National Defence Committee on June 14th, 2018

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

First of all, thank you, everyone, for the questioning.

Madam Ambassador, thank you for coming.

I'll sum up in a second, but there are some motions, if you could be patient. I'll recognize Mr. Bezan first.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I don't know if the committee is aware, but back in November of 2014, the House passed the following unanimous motion:

The this House reiterate Canada's continued support for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world; reaffirm Canada's support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and the inviolability of its borders; encourage the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to further their advancement of democratic reforms; affirm the Republic of Moldova's sovereign right to determine its own partnerships free of external coercion and pressure; note the Republic of Moldova's signature of an Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the European Union on June 27, 2014, and ratification of the agreement on July 2, 2014; and welcome the Republic of Moldova's choice to pursue the path of European integration.

In that vein, I move that the Standing Committee on National Defence encourage the Government of Canada to do the following:

1. That the Government of Canada negotiate a defence and security agreement with the Republic of Moldova.

2. That the Government of Canada add Moldova to the Automatic Firearms Country Control List.

3. That the Government of Canada send an election observation mission to Moldova for the November 2018 parliamentary elections

[Ala Beleavschi]

Thank you very much.

May I just comment? It's not a question, but I will comment only that we are approaching parliamentary elections this year, in late November. It will be, again, about a geopolitical choice. Again, the population is very polarized regarding which direction to take: forward to closer co-operation with Europe, or back to its Soviet past.

Can I ask you to support another motion calling for democratic, free, and transparent elections to be held in Moldova, first of all? Secondly, sending a signal of the support from the Canadian Parliament for Moldova's efforts to reform the country and to integrate into the European space of common values would be very concrete support from Canada and from your Parliament.

I call upon you to raise your hand in supporting that motion. I have been in touch with the Canada-Moldova Parliamentary Friendship Group, and I understand there is a clear understanding of the necessity for such kinds of motions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Before we move to more discussion on this, from a procedural standpoint this can't go to the House unless it's contained within a report, according to the clerk. We can talk about it, but there are a couple of things. I have an idea of what Sven is going to move, and then we're talking about time, because you were saying this is time-sensitive.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Indeed, as the ambassador just said, the elections are this fall. We have to get the government moving on that now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Right. Given the time we have available before the House rises—and I know what we've asked you to do already—we could prioritize this. In theory, if Sven moves a motion to report to the House, this could be a recommendation. We could ask the clerk to down tools on the Ukraine report, because this is more time-sensitive, and to put effort into getting this out before we rise to address your concern on timing.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

You ruled. I accept your ruling.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Okay, so are you going to withdraw your motion and let him move his?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Yes, you ruled.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Well, it's out of order, essentially.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

On a point of order, our witness today mentioned a couple of motions as well. How will they be incorporated?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

It has to come from the report.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

I recommend that we let Mr. Spengemann move his motion. We can discuss this more fully at that point, and then we can make a decision.

Mr. Spengemann.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

You've anticipated very accurately what I was going to move. I'd like to move that the committee ask the analysts to prepare a report on today's session with the ambassador, and that it be tabled in the House.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Let's have a discussion on that. This would be a good time to bring up your points.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

I would suggest that the three recommendations I just made be part of that, as well as a couple of other comments the ambassador made.

We have to stay somewhat in our wheelhouse, although we sometimes wander into the foreign affairs purview.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

You're jumping....

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

In the report, I believe we can make some of the comments you've made, Ambassador, to help the democratic process and make European integration by Moldova a priority.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Is there any more discussion around that?

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

I think we are straying quite a long way from our mandate as the defence committee in the recommendations Mr. Bezan has suggested. Without having those in front of me, I have some difficulty because, if we're going to make recommendations, I think they would have to include Canadian support for the OSCE mission that's leading toward a negotiated settlement. I would oppose any report that did not include such a recommendation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

All right. As in any report we've ever done, the recommendations can be negotiated amongst us once we get there. But there seems to be a will to do our report to the House. So unless there is more discussion on that, we can talk about the details of any recommendations when we see a report. At this time, I'd like to call for a vote on the motion put forward by Mr. Spengemann.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

I think I'm going to leave it there unless there is anything else.

Cheryl.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Chair, last day I did raise a motion that had been printed as a recommendation. I reworded it a bit because when I presented that motion, for some reason, they felt it was incomplete or maybe it was an objection to studying the role of artificial intelligence in the military. So I made it a bit broader and I would just like to table it before we go so that the analysts will have a chance to think about it over the summer, should the committee decide to engage in this study.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Is that the one tabled yesterday via electronic...?

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

No, it's not. It's a new one. I gave the 48-hour notice. I would like to move that the Standing Committee on National Defence undertake a study on the application of artificial intelligence in unmanned aerial, naval, terrestrial vehicles, robotic technological development weapon systems, and Canadian Forces personnel thought analysis, and that the committee commence planning the study during the final stages of the peacekeeping study for study immediately afterwards.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Okay, I take it you're tabling that. I note that.

Are you withdrawing your previous motion?