Science and Research Committee on Jan. 26th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We will now proceed to MP Blanchette-Joncas for two and a half minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just want to inform you that I wish to give a notice of motion. Following the committee's unanimous adoption of the motion about access to data from granting councils on December 3, we received a joint response from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This response raises some important questions about how to establish a data governance protocol and a secure data transfer process to enable the assessment of funding equity.

As such, I give notice of the following motion to invite representatives of the three granting councils to appear before the committee so that it can fulfill its oversight role and hear directly from them about concrete ways to move forward:

In light of the response transmitted to the Committee by the three federal granting councils following the motion adopted unanimously on December 3, 2025, namely the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and pursuant to Standing Order 108(1), that the Committee invite representatives of the three Councils to appear in order to question them on the concrete means of establishing a data governance protocol and a secure data transfer process to enable the assessment of funding equity, no later than February 12, 2026.

I just wanted to give notice of this motion. I will continue with my questions now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Yes, please start.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Bradley, I have some more questions for you. Is it energy efficient to build data centres in provinces that still need to burn gas to stabilize their grid, when Quebec already has clean, available energy?

[Francis Bradley]

From my perspective, decisions that are made in terms of where different sites are operated and what source of electricity is going to be used are decisions for provincial governments and provincial regulators to determine. I don't think those are things that should be dictated from a national perspective.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Please share your expertise with me.

You know that AI-related data centres require abundant, stable, low-cost electricity. Efficiency and cost are obviously important. From an energy and economic standpoint alone, does it make more sense to power this infrastructure with existing, already-amortized hydroelectricity of the kind Quebec produces, or to create new, more expensive capacity elsewhere in the country?

[Francis Bradley]

That, of course, will depend upon what is available in different jurisdictions. The member is quite right that Quebec, for example, and other hydro provinces have certain advantages from a resource standpoint. However, there are data requirements in every jurisdiction across this country. Decisions have to be made at a local and provincial level about how they're going to be able to supply those centres. Again, those are decisions that I believe should be made by the people closest to the system and the people who are actually running the system—that is, the individual system operators in different jurisdictions.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

I just want to make sure I understand what you're saying as an expert who manages hydroelectric networks across Canada.

In terms of energy and economics, is Quebec the most efficient option for developing energy-intensive technology such as AI?

[Francis Bradley]

There are definitely advantages in Quebec and other jurisdictions that have a massive baseload of hydro resources. This is definitely an advantage. It is also an advantage in other jurisdictions that have, for example, a non-emitting and massive baseload of nuclear resources. Each jurisdiction has different opportunities, but there are definitely some advantages with very large hydro resources.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Thank you.

[Francis Bradley]

By the same token, that's why we increasingly see wind and other intermittent resources married up with that—to have the ability to use that baseload.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting. Time is up.

With that, we will have to end our round of questioning.

We have to pass the budget for this committee before we end this panel. The committee needs to adopt a budget for its study on AI. We have sent committee members a draft budget for consideration in the amount of $40,050.

Is the committee in agreement to adopt this draft budget?

MP Baldinelli.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON]

I just have a point of clarification, Madam Chair. It's with regard to the specific wording of the motion on our study.

If you notice, at the end we say, “That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.” If I may indulge my committee members, I would suggest that we say, “That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House and that pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request a government response.”

The government response is not included in the current wording.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Is everyone in agreement with that?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We can add that edit.

Is the committee in agreement that we adopt the draft budget?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Okay. That is adopted.

I want to let everyone know that the committee will not meet this Thursday, January 29, because of the agreement among the whips. Next week, on Monday, February 2, we will have the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation along with department officials for two hours. We will have the Minister of Industry on Thursday, February 5, for one hour. Department officials will remain for the second hour. That's the plan for next week.

MP Baldinelli.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON]

Just before we break, Madam Chair, I want to express my condolences and those of my Conservative colleagues to not only you but also Liberal members of the committee on the passing of our former chair, Kirsty Duncan. I had the pleasure, in a previous Parliament, of sitting on the science committee when Kirsty was the chair. She was a fabulous chair, an impartial and fair chair, but she was a better human being. Everyone who got to know her knew how fabulous she was.

My condolences to you all.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, MP Baldinelli. Yes, she will be missed by everybody. She touched a lot of lives.

With that, this panel comes to an end. I really want to thank our three witnesses for appearing before the committee and providing their important input on this study.

Is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

The meeting is adjourned.