Journals of the Senate
58 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2009, Canada
Journals of the Senate
2nd Session, 40th Parliament
Issue 76
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Brazeau, Brown, Callbeck, Campbell, Carignan, Carstairs, Cochrane, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, Demers, Di Nino, Downe, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fox, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Lang, Lapointe, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Manning, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Mockler, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Pépin, Plett, Poy, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Seidman, Sibbeston, Smith, St. Germain, Stewart Olsen, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Watt, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Brazeau, Brown, Callbeck, Campbell, Carignan, Carstairs, Cochrane, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, Demers, Di Nino, Downe, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fox, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Lang, Lapointe, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Manning, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Merchant, Milne, Mitchell, Mockler, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Pépin, Plett, Poy, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Seidman, Sibbeston, Smith, St. Germain, Stewart Olsen, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, 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
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Tabling of Documents
The Honourable Senator Comeau tabled the following:
Document entitled Canada's Economic Action Plan — A Fourth Report to Canadians.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40- 883.
Tabling of Reports from Inter-Parliamentary Delegations
The Honourable Senator Di Nino tabled the following:
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Election Observation Mission in Kyrgyzstan, from July 21 to 24, 2009.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-884.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Motions
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wallace:
That, notwithstanding rule 5(1)(a) and the order adopted by the Senate on February 10, 2009, when the Senate adjourns on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, it do stand adjourned until Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 9 a.m.; and
That committees of the Senate scheduled to meet on Thursday, December 3, 2009, be authorized to sit 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 of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Keon:
That, in accordance with rule 74(1), the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance be authorized to examine the subject-matter of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, introduced in the House of Commons on November 3, 2009, in advance of the said bill coming before the Senate.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk:
That the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance have the power to sit from Wednesday, December 2, 2009 to Thursday, December 31, 2009, inclusive, 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.
Bills
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Gerstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Eaton, for the second reading of Bill C-51, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on January 27, 2009 and to implement other measures.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The bill was then read the second time.
The Honourable Senator Stratton moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk, 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. 2 to 6 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Inquiries
Order No. 2 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Orders No. 1 to 18 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Ringuette, seconded by the Honourable Senator Milne, for the second reading of Bill S-242, An Act to amend the Canadian Payments Act (debit card payment systems).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Stratton, for the Honourable Senator Comeau, moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Mockler, 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 Goldstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Lovelace Nicholas, for the second reading of Bill S-231, An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act (human rights violations).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Demers, 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 Hervieux-Payette, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C., for the second reading of Bill S-238, An Act to establish gender parity on the board of directors of certain corporations, financial institutions and parent Crown corporations.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rivard, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Order No. 22 was 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 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion by the Honourable Senator Oliver, seconded by the Honourable Senator Plett, for the adoption of the third report of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (amendments to the Rules of the Senate—questions of privilege), presented in the Senate on May 12, 2009.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Smith, 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.
Other
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day:
That,
(a) Canada supports the democratic aspirations of the people of Iran;
(b) Canada condemns the use of violence and force by Iranian authorities against their own people to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations following the Iranian presidential elections of June 12, 2009;
(c) Canada condemns the use of torture by Iranian authorities;
(d) Canada calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in Iran;
(e) Canada calls on Iran to fully respect all of its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice;
(f) Canada condemns Iran's complete disregard for legally binding UN Security Council Resolutions 1696, 1737, 1747, and 1803 and International Atomic Energy Agency requirements;
(g) Canada affirms its opposition to nuclear proliferation and condemns any pursuit by Iran of nuclear weapons capability;
(h) Canada recommends to international organizations of which it is a member that a new set of targeted sanctions be implemented against Iran, in concert with allies, unless Iran comes into compliance with its human rights and nuclear obligations in law and in practice;
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Di Nino, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver, that the motion be amended by adding a new recommendation:
(i) Canada condemns the use of discrimination, both religious and ethnic, as a means of suppressing the population of Iran.
After debate,
Further debate on the motion in amendment was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Jaffer.
Ordered, That the following motion, adopted earlier this day, be discharged:
That, notwithstanding rule 5(1)(a) and the order adopted by the Senate on February 10, 2009, when the Senate adjourns on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, it do stand adjourned until Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 9 a.m.; and
That committees of the Senate scheduled to meet on Thursday, December 3, 2009, be authorized to sit even though the Senate may then be sitting, and that rule 95(4) be suspended in relation thereto.
Other
Orders No. 68 (motion), 30, 10 (inquiries), 13, 67, 51, 25, 8 (motions), 21 (inquiry), 42, 93, 94, 9, 7 (motions), 1, 27 (inquiries), 58, 73 (motions) and 2 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wallace:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights have the power to sit at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 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.
REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 28(2):
Report of the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, pursuant to the Status of the Artist Act, S.C. 1992, c. 33, s. 61. —Sessional Paper No. 2/40-882.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:12 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 Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Merchant replaced the Honourable Senator Peterson (December 2, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
The Honourable Senator Kenny replaced the Honourable Senator Banks (December 2, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on National Finance
The Honourable Senator Lang replaced the Honourable Senator Neufeld (December 2, 2009).
The Honourable Senator Finley replaced the Honourable Senator Dickson (December 2, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Honourable Senator Day replaced the Honourable Senator Munson (December 1, 2009).