Journals of the Senate
57 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2008, Canada
Journals of the Senate
(Unrevised)
2nd Session, 39th Parliament
Issue 61
Thursday, May 15, 2008
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Baker, Banks, Biron, Brown, Bryden, Carstairs, Chaput, Cochrane, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Di Nino, Downe, Eggleton, Eyton, Fortier, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Goldstein, Gustafson, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, Mahovlich, Massicotte, McCoy, Mercer, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Moore, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Oliver, Pépin, Prud'homme, Ringuette, Robichaud, Rompkey, St. Germain, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Tardif, Tkachuk, Trenholme Counsell, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, *Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Brown, Bryden, Carstairs, Chaput, Cochrane, *Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, *Dawson, *De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Eggleton, Eyton, Fortier, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Goldstein, Gustafson, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, Mahovlich, Massicotte, McCoy, Mercer, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Moore, Murray, Nancy Ruth, *Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Prud'homme, Ringuette, *Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, St. Germain, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Tardif, Tkachuk, Trenholme Counsell, Zimmer
PRAYERS
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees
The Honourable Senator St. Germain, P.C., Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, tabled its fifth report (interim) entitled: Honouring the Spirit of Modern Treaties: Closing the Loopholes.—Sessional Paper No. 2/39-591S.
The Honourable Senator St. Germain, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, 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.
Government Notices of Motions
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gustafson:
That, in accordance with rule 74(1), the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance be authorized to examine the subject-matter of Bill C-50, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 26, 2008 and to enact provisions to preserve the fiscal plan set out in that budget (Budget Implementation Act, 2008), in advance of the said Bill coming before the Senate.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Di Nino:
That the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance have power to sit from Monday, May 26, 2008 to Friday, May 30, 2008, 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.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Bills
Second reading of Bill C-30, An Act to establish the Specific Claims Tribunal and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.
The Honourable Senator St. Germain, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, that the bill be read the second time.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Corbin, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Oliver, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, for the second reading of Bill C-23, An Act to amend the Canada Marine Act, the Canada Transportation Act, the Pilotage Act and other Acts in consequence.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The bill was then read the second time.
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Inquiries
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Moore, seconded by the Honourable Senator Banks, for the third reading of Bill S-224, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (vacancies);
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Brown, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nancy Ruth, that Bill S-224, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (vacancies), be not now read a third time, but that it be amended in clause 1, on page 1:
(a) by replacing lines 8 to 12 with the following:
"13.1 Within 180 days after a vacancy happens in the Senate, the Prime Minister shall recommend to the Governor General for appointment to fill the vacancy a person who is fit and qualified, and in doing so shall have regard to;
(a) in the case of a vacancy related to the Province of Alberta, any consultation that has taken place under the Senatorial Selection Act of that province; or
(b) in the case of a vacancy related to any other province or territory, shall have regard to any consultation that has taken place within the past six years in a provincially-held consultation for persons to represent that province or territory as members in the Senate.''; and
(b) by replacing lines 16 to 19 with the following:
"within 180 days after the day of that assent, recommend to the Governor General for appointment to fill the vacancy a person who is fit and qualified, and in doing so shall have regard to
(a) in the case of a vacancy related to the Province of Alberta, any consultation that has taken place under the Senatorial Selection Act of that province; or
(b) in the case of a vacancy related to any other province or territory, within the past six years any consultation for persons to represent that province or territory as members in the Senate.''.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Di Nino, that further debate on the motion in amendment be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 2 to 15 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Commons Public Bills
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Moore, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day, for the second reading of Bill C-253, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deductibility of RESP contributions).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Cowan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cook, 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 and 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Consideration of the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (committee budget), presented in the Senate on May 14, 2008.
The Honourable Senator Cook moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, that the report be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 2 to 7 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Orders No. 8, 11, 13 (inquiries), 11, 6, 85 (motions) and 14 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Callbeck:
That the Senate urge the Government to establish a National Portrait Gallery in the National Capital Region without delay.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gustafson, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 88, 68 (motions), 16 (inquiry), 102, 96, 79, 78 (motions), 4, 12, 9 and 3 (inquiries) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Stollery, calling the attention of the Senate to the need for reforms to the Canadian International Development Agency.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Di Nino moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 76 (motion), 10 (inquiry) and 3 (motion) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
With leave,
The Senate reverted to Government Notices of Motions.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Eyton:
That when the Senate adjourns today, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 27, 2008, at 2 p.m.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Eyton:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:59 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 2 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
The name of the Honourable Senator Chaput substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Peterson (May 14).
The name of the Honourable Senator Peterson substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Chaput (May 15).
Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce
The names of the Honourable Senators Meighen, Brown and Meighen substituted for those of the Honourable Senators Gustafson, Meighen and Brown (May 15).
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
The names of the Honourable Senators Mercer and Campbell substituted for those of the Honourable Senators Campbell and Mercer (May 15).
Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament
The name of the Honourable Senator Banks substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Rompkey (May 15).
Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations
The name of the Honourable Senator Zimmer substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Bacon (May 14).
The name of the Honourable Senator Bacon substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Zimmer (May 15).
Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The name of the Honourable Senator Callbeck substituted for that of the Honourable Senator Trenholme Counsell (May 15).