56 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2007, Canada

Journals of the Senate

1st Session, 39th Parliament

---

Issue 74

Thursday, February 22, 2007
1:30 p.m.

The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker

---

The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

Adams, Andreychuk, Atkins, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Bryden, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Cools, Corbin, Cowan, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Eggleton, Fortier, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Gill, Goldstein, Harb, Hays, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Massicotte, McCoy, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Phalen, Poulin (Charette), Poy, Prud'homme, Ringuette, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Trenholme Counsell, Watt, Zimmer

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

Adams, Andreychuk, Atkins, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Bryden, *Callbeck, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Cools, Corbin, *Cordy, Cowan, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Eggleton, *Fairbairn, Fortier, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Gill, Goldstein, *Grafstein, *Gustafson, Harb, Hays, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, *Mahovlich, Massicotte, McCoy, *Mercer, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, *Peterson, Phalen, Poulin (Charette), Poy, Prud'homme, Ringuette, *Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Trenholme Counsell, Watt, Zimmer

PRAYERS

SENATORS' STATEMENTS

Some Honourable Senators made statements.

DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS

Tabling of Documents

The Honourable Senator Stratton tabled the following:

Supplementary Estimates (B) 2006-2007.—Sessional Paper No. 1/39-680.

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator Stratton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin:

That the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance be authorized to examine and report upon the expenditures set out in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, with the exception of Parliament Vote 10.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator Stratton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin:

That the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament be authorized to examine the expenditures set out in Parliament Vote 10 of the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that House accordingly.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees

The Honourable Senator Smith, P.C., Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act, tabled its third report (interim) entitled: Fundamental Justice in Extraordinary Times: Main Report of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-Terrorism Act.—Sessional Paper No. 1/39-681S.

The Honourable Senator Smith, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., that the report be placed on the Orders of the Day for consideration two days hence.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

The Honourable Senator Chaput, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, tabled its fourth report (interim) (proposed Regulations introduced in response to the Federal Court decision in Doucet v. Canada).—Sessional Paper No. 1/39-682S.

The Honourable Senator Chaput moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Zimmer, that the report be placed on the Orders of the Day for consideration at the next sitting.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bills

Orders No. 1 to 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Motions

The Honourable Senator LeBreton, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Di Nino:

1. That pursuant to subsection 83.32(1) of the Criminal Code, the application of sections 83.28, 83.29 and 83.3 of that Act be extended for a period of three years from the first day on which this resolution is passed by both Houses of Parliament.

2. That this Resolution come into force on the day on which it has been passed by both Houses of Parliament.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Tardif moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Reports of Committees

Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

OTHER BUSINESS

Senate Public Bills

Orders No. 1 to 8 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Commons Public Bills

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Reports of Committees

Orders No. 1 to 11 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Other

Orders No. 21, 8, 12 (inquiries), 104 (motion) and 22 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., calling the attention of the Senate to the State of Literacy in Canada, which will give every Senator in this Chamber the opportunity to speak out on an issue in our country that is often forgotten.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Stratton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Orders No. 17, 25 (inquiries), 140, 81, 119 (motions), 20, 15, 3, 6, 19, 11 (inquiries), 5 (motion), 18, 23 and 9 (inquiries) were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Fraser, for the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cook:

That the following Resolution on Combating Anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance which was adopted at the 15th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Association, in which Canada participated in Brussels, Belgium on July 7, 2006, be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights for consideration and that the Committee table its final report no later than March 31, 2007:

RESOLUTION ON
COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM
AND OTHER FORMS OF INTOLERANCE

1. Calling attention to the resolutions on anti-Semitism adopted unanimously by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at its annual sessions in Berlin in 2002, Rotterdam in 2003, Edinburgh in 2004 and Washington in 2005,

2. Intending to raise awareness of the need to combat anti-Semitism, intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, as well as racism, xenophobia and discrimination, also focusing on the intolerance and discrimination faced by Christians and members of other religions and minorities in different societies,

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:

3. Recognizes the steps taken by the OSCE and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to address the problems of anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, including the work of the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Unit at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the appointment of the Personal Representatives of the Chairman-in-Office, and the organization of expert meetings on the issue of anti- Semitism;

4. Reminds its participating States that "Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed towards Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, towards Jewish community institutions and religious facilities'', this being the definition of anti-Semitism adopted by representatives of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) and ODIHR;

5. Urges its participating States to establish a legal framework for targeted measures to combat the dissemination of racist and anti-Semitic material via the Internet;

6. Urges its participating States to intensify their efforts to combat discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities;

7. Urges its participating States to present written reports, at the 2007 Annual Session, on their activities to combat anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination against Muslims;

8. Welcomes the offer of the Romanian Government to host a follow-up conference in 2007 on combating anti- Semitism and all forms of discrimination with the aim of reviewing all the decisions adopted at the OSCE conferences (Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, Córdoba, Washington), for which commitments were undertaken by the participating States, with a request for proposals on improving implementation, and calls upon participating States to agree on a decision in this regard at the forthcoming Ministerial Conference in Brussels;

9. Urges its participating States to provide the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with regular information on the status of implementation of the 38 commitments made at the OSCE conferences (Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, Córdoba, Washington);

10. Urges its participating States to develop proposals for national action plans to combat anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination against Muslims;

11. Urges its participating States to raise awareness of the need to protect Jewish institutions and other minority institutions in the various societies;

12. Urges its participating States to appoint ombudspersons or special commissioners to present and promote national guidelines on educational work to promote tolerance and combat anti-Semitism, including Holocaust education;

13. Underlines the need for broad public support and promotion of, and cooperation with, civil society representatives involved in the collection, analysis and publication of data on anti-Semitism and racism and related violence;

14. Urges its participating States to engage with the history of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism and to analyze the role of public institutions in this context;

15. Requests its participating States to position themselves against all current forms of anti-Semitism wherever they encounter it;

16. Resolves to involve other inter-parliamentary organizations such as the IPU, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in its efforts to implement the above demands.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C., for the Honourable Senator Segal, 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.

MOTIONS

The Honourable Senator Banks moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources have the power to sit at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 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.

---

With leave,

The Senate reverted to Government Notices of Motions.

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator Stratton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk:

That when the Senate adjourns today, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, February 27, 2007, at 2 p.m.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

ADJOURNMENT

The Honourable Senator Stratton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk:

That the Senate do now adjourn.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

(Accordingly, at 3:07 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 2 p.m.)

---

Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)

Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

The name of the Honourable Senator Cowan substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Hays (February 21).

The name of the Honourable Senator Hays substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Cowan (February 22).

Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages

The name of the Honourable Senator Cowan added to the membership (February 21).

Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

The name of the Honourable Senator Fraser substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Carstairs (February 22).

Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade

The name of the Honourable Senator Mahovlich substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Campbell (February 22).

---