International Trade Committee on April 26th, 2021

[Steve Verheul]

I would suggest that the COVID experience has certainly changed the world of trade, to some degree, and has caused us to look somewhat differently at some of the approaches that are being used.

I wouldn't say that's across the board, because existing free trade agreements, and any of our free trade agreements going forward do contain inherent flexibilities to protect human life and health that provide us with scope to do what we may need to do in many of these areas.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Are you satisfied that those flexibilities have been adequate for the pandemic and that there is no need to rethink any core aspects of the Canadian trade agenda?

[Steve Verheul]

I wouldn't say there's no need to rethink elements of it. There are still paths we want to pursue. We're going to be looking at what kinds of adjustments, what kinds of changes, should be made to position ourselves to respond as well as we can to a situation like this, and that will be a common view.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Is there any preliminary—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm sorry, Mr. Blaikie, but your time is up.

We will move to Mrs. Gray, for five minutes.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to all of the government officials for being here today.

I have a couple of questions for the Invest in Canada Hub department. The disclosure of large contracts alone for 2020-21 add up to $4.2 million in advertising, including over $850,000 on advertising services to Google LLC.

My question is for Ms. Curran. Can you table with the committee the total amount of the Invest in Canada Hub spending on advertising for the 2020-21 fiscal year, including a breakdown of advertising dollars spent in each country?

[Katie Curran]

That's definitely something we can forward to you.

Part of our mandate is to promote Canada as a premier investment destination, so marketing and advertising is a key and fundamental part of what we do, and where a portion of our budget goes.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

What are the specific metrics for measuring success to see whether this taxpayer-financed marketing and advertising is producing results for investment in Canada?

[Katie Curran]

Our formal metrics are part of our departmental results framework, which is included in our departmental plans. One of them is to brand Canada as a premier investment destination, and we want to see an increase on the confidence index that investors have of Canada as an investment destination year over year. We also want to see opinions of potential and current investors of Canada as that premier investment destination. Those are our main ways that we're looking to see growth in the areas of marketing and advertising.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

So investor confidence, in terms of some of those metrics of attractiveness, should lead ultimately to jobs. Can you table with the committee the number of new jobs that have been created and how you're defining that number as an outcome of the creation of the Invest in Canada Hub?

[Katie Curran]

Yes, we can definitely provide some additional figures. One thing that I can provide right now, which minister alluded to in her opening statement, is that in 2019 and 2020 we helped facilitate 18 investment deals coming into Canada, which have the potential to create 2,000 jobs and represent $1.25 billion in capital expenditures. Those are the types of investments that we're focused on bringing into Canada.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

When you table that with this committee, would you also be able to break that down by country? That will also tie in to my earlier question of the advertising spent. Would that be something you could provide?

[Katie Curran]

Yes, we'll look at providing a breakdown of those numbers when possible.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

That's great. Thank you very much.

Can state-owned enterprises or companies affiliated with state-owned enterprises invest through the Invest in Canada Hub?

[Katie Curran]

The investments that come through the Invest in Canada Hub are like any investments that would be facilitated for the Government of Canada. They're all required to follow the same rules and guidelines as any investment that comes through Canada.

I also have my colleague Nathalie Béchamp, who can speak more about those investments.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Just to clarify, is the answer to my question, yes, that state-owned enterprises and affiliated state-owned enterprises can invest through the Invest in Canada Hub?

[Katie Curran]

I'll let me colleague Nathalie Béchamp take that question.

[Nathalie Béchamp, Chief, Investor Services, Invest in Canada Hub]

Invest in Canada works with global companies that are publicly held, privately held and, in some cases, have different ownership structures, including state-owned enterprises. We work within the framework of the Government of Canada's rules and programs, including the Investment Canada Act. Within the ICA, the Investment Canada Act, there are provisions for publicly held companies and any foreign-held investor that's looking to make an investment in a majority way, including state-owned enterprises.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

That's great. Thank you.

The answer is yes. Would you be able to table to the committee a list of all state-owned enterprises or affiliated companies that have access to the Invest in Canada Hub, whether it be programs or support or anything else, and the value of the foreign direct investment that resulted from it?

[Nathalie Béchamp]

As you may appreciate, the companies that we work with are given a form of confidentiality from us in terms of the types of services and what we can do to help them make those decisions. In terms of state-owned enterprises that deal with us, we could provide a list of those that have made public statements, that have—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

My time is running out.

Would you be able to at least provide countries, as well, where those state-owned enterprises are based?

[Nathalie Béchamp]

Yes, I believe we can provide that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

It was wonderful to see so many women as witnesses today. We are making progress. Even if it seems slow, we are making progress. Congratulations to all of you and thank you so much.

I will now read the following motion: Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), the committee will now dispose of the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, minus the interim supply the House agreed to on March 25, 2021.

INVEST IN CANADA HUB

Vote 1—Program Expenditures..........$34,271,556

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

Shall I report the vote under Invest in Canada Hub to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you all very much.

I think it was an informative meeting. We appreciated having all of our great witnesses and the minister. Thank you very much.

I move adjournment of our meeting.