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Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Human Rights

Issue 24 - Minutes of Proceedings - March 25, 2013

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OTTAWA, Monday, March 25, 2013
(32)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights met this day, at 4:01 p.m., in room 257, East Block, the chair, the Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Andreychuk, Buth, Harb, Hubley, Jaffer, Ngo, Oh and White (8)

In attendance: Julian Walker, Analyst, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.

Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, the committee continued its examination of issues relating to human rights and, inter alia, to review the machinery of government dealing with Canada's international and national human rights obligations. (For complete text of the order of reference, see proceedings of the committee, Issue No. 1.)

WITNESSES:

UNICEF Canada:

David Morley, President and CEO.

Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children's Rights:

The Honourable Landon Pearson (former senator), Chair;

Virginia Caputo, Director.

Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children:

Cheryl Milne, Chair;

Katherine Vandergrift, Past Chair and Head of Delegation for 3rd/4th Review of Canada at UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Canadian Heritage:

Martha LaBarge, Director General, Management and Human Rights.

Department of Justice Canada:

Jodie van Dieen, Director General and Senior General Counsel, Human Rights Law Section;

Josée Filion, Counsel, Human Rights Law Section.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada:

Sarah Fountain Smith, Director General, International Organization, Human Rights and Democracy Bureau;

James Junke, Director, Human Rights, Governance and Indigenous Affairs Policy Division;

Anne Burgess, Acting Director, United Nations, Human Rights and Economic Law Division.

Public Health Agency of Canada:

Margaret Gillis, Senior Director, Division of Children, Seniors and Healthy Development.

Public Safety Canada:

Micheline Lavoie, Director, Serious & Organized Crime Strategies Division, Law Enforcement and Policing Branch.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada:

Françoise Ducros, Assistant Deputy Minister, Education and Social Development Programs and Partnerships Sector;

Sheilagh Murphy, Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Education and Social Development Programs and Partnerships Sector;

Keith Smith, Director, Intergovernmental and International Relations Directorate;

Daniel Ricard, Director General, Litigation Management and Resolution Branch.

Mr. Morley, the Honourable Landon Pearson, Ms. Vandergrift and Ms. Milne each made a presentation and answered questions.

At 4:12 p.m., the Honourable Senator Buth replaced the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan as a member of the committee.

At 4:53 p.m., the Honourable Senator White replaced the Honourable Senator Meredith as a member of the committee.

At 4:59 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 5:04 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. van Dieen and Ms. Gillis each made a presentation and answered questions with Ms. Filion, Ms. Fountain Smith and Ms. Lavoie.

At 6:02 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 6:07 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Ducros made a presentation and answered questions with Ms. Murphy.

At 6:56 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Daniel Charbonneau

Clerk of the Committee

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