Parliamentary Committee Notes: Overview Note

Context

On March 26, 2024, the following motion was adopted by CACN :

That pursuant to its order of reference of Monday, May 16, 2022, the committee undertake a study of at least two meetings of the matters revealed in the Winnipeg lab documents together with the broader concerns they represent in relation to Canada’s national security, as well as the obstacles encountered in obtaining these documents, provided that the committee:

1. make this study a priority over its other business, notwithstanding the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, December 4, 2023, respecting the appearance of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance;
2. instruct the Chair and the clerk to take the necessary steps to arrange for two meetings of the committee each sitting week for the purposes of this study;
3. take into consideration the relevant evidence and documentation received by the former Special Committee on Canada-China Relations during the First and Second sessions of the 43rd Parliament;
4. invite and, if this invitation is not accepted, summon, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1) the following witnesses to appear, at dates and times to be fixed by the Chair:
   1. the Departmental Security Officer, Executive Director of Security, Public Health Agency of Canada;
   2. the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Stephen Lucas;
   3. the Vice President, Infectious Diseases Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Donald Sheppard;
   4. the Vice President, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Guillaume Poliquin;
   5. the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Heather Jeffrey;
   6. the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, David Vigneault, and
   7. the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Nathalie G. Drouin;
5. invite the following to appear on dates to be fixed by the Chair:
   1. the Minister of Health, the Honourable Mark Holland,
   2. the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, and
   3. other witnesses whose names shall be provided by the parties to the clerk of the committee; and
6. report its findings to the House.

The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, will appear on April 8, 2024 for the first hour. David Vigneault, Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, will appear for the second hour.

Officials

You will appear with the following officials:

• David Vigneault, Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
• Sébastien Aubertin-Giguère, Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada

Opening Remarks

At the onset of the meeting, the Chair will invite you to deliver opening remarks, to last approximately 5 minutes. Questions from Committee members will ensue.

Rounds of Questions

First Round of Questions:

• Conservative Party, six minutes.
• Liberal Party, six minutes.
• Bloc Québécois, six minutes.
• New Democratic Party, six minutes.

Second and Subsequent Rounds of Questions:

• Conservative Party, five minutes.
• Liberal Party, five minutes.
• Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes.
• New Democratic Party, two and a half minutes.
• Conservative Party, five minutes.
• Liberal Party, five minutes.

Second Hour of the meeting

Director Vigneault will remain for the second hour of the meeting, accompanied by Nathalie Drouin, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Date modified:

2024-08-26