Public Safety Committee on June 6th, 2024

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Under Mr. Harper's government, we did not have reports saying that foreign state actors had dealt with this. Under current legislation, you can disclose top secret information when it's in the public interest. What would be more in the public interest than a person who could be elected and is under the thumb of a hostile state actor? You can do that.

You talk about being disingenuous, and you can do this. Why won't you do so before the next election?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Speaking of being disingenuous, in Mr. Harper's government the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians didn't exist because Mr. Harper's government didn't believe that parliamentarians should have access to this information or be able to review the work of our intelligence agencies. During Mr. Harper's government in 2013, CSIS publicly identified an increasing risk of foreign interference in our democratic institutions—

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

It didn't identify names.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Don't interrupt.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

—and the Harper government did absolutely nothing.

Again, I think it's important to have context for these comments.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Then you are okay with people going into an election and putting an X beside a name when they have a cloud of suspicion for every single one of us.

Let's face it, Minister. I think if there were six Conservatives on that list and no Liberals, we would have the names. Let's be honest here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Caputo. The minister may answer.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Pardon me; I think I have another minute.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

No, you don't.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Okay, thank you. I'm sorry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

The minister may answer if he wishes.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Caputo makes something up in saying that if there were six Conservatives and no other political parties on the list, of course we would release it. I'm not going to violate the Security of Information Act and risk prosecution for a political stunt, and I think Mr. Caputo knows better.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We go now to Mr. Gaheer for six minutes.

[Iqwinder Gaheer, Liberal, Mississauga—Malton, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for appearing before the committee.

Minister, I want to focus on foreign interference and its impact on diaspora communities, something that Mr. Virani touched on in his opening testimony. I know that you've spoken about it in the past as well. Different—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Go ahead, Mr. Genuis, on a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

During Mr. Caputo's round at the end, Ms. O'Connell was shouting at him across the floor, and now she's saying, “Boo hoo, get over it.”

Respectfully, Chair, I think you should call this member to order.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

That's not a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

It is a point of order. You're shouting at another member.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Genuis—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

No, sorry, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Speak to the chair, please.

I hear your point of order. I would encourage all members not to talk across the table and to talk through the chair when they are recognized. It would be helpful to us all.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I hope you call Ms. O'Connell to order, because she wasn't crosstalking; she was shouting to disrupt Mr. Caputo's round of questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Gaheer, go ahead, please.

[Iqwinder Gaheer, Liberal, Mississauga—Malton, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I want to focus on foreign interference and its impact on diaspora communities. We've had different groups come here and raise that concern. One of the groups was the World Sikh Organization. They were largely in favour of this bill. They said that more needs to be done to counter foreign interference and that, in that respect, Bill C-70 is a step in the right direction. They did want to highlight, however, that CSIS would have the ability to disclose information to any person or entity should CSIS deem that relevant. This would be a great step, but they are concerned about whether foreign consular officials in Canada would count as entities, what kind of information could be disclosed to them and whether diaspora communities could be put at risk because of that disclosure.