Science and Research Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2026

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

I'll squeeze in one more question.

Canada has really, I think, punched above our weight in AI with the pan-Canadian strategy. How are we making sure that we're going to use our AI ecosystem to stay competitive internationally? How are we going to keep that lead?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

It's a great question. We have the lead in science and research. We are among the top in the world in terms of publications in journals and patents. We've been a leader.

The real challenge for us, and this is why we're relaunching the mission, is to make sure that we convert the remarkable scientific lead that we have at our universities, at our national AI institutes, into commercialization. How are we doing that? That is why we're investing in our compute access fund, to make sure that our small and medium-sized businesses have access to the tools, and that's why we're investing in the infrastructure.

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

The time is up for MP McKelvie.

We will 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.

Minister, you said before that the 11,300 submissions were going to be published on the website. I just checked, and it's more of a summary of contributions. So what you told me is not true. It's not true that they are public.

How can the public trust you today if you refuse to tell us publicly who took part in this consultation that will enable you to develop the artificial intelligence strategy?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, I really hope that the honourable member checks the record. I said the summaries would be online. It's exactly what I said. The summaries are online. As I said, those were my words earlier in the committee. I'd be happy if he goes back and reads the record on that.

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

That's perfect.

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

But the summaries—

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

Why, then, are you refusing to tell us who took part in the public consultation?

Why don't you want to release the names of those people and what they said?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

We are very happy to have provided the summaries. Over 11,000 members of the public contributed to this summary. We're not publishing the names of 11,000 Canadians here, but we are giving a summary of exactly what they said. That's a very transparent process, along with the 28 task force members. The honourable member asked about it, and we're very happy that it's available now for him to see.

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

Minister, would you refresh my memory on journalistic standards, which are certainly within your area of expertise. Transparency builds credibility.

Today you are telling us that you prepared a summary of your public consultation, in which 11,300 individuals participated, that the process is transparent and that we can have confidence in it.

Have you forgotten what transparency is, Minister?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Again, thank you for the question.

We had an open, transparent process. We had a public consultation, which, by the way, was very valuable. I thank the members of the public for contributing. I thank the 28 members of the task force. We've published those—

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

That's not true.

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

—for everybody to see and to read. We selected 28 members—

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

No.

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

—and I urge the public to read those profoundly interesting submissions.

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

Mr. Minister, as a journalist you know that naming sources provides transparency. Right now, you're not telling us which sources will influence your artificial intelligence strategy. So don't pretend that you're being transparent today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting. The time is up for MP Blanchette-Joncas.

We will now proceed to MP Mahal for five minutes.

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister, thanks for coming for the questioning.

Have you heard of chatbot Charlie?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Yes.

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

Okay. You know that it's a CRA chatbot worth $18 million that allows Canadians to ask questions in regard to taxes and CRA.

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Yes.

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

Okay. Do you also know that the Auditor General's report mentioned that this $18-million chatbot answered only two questions correctly, out of six questions that were asked to test it?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I don't know the figures. I'm not familiar with the figures on chatbot Charlie.

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

If I were to tell you that the percentage of correct answers that come out of that AI chatbot that the CRA heavily invested in is only 33%, would that be okay?