Evidence of meeting #20 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 contract.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
There's no way of writing into the contract any outs or loopholes that would protect us?
As an Individual
We could write it in. Does he follow the law? He sends ICE people to Minneapolis.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Even though this contract.... We haven't seen it. How this committee came together is that, for once.... The government has been stalling. I'm very grateful that you and our other witnesses are here today. We've had other witnesses who wanted to testify but seemingly were scared to attend. I appreciate your being here.
Can you unpack what it would be like to be one of these executives of an American company working at Chalk River? Would they be divided in their loyalties?
As an Individual
I'm not sure the Americans would be. Perhaps they're divided in their loyalties. We don't know whether they support the President or not. As I said, it would be a fairly straightforward situation if anybody in the political realm prevailed upon them to do something that is against Canada's interests. I think they would comply with that request, either against their will or not, but I can't tell whether or not it's against their will.
I know that Congress has a role in a lot of the things the President is doing, and Congress is not taking any action whatsoever. It's a moot point. If especially this U.S. President wants something out of those executives that is contrary to Canada's interests, even contrary to the letter of whatever contract they signed, he'll get it.
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
How is that Canadian? We've been hearing the news that it's elbows up, and we're all rallied around the flag. Then we sign on to a multi-year billion-dollar contract and claim to be buying Canadian, but we're actually buying American here. We're selling out to Americans.
As an Individual
That's precisely what we're doing. It's January 2026. With all that has happened in this situation that has developed south of the border, particularly since January 2025, I'm amazed we are blithely walking down this path.
My point during my talk was that we shouldn't have complied with those requests, going back to the 1950s. That was under sane American presidents, the sane American presidents from Eisenhower up to Barack Obama. We shouldn't have done it then. We could have pushed back and should have pushed back. We didn't. I'm not going to cry over spilled milk.
Certainly, under this President, we should not be—
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
We know the current Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, has shares in one of the companies leading this bid, which is another question I have.
Switching gears to our other witness, do you think it's a good idea at this time to let U.S. citizens obligated by the CFR 810 manage nuclear defence-related research in Canada, Mr. McGoey?
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
I'm not an expert on the CFR 810. I'm a Canadian citizen. I'm not subject to any of those requirements. I certainly concede that there's a mixture of people on the executive team from various countries. We have U.K. citizens, we have a significant number of Canadian citizens and, yes, we have Americans. All of those—
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Are any of those countries threatening to take over Canada?
Conservative
Corey Tochor Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Are any of those countries threatening to take over Canada? That's where the rubber meets the road. This doesn't match up with the rhetoric—not yours, sir, but the government's—and the actions on this.
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
Under the terms of the contract, all of us on the executive team have a primary loyalty to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, period. We then have a secondary loyalty and accountability to—
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
—Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. In addition, anyone who is an officer of the corporation on the executive team has a fiduciary duty to put the interests of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories first.
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
If they cannot do that, then they should resign.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Duguid
To you both, we are at time for your intervention, Mr. Tochor.
We're going to go on to Mr. Guay for six minutes.
Liberal
Claude Guay Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. McGoey, it's very interesting to watch this discussion here between the conspiracy theorist and the independent adviser. You actually work for the corporation. Did you sign any paper that you actually would be bound to turn anything over to the Americans?
Liberal
Liberal
Claude Guay Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Can you talk to us about what you're doing as a team for Canada?