Journals of the Senate
53 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2005, Canada
Journals of the Senate
1st Session, 38th Parliament
Issue 31
Thursday, February 3, 2005
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Daniel Hays, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Austin, Bacon, Baker, Biron, Bryden, Buchanan, Callbeck, Christensen, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Day, Di Nino, Doody, Downe, Ferretti Barth, Finnerty, Fitzpatrick, Furey, Grafstein, Harb, Hays, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Joyal, Kelleher, Keon, Kinsella, Lapointe, Lavigne, LeBreton, Léger, Losier-Cool, Maheu, Mahovlich, Massicotte, Mercer, Milne, Moore, Murray, Nolin, Oliver, Pearson, Pépin, Plamondon, Poulin (Charette), Poy, Prud'homme, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, St. Germain, Sibbeston, Smith, Stollery, Stratton
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, *Atkins, Austin, Bacon, Baker, *Banks, Biron, Bryden, Buchanan, Callbeck, *Carney, *Chaput, Christensen, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, *Cordy, Day, *De Bané, Di Nino, Doody, Downe, Ferretti Barth, Finnerty, Fitzpatrick, *Forrestall, *Fraser, Furey, Grafstein, *Gustafson, Harb, Hays, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Joyal, Kelleher, *Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, *Kirby, Lapointe, Lavigne, LeBreton, Léger, Losier-Cool, Maheu, Mahovlich, Massicotte, *Meighen, Mercer, *Merchant, Milne, Moore, *Munson, Murray, Nolin, Oliver, Pearson, Pépin, *Phalen, Plamondon, Poulin (Charette), Poy, Prud'homme, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, St. Germain, Sibbeston, Smith, Stollery, Stratton, *Tkachuk, *Trenholme Counsell
PRAYERS
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Some honourable senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Introduction and First Reading of Senate Public Bills
The Honourable Senator Bryden presented a Bill S-24, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cruelty to animals).
The bill was read the first time.
The Honourable Senator Bryden moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Pearson, that the bill be placed on the Orders of the Day for a second reading two days hence.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Bills
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Motions
The Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool:
That the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence have power to sit at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, 2005, even though the Senate may then be sitting, and that rule 95(4) be suspended in relation thereto.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Second reading of Bill S-23, An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act (modernization of employment and labour relations).
The Honourable Senator Nolin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk, that the bill be read the second time.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 3 to 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Oliver, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, for the second reading of Bill S-15, An Act to prevent unsolicited messages on the Internet.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Milne, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 7 to 11 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Resuming debate on the consideration of the third report (first interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction: Overview of Policies and Programs in Canada, tabled in the Senate on November 23, 2004.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Corbin, that further debate on the consideration of the report be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 2 and 3 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Orders No. 11, 5 (inquiries), 69, 58 (motions), and 6 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Downe calling the attention of the Senate to the basic flaws in the delivery of the Guaranteed Income Supplement program for low-income seniors.
Debate concluded.
Order No. 2 (inquiry) was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Cools calling the attention of the Senate to:
(a) November 6, 2004, the sixtieth anniversary of the assassination of Walter Edward Guinness, Lord Moyne, British Minister Resident in the Middle East, whose responsibilities included Palestine, and to his accomplished and outstanding life, ended at age 64 by Jewish terrorist action in Cairo, Egypt; and
(b) to Lord Moyne's assassins Eliahu Bet-Tsouri, age 22, and Eliahu Hakim, age 17, of the Jewish extremist Stern Gang LEHI, the Lohamei Herut Israel, translated, the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel, who on November 6, 1944 shot him point blank, inflicting mortal wounds which caused his death hours later as King Farouk's personal physicians tried to save his life; and
(c) to the 1945 trial, conviction and death sentences of Eliahu Bet-Tsouri and Eliahu Hakim, and their execution by hanging at Cairo's Bab-al-Khalk prison on March 23, 1945; and
(d) to the 1975 exchange of prisoners between Israel and Egypt, being the exchange of 20 Egyptians for the remains of the young assassins Bet-Tsouri and Hakim, and to their state funeral with full military honours and their reburial on Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, the Israeli cemetery reserved for heroes and eminent persons, which state funeral featured Israel's Prime Minister Rabin and Knesset Member Yitzhak Shamir, who gave the eulogy; and
(e) to Yitzhak Shamir, born Yitzhak Yezernitsky in Russian Poland in 1915, and in 1935 emigrated to Palestine, later becoming Israel's Foreign Minister, 1980-1986, and Prime Minister 1983-1984 and 1986-1992, who as the operations chief for the Stern Gang LEHI, had ordered and planned Lord Moyne's assassination; and
(f) to Britain's diplomatic objections to the high recognition accorded by Israel to Lord Moyne's assassins, which objection, conveyed by British Ambassador to Israel, Sir Bernard Ledwidge, stated that Britain ``very much regretted that an act of terrorism should be honoured in this way,'' and Israel's rejection of Britain's representations, and Israel's characterization of the terrorist assassins as ``heroic freedom fighters''; and
(g) to my recollections, as a child in Barbados, of Lord Moyne's great contribution to the British West Indies, particularly as Chair of the West India Royal Commission, 1938-39, known as the Moyne Commission and its celebrated 1945 Moyne Report, which pointed the way towards universal suffrage, representative and responsible government in the British West Indies, and also to the deep esteem accorded to Lord Moyne in the British Caribbean.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Nolin, for the Honourable Senator Prud'homme, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator LeBreton, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Nolin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator LeBreton:
That the Senate of Canada hereby calls upon the government to maintain the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities for as long as necessary to establish the facts and discern the truth, and the Senate of Canada further urges the government to defend the Commission rigorously and reject attempts to impugn the integrity of the Commissioner, Mr. Justice John Howard Gomery.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Losier-Cool moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
With leave,
The Senate reverted to Government Notices of Motions.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool:
That when the Senate adjourns today, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, February 8, 2005, at 2 p.m.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 28(2):
Report of the Public Service Staff Relations Board for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, pursuant to the Public Service Staff Relations Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-35, sbs. 114(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/38-352.
Report of the Public Service Staff Relations Board for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, pursuant to the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 33 (2nd Supp.), s. 84.—Sessional Paper No. 1/38- 353.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 4:51 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, February 8, 2005 at 2 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence
The name of the Honourable Senator Lynch-Staunton substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Nolin (February 2).
Standing Senate Committee on National Finance
The name of the Honourable Senator Day substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Massicotte (February 3).
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The names of the Honourable Senators Fitzpatrick and Trenholme Counsell removed from the membership (February 3).
The name of the Honourable Senator Watt substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Hubley (February 3).