Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Issue 23 - Evidence for March 10, 2011
OTTAWA, Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, to which was referred Bill C-30, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, met this day at 10:34 a.m. to give clause-by-clause consideration to the bill.
Senator Joan Fraser (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Good morning, colleagues. Thank you all for being here.
[Translation]
As you know, we only have the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-30 on the agenda today. The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure decided that it was better to do this study now.
[English]
Are you in agreement, honourable senators?
Senator Joyal: I received from the Clerk of the Senate a copy of a letter sent to you, as chair of the standing committee, from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and I understand that our colleagues around the table have a copy of it.
The Chair: Yes.
Senator Joyal: May I move that it be printed as an appendix to the minutes of this committee?
The Chair: We expect to have the French translation of the letter available, probably by the end of this meeting. If you would like to make that same motion when the French translation is available, that would be terrific, or I suppose you could move that it be appended and that the French translation be appended as soon as it is available. Would you like to make that motion?
Senator Joyal: Yes, that the letter be appended when the French version is available.
The Chair: Do senators have any comments on that?
Is it agreed that we proceed that way with the Privacy Commissioner's letter?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Is it agreed that the committee then proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-30, An Act to amend the Criminal Code?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall the title stand postponed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Agreed.
[English]
Shall clause 1, which contains the alternative title, stand postponed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall clause 2 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: No opposition, so carried.
[English]
Shall clause 3 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall clause 4 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[English]
Shall clause 5 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall clause 6 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[English]
Shall clause 7 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall clause 8 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[English]
Shall clause 9 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall clause 10 carry?
[English]
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Shall clause 11 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[Translation]
The Chair: Shall clause 12 carry?
[English]
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Shall clause 13 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall clause 14 carry?
[English]
You have to say it, senators.
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Shall clause 1, which contains the alternative title, carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Shall the title carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[English]
Shall the bill carry?
Some Hon. Senators: Agreed.
An Hon. Senator: On division.
The Chair: Carried, on division.
Does the committee wish to consider appending observations to the report?
An Hon. Senator: No.
The Chair: No. In that case, is it agreed that I report this bill to the Senate?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Colleagues, our next meeting will be on Monday, March 21, beginning at 11 o'clock in the morning. I am not sure what room we will be in, probably this one, but you will be notified about that. It is likely to be a very long day, colleagues, and we know already that a number of us will have conflicting commitments during that day. Therefore we ask each of you to provide us with a little chart of the precise hours when you will, if you do, have to be absent from the committee so that we can, if necessary, arrange for substitutes during that period. For example, I know that two of our members have conflicting committee commitments where they have to chair other committees during the period when we are likely to be hearing witnesses. We would like to know ahead of time who has conflicting commitments, all the way through the day and into the evening. It would be nice if we did not have to sit into the evening, but if we have to, we need to know people's timetables.
Senator Angus: The Senate is sitting that evening I believe as well; is that correct?
The Chair: The Senate is sitting that evening, but we have permission to sit.
Senator Angus: Is it Bill C-59? Is it just the one item?
The Chair: It is my understanding that that bill will be referred to us this afternoon. It has not happened yet, but we believe it will be happening, and yes, that will be the item.
[Translation]
Senator Chaput: Until what time should we be prepared to stay?
The Chair: That depends on the list of witnesses.
Senator Chaput: Until Senate rises?
The Chair: Even later. We will reserve the room until 9:30 p.m. We are obviously going to do our best to do a good job, and no one will cry if we finish before 9:30 p.m. That is why we have to find out everyone's availability.
[English]
The Chair: With that, colleagues, I want to thank you very much. You have all worked very hard for this committee over the last two weeks, and believe me, it has been appreciated. As well, I want to thank the staff, who have all worked very hard over the past two weeks.
[Translation]
Have a good break this week!
[English]
I will ask the steering committee to stay on for, we hope, a brief meeting now.
(The committee adjourned.)