Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Issue 17 - Minutes of Proceedings - October 30, 2014
OTTAWA, Thursday, October 30, 2014
(41)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade met this day at 10:34 a.m., in room 160-S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable A. Raynell Andreychuk, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Dawson, Demers, Downe, Fortin-Duplessis, Housakos, Johnson, Oh, Robichaud, P.C., Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), and Verner, P.C. (12).
In attendance: Mark Palmer, Acting Procedural Clerk; Natalie Mychajlyszyn, Erin Shaw and James Lee, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, the committee continued its examination of Bill C-6, An Act to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
WITNESSES:
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada:
Sabine Nolke, Director General, Non-Proliferation and Security Threat Reduction.
National Defence:
Commodore Scott Bishop, Director General of Operations, Strategic Joint Staff;
Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Penny, Directorate of International and Operational Law, Office of the Judge Advocate General.
Justice Canada:
Christopher Ram, Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section.
The chair made an opening statement.
Ms. Nolke, Cmdre Bishop and Mr. Ram each made a statement and, together with LCol Penny, answered questions.
At 11:44 a.m., it was agreed that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-6, An Act to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions, on division.
It was agreed that the title stand postponed.
It was agreed that clause 1, which contains the short title, stand postponed.
It was agreed that clause 2 carry.
It was agreed that clause 3 carry.
It was agreed that clause 4 carry.
It was agreed that clause 5 carry.
After debate, it was agreed that clause 6 carry.
It was agreed that clause 7 carry.
It was agreed that clause 8 carry.
It was agreed that clause 9 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clause 10 carry.
The chair asked whether clause 11 shall carry.
The Honourable Senator Downe moved:
That Bill C-6 be amended in clause 11, on page 6,
(a) by replacing line 16 with the following: ''may involve the acquisition, possession,''; and
(b) by replacing lines 24 to 30 with the following:
''over it; or
(b) acquiring or possessing a cluster muni-''.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators
Dawson, Downe, Robichaud, Smith — 4
NAYS
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Demers, Fortin-Duplessis,
Housakos, Johnson, Oh, Verner — 8
ABSTENTIONS
The Honourable Senators
Nil.
It was agreed that clause 11 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clause 12 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clause 13 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clause 14 carry.
It was agreed that clause 15 carry.
It was agreed that clause 16 carry.
It was agreed that clause 17 carry.
It was agreed that clause 18 carry.
It was agreed that clause 19 carry.
It was agreed that clause 20 carry.
It was agreed that clause 21 carry.
It was agreed that clause 22 carry.
It was agreed that clause 23 carry, on division.
The Honourable Senator Downe moved:
That Bill C-6 be amended after clause 23, on page 10, by adding after line 17 the following:
''ANNUAL REPORT
23.1 (1) Within four months of the end of each fiscal year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of National Defence and the Attorney General of Canada must jointly prepare a report on the implementation of the Convention and the enforcement of this Act, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs must cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the first fifteen days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.
(2) The annual report must include a description of the progress made by the Government of Canada in relation to the following:
(a) the promotion of the norms established by the Convention;
(b) the encouragement of states that are not parties to the Convention to ratify, accept, approve or accede to the Convention;
(c) the notification of states with which Canada is engaged in military cooperation or combined military operations, but which are not parties to the Convention, of Canada's obligations under the Convention;
(d) the discouragement of states with which Canada is engaged in military cooperation or combined military operations, but which are not parties to the Convention, from using cluster munitions, explosive submunitions or explosive bomblets; and
(e) the deactivation, disposal and destruction of all cluster munitions, explosive submunitions or explosive bomblets possessed by Her Majesty in Right of Canada in a manner that protects the environment and human health.''.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators
Dawson, Downe, Robichaud, Smith — 4
NAYS
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Demers, Fortin-Duplessis,
Housakos, Johnson, Oh, Verner — 8
ABSTENTIONS
The Honourable Senators
Nil.
It was agreed that clause 24 carry.
It was agreed that the Schedule carry.
It was agreed that the short title in clause 1 carry.
It was agreed that the title carry.
It was agreed that the bill carry, on division.
It was agreed that Bill C-6 be reported to the Senate.
At 11:58 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Adam Thompson
Clerk of the Committee