Evidence of meeting #15 for Natural Resources in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was resources.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
No, let me finish. Let me finish the answer to the question.
All the management of the entity that is managing these activities is based in Canada, with 95% of employees being in Canada. Every employee is in Canada.
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Are you against any American company operating in Canada? I don't think that's consistent with the Conservative—
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
It's inconsistent with the “elbows-up” campaign you just ran.
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
“Elbows up” means lots of things. “Elbows up” means developing—
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Do you think this was in the national interest, then?
Liberal
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
No. I only have a limited amount of time. Is this in the national interest?
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Then let me finish answering the question, please.
“Elbows up” means negotiating with all the countries in the world, doubling our exports and creating alternatives to Americans. That's what we're doing.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Canada is a world leader in the production of life-saving medical isotopes. There are concerns that American companies engaging in a corporate raid at CNL could lead to a monopoly. This has already triggered multiple ongoing Competition Bureau investigations.
Are you concerned about the Americans having a monopoly on these life-saving isotopes?
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
—that it is a raid is completely inaccurate.
I have personally visited Darlington, where the isotopes are done, which is owned by a Canadian company, Ontario Power Generation. I have visited Bruce Power, where those isotopes are also produced, which is owned by two Canadian entities—OMERS, the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, and TC Energy. They are Canadian companies.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Then why is the Competition Bureau concerned that it's a monopoly that we're giving over to the Americans?
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
The Competition Bureau is an independent entity. It's actually not in my department. It's in ISED.
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
No, they're reviewing a transaction as they normally do.
I was in the investment banking world for my entire life. It is normal for transactions to be reviewed. A transaction just being reviewed in no way implies there's anything wrong. It's a normal process.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
According to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the latest report has Prime Minister Carney owning shares in BWXT, which is an American company leading the takeover at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. It's also being investigated by the Competition Bureau, as I mentioned earlier.
How can Canadians trust that it is not about lining an individual's pockets at the expense of Canadians?
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
You are, again, inferring something that is simply not true.
Our Prime Minister has complied and always will comply with all the ethics guidelines. To my knowledge, there is no inconsistency in what he has done. The assertion or the innuendo that he's somehow doing something wrong is not consistent with what the Ethics Commissioner has said.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
I have one last question.
Regarding large conventional nuclear, between the CANDU and the AP1000 reactor designs, which, in your view, is more Canadian?
Liberal
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
If you're asking whether we support the proponents' reviewing both technologies and making a choice, yes, we do.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Duguid
Thank you both.
We're going to move on to Mr. McKinnon for five minutes.