MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 12, 2024 (57) [English] The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs met this day at 11:32 a.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the deputy chair, the Honourable Jean-Guy Dagenais, presiding. Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Anderson, Boehm, Cardozo, Carignan, P.C., Dagenais, Dalphond, Deacon (Ontario), Kutcher, Patterson, Richards, Woo and Yussuff (12). Other senator s present: The Honourable Senators Cotter, Dasko, Housakos, McBean, McNair and Moodie (6).

Participating in the meeting: Karine Déquier, Acting Co-clerk of the Committee, and Martine Willox, Legislative Clerk, Committees Directorate; Ariel Shapiro and Anne -Marie Therrien -Tremblay, analysts, Library of Parliament. Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the committee continued its consideration of the subject matter of Bill C -70,

An Act respecting countering foreign interference. APPEARING: The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs; The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. WITNESSES: Public Safety Canada: Shawn Tupper, Deputy Minister; Richard Bilodeau, Director General. Canadian Security Intelligence Service: David Vigneault, Director; Sarah Estabrooks, Director General, Policy and Foreign Relations. Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Mark Flynn, Deputy Commissioner, Federal Policing.

Department of Justice Canada: Shalene Curtis-Micallef, Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General of Canada; Heather Watts, Deputy Assistant Deputy Minister. The ministers each made a statement an d, together with David Vigneault and Shawn Tupper , answered questions. At 12:33 p.m., the committee suspended. At 12:38 p.m., the committee resumed. Richard Bilodeau, Mark Flynn, Heather Watts and Sarah Estabrooks answered questions. At 1:14 p.m., the Honourable Senator Dalphond, took the chair. At 1:17 p.m., the Honourable Senator Dagenais resumed the chair.

At 1:31 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair. ATTEST: Andrea Mugny Acting Clerk of the Committee