House and Senate committees examine energy, defence spending and health products

The House of Commons Natural Resources committee will hear from energy industry and environmental groups on electrification and domestic energy security today. The session follows Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith recently confirming the proposed West Coast pipeline is officially listed as a project in the national interest. Senior representatives from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Indigenous Clean Energy, Manitoba Hydro, Environmental Defence Canada and the Friends of Science Society are scheduled to appear before the committee at 11 a.m. They will share their respective perspectives on "electrification, energy self-sufficiency and domestic energy security."

The Foreign Affairs and International Development committee will also meet at 11 a.m. to continue its monitoring of the "bilateral relationship" between Canada and the U.S. A contingent of senior departmental officials will appear alongside a panel of experts from the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, the Center for North American Prosperity and Security, and Carleton University professor Meredith Lilly. Health committee members will go through the fine print of Conservative MP Blaine Calkins's latest bid to exempt natural health products from the oversight and monitoring requirements that apply to other drugs. The committee will hear back-to-back presentations from the Canadian Health Food Association, Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada, Natural Health Products Protection Association, Canadian Pharmacists Association, Morphus Inc. and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of Canada starting at 11 a.m. Later this afternoon, Parliamentary Budget Officer Annette Ryan will appear before the National Defence committee at 3:30 p.m. She is expected to discuss her office's recent reports on "planned capital spending" included in the updated defence policy, as well as the "fiscal implications of meeting NATO’s 5 per cent commitment."

The Public Accounts committee will continue to explore the "management and impact" of the Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme at 3:30 p.m. Witnesses include the project's former business lead, John Ostrander, and senior departmental officials. Also at 3:30 p.m., the Veterans Affairs committee will take a closer look at "civilian recognition of military skills" with representatives from the Veteran Business Network Institute, Morrow Consulting & Training, Collège La Cité and "veterans advocate" Angus Cameron. The Fisheries and Oceans committee will hear more expert testimony on Atlantic salmon populations from Gaspé Coastal, Medway River Salmon Association, Save Miramichi Salmon Inc. and Wolastoqey Nation fisheries lead Colin Curry at 3:30 p.m. Rounding out the day, members of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights will get an update on the "human rights situation of children around the world" during a roundtable discussion with representatives of Save the Children Canada, United Nations Children’s Fund and Kids International Development Society at 3:30 p.m.

With files from iPolitics