Journals of the Senate
58 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2009, Canada
Journals of the Senate
2nd Session, 40th Parliament
Issue 18
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Atkins, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Brazeau, Brown, Bryden, Callbeck, Campbell, Carstairs, Chaput, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Dickson, Downe, Duffy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Eyton, Fairbairn, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Goldstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Lang, Lapointe, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Manning, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Meighen, Mercer, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Nolin, Oliver, Peterson, Poy, Prud'homme, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Sibbeston, Smith, Spivak, St. Germain, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Wallin, Watt, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Atkins, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Biron, Brazeau, Brown, Bryden, Callbeck, Campbell, Carstairs, Chaput, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Dickson, Downe, Duffy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Eyton, Fairbairn, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Goldstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Lang, Lapointe, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Manning, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Meighen, Mercer, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Nolin, Oliver, Peterson, Poy, Prud'homme, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Sibbeston, Smith, Spivak, St. Germain, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Wallin, Watt, Zimmer
The first list records senators present in the Senate Chamber during the course of the sitting.
An asterisk in the second list indicates a senator who, while not present during the sitting, was in attendance to business, as defined in subsections 8(2) and (3) of the Senators Attendance Policy.
PRAYERS
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Tributes
Tribute was paid to the Honourable Senator Biron, who will retire from the Senate on March 16, 2009.
Senators' Statements
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Tabling of Documents
The Honourable Senator Comeau tabled the following:
Documents entitled Canada's Economic Action Plan — A First Report to Canadians — March 2009.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-199.
Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees
The Honourable Senator Angus, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, presented its second report (Bill S-3, An Act to amend the Energy Efficiency Act, without amendment).
The Honourable Senator Cochrane moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin that the bill be placed on the Orders of the Day for a third reading at the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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The Honourable Senator Oliver, Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament, presented its second report (amendments to the Rules of the Senate—reinstatement of bills from the previous session of the same Parliament).
(The report is printed as an appendix at pages 280-284.)
The Honourable Senator Oliver moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin, 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.
SPEAKER'S RULING
On February 12, after Question Period, Senator Cordy rose on a point of order to challenge the propriety of a remark made by another senator during the previous sitting while she was participating in Senators' Statements. Later, on February 26, Senator Fraser rose on a point of order respecting comments by the Leader of the Government in the Senate during Question Period that day. This ruling addresses both points of order.
While the Speaker does have authority, under rule 18(1), to intervene to keep order, the tradition here is that senators themselves are to a great extent responsible for maintaining order. In practice, the Senate is largely self- regulating, and Speakers have been careful not to be too heavy-handed.
I have reviewed both incidents as they appear in the Debates. The words appear to be within the bounds of the give and take that occurs in any parliamentary body.
While the comments in themselves were not out of order, I do invite all honourable senators to show care in how they frame interventions so as to avoid any unnecessary offence. We must always be wary of allowing any disorder to seep into our proceedings.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Inquiries
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Motions
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk:
That, pursuant to rule 95(3)(a), the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance be authorized to sit from Monday, March 16, 2009 to Friday, March 20, 2009, even though the Senate may then be adjourned for a period exceeding a week.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin:
That, pursuant to rule 95(3)(a), the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance be authorized to sit on Monday, March 23, 2009, even though the Senate may then be adjourned for a period exceeding a week; and
That the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance also have power to sit from Tuesday, March 24, 2009 to Friday, March 27, 2009, even though the Senate may then be sitting, and that the application of rule 95(4) be suspended in relation thereto.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Orders No. 1 to 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
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Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley, for the second reading of Bill S-217, An Act respecting a National Philanthropy Day.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau, for the Honourable Senator Champagne, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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Orders No. 7 to 20 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
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Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Banks, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day, for the second reading of Bill S-216, An Act to amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act and the Auditor General Act (Involvement of Parliament).
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 Dallaire, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Banks, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, for the second reading of Bill S-215, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Property qualifications of Senators).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau, for the Honourable Senator Di Nino, moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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Second reading of Bill S-206, An Act respecting the office of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.
The Honourable Senator McCoy moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wallace, that the bill be read the second time.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator McCoy moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wallace, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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Order No. 24 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
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Second reading of Bill S-211, An Act to require the Minister of the Environment to establish, in co-operation with the provinces, an agency with the power to identify and protect Canada's watersheds that will constitute sources of drinking water in the future.
The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., that the bill be read the second time.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stollery, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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Order No. 26 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Consideration of the first report of the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament (mandate of the committee and quorum), presented in the Senate on March 10, 2009.
The Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., that the report be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Other
Order No. 34 (motion) was called and postponed until the next sitting.
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Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Callbeck, seconded by the Honourable Senator Corbin:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine and report on the accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada, including but not limited to:
(a) analysis of the current barriers in post-secondary education, such as geography, family income levels, means of financing for students, debt levels and challenges faced specifically by Aboriginal students;
(b) evaluation of the current mechanisms for students to fund post-secondary education, such as Canada Student Loans Program, Canada Student Grants Program, Canada Access Grants, funding for Aboriginal students, Canada Learning Bonds, and Registered Education Savings Plans;
(c) examination of the current federal/provincial transfer mechanism for post-secondary education;
(d) evaluation of the potential establishment of a dedicated transfer for post-secondary education; and
(e) any other matters related to the study; and
That the Committee submit its final report no later than December 31, 2010, and that the Committee retain until June 30, 2011, all powers necessary to publicize its findings.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Comeau, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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Orders No. 5 (motion), 7 (inquiry) and 12 (motion) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
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Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Tardif calling the attention of the Senate for the purposes of paying tribute to the Honourable Marilyn Trenholme Counsell in recognition of her outstanding career as a member of the Senate of Canada and for her many contributions and service to Canadians.
Debate concluded.
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Orders No. 2, 1 (inquiries) and 10 (motion) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
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Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Banks, seconded by the Honourable Senator Callbeck:
That,
Whereas, in the 2nd Session of the 40th Parliament, a bill has been introduced in the Senate to amend the Constitution of Canada by repealing the provision that requires that a person, in order to qualify for appointment to the Senate and to maintain their place in the Senate after being appointed, own land with a net worth of at least four thousand dollars within the province for which he or she is appointed;
Whereas a related provision of the Constitution makes reference, in respect of the province of Quebec, to the real property qualification that is proposed to be repealed;
Whereas, in respect of a Senator who represents Quebec, the real property qualification must be had in the electoral division for which the Senator is appointed or the Senator must be resident in that division;
Whereas the division of Quebec into 24 electoral divisions, corresponding to the 24 seats in the former Legislative Council of Quebec, reflects the historic boundaries of Lower Canada and no longer reflects the full territorial limits of the province of Quebec;
And whereas section 43 of the Constitution Act, 1982 provides that an amendment to the Constitution of Canada may be made by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada where so authorized by resolutions of the Senate and House of Commons and of the legislative assembly of each province to which the amendment applies;
Now, therefore, the Senate resolves that an amendment to the Constitution of Canada be authorized to be made by proclamation issued by Her Excellency the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada in accordance with the schedule hereto.
SCHEDULE
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF CANADA
1. Section 22 of the Constitution Act, 1867 is amended by striking out the second paragraph of that section, beginning with "In the Case of Quebec'' and ending with "the Consolidated Statutes of Canada.''.
2. (1) Paragraph (5) of section 23 of the Act is replaced by the following:
(5) He shall be resident in the Province for which he is appointed.
(2) Paragraph (6) of section 23 of the Act is repealed.
Citation
3. This Amendment may be cited as the Constitution Amendment, [year of proclamation] (Quebec: electoral divisions and real property qualifications of Senators).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Banks moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Baker, 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 Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Baker, P.C.:
That the Senate endorse the following Resolution, adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at its 17th Annual Session, held at Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 29 to July 3, 2008:
RESOLUTION ON A MEDITERRANEAN FREE TRADE AREA
1. Reiterating the fundamental importance of the economic and environmental aspects of the OSCE concept of security,
2. Recognizing that without economic growth there can be no peace or stability,
3. Recalling the importance that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly accords to the development of international trade, as underlined by the Assembly's fifth economic conference on the theme of Strengthening Stability and Co- operation through International Trade, which was held in Andorra, in May 2007,
4. Maintaining that creating a free trade area will, inter alia, contribute significantly to the efforts to achieve peace,
5. Recalling that the European Union itself was made possible by the establishment of free-trade areas, first the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 and then the European Economic Community in 1957,
6. Recalling the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, in which OSCE participating States expressed their intention "to encourage with the non-participating Mediterranean States the development of mutually beneficial co-operation in the various fields of economic activity'' and to "contribute to a diversified development of the economies of the non-participating Mediterranean countries'',
7. Recalling the Helsinki Final Act, in which OSCE participating States recognized "the importance of bilateral and multilateral intergovernmental and other agreements for the long-term development of trade'' and undertook "to reduce or progressively eliminate all kinds of obstacles to the development of trade'',
8. Celebrating the decision made at the OSCE Summit in Budapest in 1994 to create a Contact Group with Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation,
9. Expressing support for the Barcelona Declaration of 1995 regarding the establishment of a free trade area between the members of the European Union and all Mediterranean states by 2010,
10. Saluting the American Middle East Free Trade Area Initiative (MEFTA) launched in 2003,
11. Concerned by the slow pace of economic development in the Middle East, especially in the agriculture sector and the knowledge-based economy, where two-thirds of the population is under the age of 35,
12. Considering the obstacles to economic growth posed by agricultural trade and tariff barriers, as discussed at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Rhodes in 2004,
13. Considering the lack of direct foreign investment in Middle Eastern Arab countries and the concentration of such investment in a small number of these countries,
14. Noting that despite the efforts made in the Middle East to stimulate free trade, economic growth in Mediterranean countries is markedly stronger in the Israel-Europe-North America axis than among countries in the region, and
15. Encouraged by the increased literacy rate and the increased participation of women in the domestic economies of countries in the Mediterranean basin,
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
16. Recommends the creation of a Mediterranean Economic Commission whose objective would be to quickly reduce trade barriers and facilitate the transition to a knowledge-based economy in countries in the region;
17. Recommends the creation of a Mediterranean Agricultural Marketing Board whose objective would be to create jobs in the agriculture sector for young people in the region;
18. Invites OSCE participating countries and partner states for co-operation to intensify their efforts under the Barcelona Process and to more fully benefit from the MEFTA Initiative in order to expedite the establishment of a free-trade area among all Mediterranean countries.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Grafstein 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.
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The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Banks:
That the Senate endorse the following Resolution, adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at its 17th Annual Session, held at Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 29 to July 3, 2008:
RESOLUTION ON WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE OSCE AREA
1. Reiterating the fundamental importance of the environmental aspects of the OSCE concept of security,
2. Recognizing the link between natural resource problems and disputes or conflicts within and between states,
3. Noting the opportunities presented by resource management initiatives that address common environmental problems, including local ownership and sub-regional programmes and co-operation amongst governments, and which promote peace-building processes,
4. Recalling the OSCE's role in encouraging sustainable environmental policies that promote peace and stability, specifically the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, the 1990 Concluding Document of the CSCE Conference on Economic Co- operation in Europe (Bonn Document), the 1999 Charter for European Security adopted at the Istanbul Summit, the 2003 OSCE Strategy Document for the Economic and Environmental Dimension (Maastricht Strategy), other OSCE relevant documents and decisions regarding environmental issues, and the outcome of all previous Economic and Environmental Fora, which have established a basis for the OSCE's work in the area of environment and security,
5. Recognizing that water is of vital importance to human life and that it is an element of the human right to life and dignity,
6. Noting the severity of water management issues and the scarcity of water resources faced by many states in the OSCE region, affected in particular by unregulated social and economic activities, including urban development, industry, and agriculture,
7. Concerned by the impact of poor water management systems on human health, the environment, the sustainability of biodiversity and aquatic and land-based eco-systems, affecting political and socio-economic development,
8. Concerned by the more than 100 million people in the pan-European region who continue to lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation,
9. Concerned by those areas and people in the North American region of the OSCE space without access to safe drinking water and sanitation,
10. Concerned by the potential for water management issues to escalate if options to address and reverse the problem are not duly considered and implemented,
11. Recognizing the importance of good environmental governance and responsible water management for the governments of participating States,
12. Applauding the work of the Preparatory Seminar for the Tenth OSCE Economic Forum which took place in 2001 in Belgrade and which focused on water resource management and the promotion of regional environmental co-operation in South-Eastern Europe,
13. Applauding the work of the 15th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum and its preparatory meetings, "Key challenges to ensure environmental security and sustainable development in the OSCE area: Water Management,'' held in Zaragoza, Spain,
14. Applauding the OSCE's Madrid Declaration on Environment and Security adopted at the 2007 Ministerial Council which draws attention to water management as an environmental risk which may have a substantial impact on security in the OSCE region and which might be more effectively addressed within the framework of multilateral co-operation,
15. Expressing support for the efforts made to date by several participating States of the OSCE to deal with the problem, including the workshop on water management organized by the OSCE Centre in Almaty in May 2007 for experts from Central Asia and the Caucasus,
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
16. Calls on the OSCE participating States to undertake sound water management to support sustainable environmental policies;
17. Recommends that the OSCE participating States pursue and apply the measures necessary to implement the 2007 Madrid Declaration on Environment and Security;
18. Recommends that such water management and oversight activities include national, regional and local co- operative initiatives that share best practices and provide support and assistance amongst each other;
19. Recommends that the OSCE participating States adopt the multiple barrier approach to drinking water protection, with particular attention to water tables, in their national, regional and local regulations to ensure that people living throughout the OSCE space have access to safe drinking water;
20. Recommends that the OSCE participating States consider developing more effective national, sub-national and local results-based, action-oriented and differentiated approaches to sound water management policies;
21. Encourages the OSCE participating States to continue their work with other regional and international institutions and organizations with respect to water management solutions, providing for the establishment of supranational arbitral commissions with decision-making powers delegated by the States.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C.:
That the Senate endorse the following Resolution, adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at its 17th Annual Session, held at Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 29 to July 3, 2008:
RESOLUTION ON COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM, ESPECIALLY ITS MANIFESTATIONS IN THE MEDIA AND IN ACADEMIA
1. Recalling the Parliamentary Assembly's leadership in increasing the focus and attention of the participating States since the 2002 Annual Session in Berlin on issues related to manifestations of anti-Semitism,
2. Reaffirming especially the 2002 Porto Ministerial Decision condemning "anti-Semitic incidents in the OSCE area, recognizing the role that the existence of anti-Semitism has played throughout history as a major threat to freedom'',
3. Referring to the commitments made by the participating States in the previous OSCE conferences in Vienna (2003), Berlin (2004), Brussels (2004) and Cordoba (2005) regarding legal, political and educational efforts to fight anti-Semitism,
4. Welcoming all efforts of the parliaments of the OSCE participating States on combating anti-Semitism, especially the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry on anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom,
5. Noting with satisfaction all initiatives of the civil society organizations which are active in the field of combating anti-Semitism,
6. Acknowledging that incidents of anti-Semitism occur throughout the OSCE region and are not unique to any one country, which necessitates unwavering steadfastness by all participating States to erase this black mark on human history,
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
7. Appreciates the ongoing work undertaken by the OSCE and ODIHR through its Programme on Tolerance and Non-discrimination and supports the continued organisation of expert meetings on anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance aimed at enhancing the implementation of relevant OSCE commitments;
8. Appreciates the initiative by Mr John Mann MP (United Kingdom) to create a world-wide Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism and encourages the parliaments of the OSCE participating States to support this initiative;
9. Urges participating States to present written reports on their activities to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination at the 2009 Annual Session;
10. Reminds participating States to improve methods of monitoring and to report anti-Semitic incidents and other hate crimes to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in a timely manner;
11. Recognizes the importance of the ODIHR tools in improving the effectiveness of States' response to anti- Semitism, such as teaching materials on anti-Semitism, the OSCE/ODIHR Law Enforcement Officers Programme (LEOP), which helps police forces within participating States better to identify and combat incitement to anti-Semitism and other hate crimes, and civil society capacity-building to combat anti-Semitism and hate crimes, including through the development of networks and coalitions with Muslim, Roma, African descendent and other communities combating intolerance; and recommends that other States make use of these tools;
12. Expresses appreciation of the commitment by 10 countries — Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine — in co-developing with ODIHR and the Anne Frank House teaching materials on the history of Jews and anti-Semitism in Europe, and encourages all other OSCE participating States to adopt these teaching materials in their respective national languages and put them into practice;
13. Encourages participating States to adopt the guide for educators entitled Addressing Anti-Semitism — WHY and HOW, developed by ODIHR in co-operation with Yad Vashem, in their respective national languages and put them into practice;
14. Urges governments to create and employ curricula that go beyond Holocaust education in dealing with Jewish life, history and culture;
15. Condemns continued incidents of anti-Semitic stereotypes appearing in the media, including news reports, news commentaries, as well as published commentaries by readers;
16. Condemns the use of double standards in media coverage of Israel and its role in the Middle East conflict;
17. Calls upon the media to have discussions on the impact of language and imagery on Judaism, anti-Zionism and Israel and its consequences on the interaction between communities in the OSCE participating States;
18. Deplores the continued dissemination of anti-Semitic content via the Internet, including through websites, blogs and email;
19. Urges participating States to increase their efforts to counter the spread of anti-Semitic content, including its dissemination through the Internet, within the framework of their respective national legislation;
20. Urges editors to refrain from publishing anti-Semitic material and to develop a self-regulated code of ethics for dealing with anti-Semitism in media;
21. Calls upon participating States to prevent the distribution of television programmes and other media which promote anti-Semitic views and incite anti-Semitic crimes, including, but not limited to, satellite broadcasting;
22. Reminds participating States of measures to combat the dissemination of racist and anti-Semitic material via the Internet suggested at the 2004 OSCE Meeting on the Relationship between Racist, Xenophobic and Anti-Semitic Propaganda on the Internet and Hate Crimes, that include calls to:
- pursue complementary parallel strategies,
- train investigators and prosecutors on how to address bias-motivated crimes on the Internet,
- support the establishment of programmes to educate children about bias-motivated expression they may encounter on the Internet,
- promote industry codes of conduct,
- gather data on the full extent of the distribution of anti-Semitic hate messages on the Internet;
23. Deplores the continued intellectualization of anti-Semitism in academic spheres, particularly through publications and public events at universities;
24. Suggests the preparation of standards and guidelines on academic responsibility to ensure the protection of Jewish and other minority students from harassment, discrimination and abuse in the academic environment;
25. Urges all participants of the upcoming Durban Review Conference in Geneva to make sure that pressing issues of racism around the world will be properly assessed and that the conference will not be misused as a platform for promoting anti-Semitism;
26. Suggests that the delegations of the OSCE participating States hold a meeting on the eve of the Durban Review Conference to discuss and evaluate the Durban Review process.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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The Honourable Senator Segal moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine and report on the implementation of a guaranteed annual income system, including the negative income tax model, as a qualitative improvement in income security, with a view to reducing the number of Canadians now living under the poverty line;
That the Committee consider the best possible design of a negative income tax;
That the Committee submit its final report no later than December 31, 2009; and
That the Committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 90 days after the tabling of the final report.
The Honourable Senator Eaton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wallin, that the debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
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The Honourable Senator Angus moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, which was authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, to examine and report on emerging issues related to its mandate, be empowered to engage the services of counsel and technical, clerical, and other personnel as may be necessary for the purpose of such study.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan:
That the Special Committee on Aging, which was authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, February 10, 2009, to examine and report upon the implications of an aging society in Canada, be empowered to engage the services of such counsel and technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary for the purpose of its study.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Segal moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver:
That the Senate encourage the Government to do everything possible to ensure that participants at both the G20 London Summit scheduled for April 2nd in the United Kingdom and the G8 meeting scheduled for July 8 to 10 on La Maddalena island, Italy, address the core challenge of redressing the increased and enduring poverty that is prevalent in all member states, with a view to addressing its social and economic effects on individuals and nations and to recognizing that critical income security initiatives and social infrastructure investment protect human dignity, the common good, equality of opportunity and economic prosperity; 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.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fortin-Duplessis:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:45 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 Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Honourable Senator Peterson replaced the Honourable Senator Mahovlich (March 11, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on National Finance
The Honourable Senator Callbeck replaced the Honourable Senator Peterson (March 10, 2009).