Journals of the Senate
56 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2007, Canada
Journals of the Senate
2nd Session, 39th Parliament
Issue 17
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Brown, Bryden, Callbeck, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Fitzpatrick, Fortier, Fraser, Furey, Goldstein, Gustafson, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Lapointe, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Mahovlich, Meighen, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Peterson, Phalen, Pitfield, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, St. Germain, Segal, Sibbeston, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Trenholme Counsell, Watt, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Brown, Bryden, Callbeck, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Fitzpatrick, Fortier, Fraser, Furey, Goldstein, Gustafson, *Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Lapointe, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Mahovlich, Meighen, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Peterson, Phalen, Pitfield, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, St. Germain, Segal, Sibbeston, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, *Tkachuk, Trenholme Counsell, Watt, Zimmer
PRAYERS
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Tributes
Tribute was paid to the memory of the Honourable Maurice Riel, former Senator, whose death occurred on July 20, 2007.
Senators' Statements
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees
The Honourable Senator Smith, P.C. tabled the following (Sessional Paper No. 2/39-258S):
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Special Senate Committee on Anti-terrorism has the honour to table its
FIRST REPORT
Your Committee, which was authorized by the Senate to incur expenses for the purpose of undertaking a comprehensive review of the provisions and operation of the Anti-terrorism Act, (S.C. 2001, c.41), reports, pursuant to Rule 104, that the expenses incurred by the Committee during the First Session of the Thirty-Ninth Parliament are as follows:
Professional and Other Services $ 10,660 Transport and Communications — Other Expenditures 90 Witness Expenses 1,696 Total $ 12,446
During the session your Committee held 17 meetings, during which it received evidence from 20 witnesses. A total of 33.9 hours was spent in meetings.
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID P. SMITH
Chair
The Honourable Senator Day, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, presented its second report (Supplementary Estimates (A) 2007-2008).
(The report is printed as an appendix.)
The Honourable Senator Day moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Banks, 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.
Introduction and First Reading of Senate Public Bills
The Honourable Senator Spivak presented a Bill S-221, An Act concerning personal watercraft in navigable waters.
The bill was read the first time.
The Honourable Senator Spivak moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rivest, 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 to 3 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Segal, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, for the second reading of Bill S-201, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act and the Bank of Canada Act (quarterly financial reports).
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The bill was then read the second time.
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 3 to 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Order No. 6 (Bill S-215, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses) was called and postponed until the next sitting.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau tabled the following:
Letters addressed to the Honourable Senator Carney, P.C., from the Minister of the Environment, dated May 9, 2007, and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, dated September 19, 2007, regarding Bill S-220, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses (English texts).—Sessional Paper No. 2/39-259S.
Orders No. 7 to 14 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Banks, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, for the second reading of Bill S-207, An Act to repeal legislation that has not come into force within ten years of receiving royal assent.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The bill was then read the second time.
The Honourable Senator Banks moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 16 to 18 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Commons Public Bills
Orders No. 1 to 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Consideration of the second report of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (amendments to the Rules of the Senate—reinstatement of bills from the previous session of the same Parliament), presented in the Senate on November 20, 2007.
The Honourable Senator Keon moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Segal, that the report be adopted.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Cools moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Smith, P.C., that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Order No. 2 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Comeau, calling the attention of the Senate to the debilitating nature of arthritis and its effect on all Canadians.
After debate,
Further debate on the inquiry was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Keon.
Orders No. 3, 1 (inquiries) and 10 (motion) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Segal, seconded by the Honourable Senator Keon:
WHEREAS the Canadian public has never been consulted on the structure of its government (Crown, Senate and House of Commons)
AND WHEREAS there has never been a clear and precise expression by the Canadian public on the legitimacy of the Upper House since the constitutional agreement establishing its existence
AND WHEREAS a clear and concise opinion might be obtained by putting the question directly to the electors by means of a referendum
THAT the Senate urge the Governor in Council to obtain by means of a referendum, pursuant to section 3 of the Referendum Act, the opinion of the electors of Canada on whether the Senate should be abolished; and
THAT a message be sent to the House of Commons requesting that House to unite with the Senate for the above purpose.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fraser, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 4, 3 and 5 (motions) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Banks moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day:
That the Senate urges the Prime Minister to convene forthwith a public meeting of the First Ministers of the Provinces and Territories of Canada, for the specific purpose of considering the future of the institutions of the Parliament of Canada.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Chaput moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley:
That the papers and evidence received and taken and the work accomplished during the First session of the Thirty- ninth Parliament in relation to the study on the state of Francophone culture in Canada by the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on May 3, 2007, be referred to the committee for the purposes of its study on the application of the Official Languages Act, pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on November 20, 2007.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Champagne, P.C.:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:38 p.m. the Senate was continued until 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on National Finance
The name of the Honourable Senator Chaput added to the membership (November 28).