Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Banking, Trade and Commerce

First Session, Thirty-eighth Parliament, 2004-05

Chair: The Honourable JERAHMIEL S. GRAFSTEIN

Thursday, November 3, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Thursday, November 24, 2005

Issue No. 19

Twentieth meeting on:
Consumer issues arising in the financial services sector

First, second and final meetings on:
Bill C-55, An Act to establish the Wage Earner Protection Program Act, to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act
and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

First and final meeting on:
Bill C-259, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (elimination of excise tax on jewellery)

INCLUDING:
THE SEVENTEENTH REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
(Bill C-55)

THE EIGHTEENTH REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
(Bill C-259)

APPEARING:

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
(Bill C-55)

The Honourable Joseph Frank Fontana, P.C., M.P., Minister of Labour and Housing

The Honourable Jerry Pickard, P.C., M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

WITNESSES:

Thursday, November 3, 2005
(Consumer issues arising in the financial services sector)

Insurance Bureau of Canada:

Randy Bundus, Vice-President and General Counsel.

Reinsurance Research Council of Canada:

André Fredette, Chair.

Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association:

James Brierley, Chairman, President, Munich Re Canada;

James S. Witol, Vice-President, Taxation and Research.

Canadian Institute of Actuaries:

Charles McLeod, President.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
(Bill C-55)

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada:

John McKennirey, Assistant Deputy Minister, Labour;

Gay Stinson, Director, Labour Policy Development.

Industry Canada:

Gilles Gauthier, Director, Corporate and Insolvency Law Policy;

Joseph Allen, Senior Project Leader, Corporate and Insolvency Law Policy.

Thursday, November 24, 2005
(Bill C-259)

John Duncan, M.P., Vancouver Island North.

Finance Canada:

Jim Daman, Director, Sales Tax Division;

Andrew Otto, Senior Tax Policy Officer, Sales Tax Division.

As an individual:

Abbey Evenchick.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

The Honourable Jerahmiel S. Grafstein, Chair

The Honourable W. David Angus, Deputy Chair

and

The Honourable Senators:

*Austin, P.C. (or Rompkey, P.C.), Biron, Cowan, Di Nino, Fitzpatrick, Goldstein, Gustafson, Harb, *Kinsella (or Stratton), Moore, Plamondon, Tkachuk

* Ex officio members

(Quorum 4)

Changes in membership of the committee:

Pursuant to rule 85(4), membership of the committee was amended as follows:

The name of the Honourable Senator Fitzpatrick substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Goldstein (October 31, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Goldstein substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Massicotte (November 22, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Zimmer substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Fitzpatrick (November 22, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Tardif substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Zimmer (November 23, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Fitzpatrick substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Tardif (November 24, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Di Nino substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Meighen (November 24, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Gustafson substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Oliver (November 24, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Massicotte substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Goldstein (November 24, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Cowan substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C. (November 24, 2005).

The name of the Honourable Senator Goldstein substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Massicotte (November 24, 2005).