Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Issue 18 - Eighth Report of the Committee

Thursday, December 7, 2006

The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs has the honour to present its

EIGHTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred the motion of the Honourable Senator LeBreton, P.C., dated November 22, 2006, and the message from the House of Commons, dated November 21, 2006, relating to amendments to Bill C-2, An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight and accountability, has, in obedience to the Order of Reference of Thursday, November 23, 2006, examined the said motion and message, heard witnesses, and now reports as follows.

Your committee recommends:

That the Senate concur in the amendments made by the House of Commons to its amendments 29, 98 and 153 to Bill C-2, An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight and accountability;

That the Senate do not insist on its amendments 4 to 12, 14, 15, 18 to 20, 22 to 24, 28, 30, 31, 68, 69, 71, 80, 83, 85, 88 to 90, 92, 96, 100 to 102, 107 to 110, 113, 115, 116, 118 to 121, 123, 128 to 134, 136 to 143, 145, 147 to 151, 154, 155 and 157 to which the House of Commons has disagreed;

That the Senate do insist on its amendment 2 because it must be clearly recognized that the two Houses of Parliament are not public sector entities in the same way as are federal departments and agencies, which are in fact bodies responsible to Canadians through Parliament; and that the Senate do insist on amendments 25, 34 to 54, 55(a) to (d), 55(e)(ii) to (viii), 56 to 62, 65 and 94, since these amendments, which deal with the Senate Ethics Officer, are of significant importance to the status and privileges of the Senate of Canada as a constitutionally separate and independent House of Parliament, and reflect the practice of other Westminster based parliamentary democracies; and

That a Message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that House accordingly and seek their concurrence.

Respectfully submitted,

DONALD H. OLIVER

Chair