today. Still, it could be, so we are sending it right now, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Fantastic. Thank you very much.

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

I think it's important.

If I may, I would like to move a second motion, which has to do with the sale of Future Electronics. I move:That, in accordance with Rule 108(2) of the Regulations, the Committee undertake a study on the sale of Future Electronics; that it examine the acquisition transaction of this company by a business partially owned by Chinese interests; that the Committee schedule a meeting to conduct this study and report its findings and recommendations to the House.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Thank you very much, Mr. Lemire.

Mr. Vis, the floor is yours.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Excuse my interruption, Mr. Chair. When I read out my notice of motion, I realized that it could be misinterpreted.

I only mentioned the SIF contracts, but I was also alluding to the production contracts. There are actually four contracts in question. The spirit of the motion is that we see all four contracts.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Thank you, Mr. Vis. That's understood.

Next is Mr. Masse.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I was wondering whether we're going to have a subcommittee meeting to look at what legislation is going to come forth and so forth. Some of these motions are excellent. Actually, they're all really good motions, and in different ways. I have amendments to them, but at any rate, I'm just wondering whether we're going to have our own planning meeting, because it will be interesting to find out out where Bill C-27 stands as we're working through this.

Obviously, the one by Mr. Perkins with regard to the PBO officer is just one meeting, so that's easy to deal with and dispense with, but the other suggestions are more comprehensive and would require planning.

I'll just throw that out there. Maybe you can share with us how you would like to deal with this or if we are going to go one-off at them at the end of the meeting if there's time, or maybe on Thursday, if we can get through Bill C-34 today or next week.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Just to provide a bit of context on the idea for Thursday's meeting, I'm hopeful that we'll get Bill C-34 done, and we can free our friends who've been with us over many meetings. Thursday would be a steering committee meeting so that we can hash out the plan, in particular with regard to Bill C-27 and how we intend to approach it, and also, perhaps, if we have time, to vote on some of the motions that have been presented and how we intend to deal with them.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

That would be Thursday, though I hear that we might get cancelled on Thursday because of the state visit.

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

It's Friday morning.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Is it Friday? Okay. Then we won't be, most likely.

Mr. Perkins is.... As you know, they don't tell me anything, but they tell everything to Mr. Perkins.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

He's a wily guy.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

We'll have the chance, then, on Thursday, with the steering committee, to look into it.