THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Wednesday, November 8, 2023
(79)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day at 4:34 p.m., in room B30, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Brent Cotter, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Boisvenu, Clement, Cotter, Dalphond, Dupuis, Jaffer, Klyne, Kutcher, LaBoucane-Benson, Patterson (Nunavut), Prosper and Simons (13).
Participating in the meeting: Aoife Mc Donald, Administrative Assistant, Committees Directorate; Michaela Keenan-Pelletier and Iryna Zazulya, analysts, Library of Parliament.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, the committee continued its consideration of Bill S-13, An Act to amend the Interpretation Act and to make related amendments to other Acts.
WITNESSES:
Department of Justice Canada:
Laurie Sargent, Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Rights and Relations Portfolio;
Valerie Phillips, Director and General Counsel, Aboriginal Law Centre, Indigenous Rights and Relations Portfolio;
Jaya Bordeleau-Cass, Counsel, Aboriginal Law Centre, Indigenous Rights and Relations Portfolio.
It was agreed that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill S-13.
It was agreed that the title stand postponed.
With leave and pursuant to rule 12-20(4), it was agreed that the committee group clauses in groups of 10.
The chair asked whether clauses 1 to 10 shall carry.
The Honourable Senator Prosper moved that Bill S-13 be amended, in clause 1, on page 1,
(a) by adding the following after line 11:
“(1.1) Every law of Canada is to be construed as being consistent with the Declaration.”;
(b) by adding the following after line 15:
“(3) For the purposes of subsection (1.1), Declaration has the meaning assigned by subsection 2(1) of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.”.
Laurie Sargent answered questions from time to time.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators
Clement, Jaffer, Kutcher, Prosper — 4
NAYS
The Honourable Senators
Batters, Boisvenu, Cotter, Dalphond, Dupuis, Klyne, Laboucane-Benson, Patterson (Nunavut), Simons — 9
ABSTENTIONS
NIL
It was agreed that clauses 1 to 10 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clauses 11 to 20 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clauses 21 to 30 carry, on division.
It was agreed that clauses 31 to 38 carry, on division.
It was agreed that the title carry.
It was agreed that the bill carry, on division.
The committee discussed observations.
It was agreed that the chair report Bill S-13, without amendments and with observations to the Senate.
At 5:59 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Vincent Labrosse
Clerk of the Committee