Debates of May 29th, 2023

Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, yes, I certainly have worked extensively with our deputy minister of finance.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, have the Deputy Prime Minister and Mr. Sabia ever discussed the Canada Infrastructure Bank?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, I have certainly discussed the Canada Infrastructure Bank with our deputy minister of finance, and in fact the Canada Infrastructure Bank is referred to in all the—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, as part of our study of McKinsey and Company, we have asked all federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations to provide documents relative to their work with McKinsey and Company.

As of today, six of 21 organizations that have been asked three times—first on January 18, second on March 5 by the Chair and a third time on March 8—have not completed their submissions, and 16 have submitted redacted documents. McKinsey itself has provided all unredacted pages.

As McKinsey has submitted all unredacted documentation, the onus is on the deputy prime minister, as head of government, to ask these organizations to comply with our request for complete and unredacted documents.

Will she do this?

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

We have a point of order from the hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Chair, the discussion we are having today is supposed to be on the main estimates. This seems to be outside of that scope. They are asking questions for clarification on what a committee has been requesting and what the minister's role in that is. I am sure these are questions that can be asked during question period. This discussion is about the budget estimates specifically.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I will allow the minister to answer. I do want to remind members that the questions to be asked are to be related to the main estimates.

The hon. minister.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, they are properly questions relating to the main estimates.

Let me just be clear: In my work as finance minister, part of my job is certainly talking to businesses, both Canadian and international. Part of my job is also talking to union members. It is talking to people like Jeff, an electrician in Mississauga, and learning from him about his—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, there were also submissions that were not properly translated. The French translation was not of the same quality as the English version. We also received more pages in English than in French.

Can the minister commit to ensuring that the committee receives documents in French of the same quality as those in English?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, we are here to discuss Canada's budget and finances. I can assure my hon. colleague that the budget and the documents produced by the Department of Finance are produced also—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, we have seen repeatedly the ethical lapses of McKinsey, from a global meeting next to a Uyghur concentration camp to the unethical consultation with the now defunct Purdue Pharma in an effort to push opioid use, yet the government voted against our opposition motion today.

The government has announced that it will join the class action—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Chair, I am rising on the same point of order I did just a couple of minutes ago.

You indicated that the member should bring the questions back to the main estimates. She is now talking about a vote on an opposition motion. The last three questions have not been about the estimates, despite your ruling.

Perhaps you would encourage the member to bring it back to the topic at hand.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I do want to remind members that the questions should be related to the main estimates. If it has to do with a question from question period and it is related to the main estimates, then the hon. member can certainly indicate that. I just want to remind members to make sure that the main estimates are part of it.

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, in terms of the ethical lapses, will the government commit to not working further with McKinsey and Company?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, since the member for Calgary Midnapore has taken the liberty of straying pretty far from fiscal matters, let me just say that I assume the official opposition is otherwise satisfied with Canada's fiscal position. That is a good thing.

I also want to ask her, as a really decent and honourable MP from Alberta, whether, having raised the Uyghur issue, she will condemn the pro-Putin statements by UCP members in Alberta.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Chair, to the Minister of Finance, how much was the Bank of Canada's surplus for the receiver general in 2020?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Madam Chair, I am glad to hear the Bank of Canada mentioned, because it gives me a chance to quote David Dodge, who made a very important point about the misguided Conservative policies in responding to—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Chair, it was $1,772,900,000.

How much was the Bank of Canada surplus for the receiver general in 2021?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, again, here is what David Dodge had to say, and I think it will be illuminating for people in the House: “because it was obsessively focused on reducing the federal deficit...the Harper government”—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley.