Order Paper and Notice Paper
The Order Paper and Notice Paper is a document that guides the deliberations of the Senate and lists items of business currently before it. These items are listed in several different categories and in a priority according to an arrangement adopted by the Senate as stipulated in the rules. The majority of these items constitute the Orders of the Day which are called following Routine Proceedings. These items are themselves divided into two principal categories - government business and other business. Within each of these two categories are items for bills, motions, inquiries and reports of committees.
The Notice Paper contains the text of motions and inquiries not yet called for debate.
The Order Paper and Notice Paper is prepared every day in advance of the actual sitting.
Order of Business
(The following is an outline of a typical sitting day in the Senate. Variations are possible subject to the Rules and to the decisions of the Senate.)
Senators' Statements (15 minutes)
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS (30 minutes)
1. Tabling of Documents
2. Presenting or Tabling Reports from Committees
3. Government Notices of Motions
4. Government Notices of Inquiries
5. Introduction and First Reading of Government Bills
6. Introduction and First Reading of Senate Public Bills
7. First Reading of Commons Public Bills
8. Reading of Petitions for Private Bills
9. Introduction and First Reading of Private Bills
10. Tabling of Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations
11. Notices of Motions
12. Notices of Inquiries
13. Tabling of Petitions
Question Period (30 minutes)
Delayed Answers
ORDERS OF THE DAY
Government Business
• Bills — Messages from the House of Commons
• Bills — Third Reading
• Bills — Reports of Committees
• Bills — Second Reading
• Reports of Committees — Other
• Motions
• Inquiries
• Other
Other Business
• Bills — Messages from the House of Commons
• Senate Public Bills — Third Reading
• Commons Public Bills — Third Reading
• Private Bills — Third Reading
• Senate Public Bills — Reports of Committees
• Commons Public Bills — Reports of Committees
• Private Bills — Reports of Committees
• Senate Public Bills — Second Reading
• Commons Public Bills — Second Reading
• Private Bills — Second Reading
• Reports of Committees — Other
• Motions
• Inquiries
• Other
NOTICE PAPER
• Notices of Motions
• Notices of Inquiries
Orders Of The Day
Government Business
Bills – Messages from the House of Commons
Nil
Bills – Third Reading
No. 1.
February 14, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, seconded by the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C., for the third reading of Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Income Tax Act.
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Tannas, seconded by the Honourable Senator Unger:
That Bill C-4 be not now read a third time, but that it be amended:
(a)by deleting clause 1, on page 1;
(b)by deleting clause 2, on pages 1 and 2;
(c)by deleting clause 3, on page 2;
(d)in clause 4,
(i)on page 2, by replacing lines 30 to 36 with the following:
“4 Section 39 of the Canada Labour Code is replaced by the following:
39 (1) If, on receipt of an application for an order made under subsection 38(1) or (3) in respect of a bargaining agent for a bargaining unit, the Board is”, and
(ii)on page 3, by replacing line 1 with the following:
“satisfied, on the basis of the results of a secret ballot representation vote, that a majority of the employees in the bargain-”;
(e)by deleting clause 5, on page 3;
(f)by deleting clause 6, on page 4;
(g)by deleting clause 7, on pages 4 and 5;
(h)on page 5, by adding after the heading “Public Service Labour Relations Act” after clause 7, the following:
“7.1 Paragraph 39(d) of the Public Service Labour Relations Act is replaced by the following:
(d) the authority vested in a council of employee organizations that is to be considered the appropriate authority within the meaning of paragraph 64(1.1)(c);”;
(i)by deleting clause 8, on pages 5 and 6;
(j)by deleting clauses 9 to 11, on page 6;
(k)on page 6, by adding after line 35 the following:
“11.1 Subsection 100(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
100 (1) The Board must revoke the certification of a council of employee organizations that has been certified as a bargaining agent if the Board is satisfied, on application by the employer or an employee organization that forms or has formed part of the council, that the council no longer meets the condition for certification set out in paragraph 64(1.1)(c) for a council of employee organizations.”;
(l)by deleting clauses 14 and 15, on page 7; and
(m)by deleting clause 16, on pages 7and 8.
No. 2.
March 8, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Omidvar, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gagné, for the third reading of Bill C-6, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, as amended.
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Griffin, seconded by the Honourable Senator Dean:
That Bill C-6, as amended, be not now read a third time, but that it be further amended in clause 1, on page 2,
(a)by replacing line 4 with the following:
“(d) if under 60 years of age at the date of his or her ap-”; and
(b)by replacing line 7 with the following:
“(e) if under 60 years of age at the date of his or her ap-”.
Bills – Reports of Committees
Nil
Bills – Second Reading
No. 1.
March 2, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Day, for the second reading of Bill C-18, An Act to amend the Rouge National Urban Park Act, the Parks Canada Agency Act and the Canada National Parks Act.
No. 2.
April 4, 2017—Second reading of Bill C-22, An Act to establish the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and to make consequential amendments to certain Acts.
Reports of Committees – Other
Nil
Motions
No. 1.
December 8, 2015—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Jaffer, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cordy:
That the following Address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General of Canada:
To His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:
We, Her Majesty’s most loyal and dutiful subjects, the Senate of Canada in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious Speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
No. 80.
By the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C.:
April 4, 2017—That, in accordance with subsection 4(5) of the Public Service Employment Act, S.C. 2003, c. 22, ss. 12and 13, the Senate approve the appointment of Patrick Borbey as President of the Public Service Commission, for a term of seven years.
No. 81.
By the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C.:
April 4, 2017—That, at the end of Question Period on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the Senate resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole in order to receive Mr. Patrick Borbey respecting his appointment as President of the Public Service Commission; and
That the Committee of the Whole report to the Senate no later than one hour after it begins.
No. 82.
By the Honourable Senator Bellemare:
April 5, 2017—That, in order to allow the Senate to receive a Minister of the Crown during Question Period as authorized by the Senate on December 10, 2015, and notwithstanding rule 4-7, when the Senate sits on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, Question Period shall begin at 3:30 p.m., with any proceedings then before the Senate being interrupted until the end of Question Period, which shall last a maximum of 40 minutes;
That, if a standing vote would conflict with the holding of Question Period at 3:30 p.m. today, the vote be postponed until immediately after the conclusion of Question Period;
That, if the bells are ringing for a vote at 3:30 p.m. today, they be interrupted for Question Period at that time, and resume thereafter for the balance of any time remaining; and
That, if the Senate concludes its business before 3:30 p.m. today, the sitting be suspended until that time for the purpose of holding Question Period.
Inquiries
No. 2.
By the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C.:
March 28, 2017—That he will call the attention of the Senate to the budget entitled Building a Strong Middle Class, tabled in the House of Commons on March 22, 2017, by the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Bill Morneau, P.C., M.P., and in the Senate on March 28, 2017.
Other
Nil
Other Business
Rule 4-15(2) states:
Except as otherwise ordered by the Senate, any item of Other Business on the Order Paper and any motion or inquiry on the Notice Paper that have not been proceeded with during 15 sitting days shall be dropped from the Order Paper and Notice Paper.
Consequently, the number appearing in parentheses indicates the number of sittings since the item was last proceeded with.
Bills – Messages from the House of Commons
Nil
Senate Public Bills – Third Reading
No. 1. (one)
March 28, 2017—Third reading of Bill S-213, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speakership of the Senate).—(Honourable Senator Mercer)
No. 2.
April 4, 2017—Third reading of Bill S-219, An Act to deter Iran-sponsored terrorism, incitement to hatred, and human rights violations.—(Honourable Senator Tkachuk)
No. 3. (twelve)
February 7, 2017—Third reading of Bill S-226, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of foreign nationals responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights and to make related amendments to the Special Economic Measures Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.—(Honourable Senator Downe)
No. 4.
April 4, 2017—Third reading of Bill S-231, An Act to amend the Canada Evidence Act and the Criminal Code (protection of journalistic sources), as amended.—(Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C.)
Commons Public Bills – Third Reading
No. 1.
March 7, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Lankin, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Petitclerc, for the third reading of Bill C-210, An Act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender).—(Honourable Senator Wells)
Private Bills – Third Reading
Nil
Senate Public Bills – Reports of Committees
No. 1.
April 4, 2017—Consideration of the twelfth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce (Bill S-224, An Act respecting payments made under construction contracts, with amendments), presented in the Senate on April 4, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Tkachuk)
No. 2.
April 5, 2017—Consideration of the eighth report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence (Bill S-233, An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (presentation and reporting requirements), with amendments), presented in the Senate on April 5, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Jaffer)
Commons Public Bills – Reports of Committees
Nil
Private Bills – Reports of Committees
Nil
Senate Public Bills – Second Reading
No. 1. (three)
February 2, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., for the second reading of Bill S-206, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of children against standard child-rearing violence).—(Honourable Senator Martin)
No. 2. (four)
March 24, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Patterson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Enverga, for the second reading of Bill S-221, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Property qualifications of Senators).—(Honourable Senator Ringuette)
No. 3.
December 8, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Frum, seconded by the Honourable Senator Pratte, for the second reading of Bill S-232, An Act respecting Canadian Jewish Heritage Month.—(Honourable Senator Gold)
No. 4. (two)
December 15, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Moore, seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., for the second reading of Bill S-234, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Artist Laureate).—(Honourable Senator Martin)
No. 5. (two)
March 9, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan, seconded by the Honourable Senator Plett, for the second reading of Bill S-235, An Act to amend the Prohibiting Cluster Munitions Act (investments).—(Honourable Senator Hubley)
No. 6. (two)
March 9, 2017—Second reading of Bill S-237, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal interest rate).—(Honourable Senator Ringuette)
Commons Public Bills – Second Reading
Nil
Private Bills – Second Reading
Nil
Reports of Committees – Other
No. 1. (thirteen)
November 15, 2016—Resuming debate on the consideration of the first report (interim) of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on October 4, 2016.—(Honourable Senator Bellemare)
No. 3. (eight)
October 27, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator McCoy, seconded by the Honourable Senator Ringuette, for the adoption of the fifth report (interim) of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward (Caucus), presented in the Senate on October 4, 2016.
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Ringuette, seconded by the Honourable Senator McCoy:
That the report be not now adopted, but that it be amended:
1.by replacing the paragraph starting with the words “That the Senate direct the Committee on Rules” by the following:
“That the Senate direct the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament and the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration to draft amendments to the Rules of the Senate and the Senate Administrative Rules, and to report thereon to the Senate by May 9, 2017, respecting the following:”; and
2.by replacing the paragraph starting with the words “That the Senate direct the Committee on Internal” by the following:
“That the Senate direct the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration to prepare amendments to the Senate Administrative Rules, and to report thereon to the Senate by May 9, 2017, to provide all groups (caucuses) of senators with funding for a secretariat and research projects, regardless of whether the caucuses are organized with or without political affiliations.”.—(Honourable Senator Martin)
No. 5.
November 2, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Tannas, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wells, for the adoption of the sixth report (interim) of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward (Speakership), presented in the Senate on October 5, 2016.—(Honourable Senator Fraser)
No. 6. (four)
November 22, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Massicotte, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore for the adoption of the seventh report (interim), as amended, of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward (Regional interest), presented in the Senate on October 18, 2016.—(Honourable Senator Ringuette)
No. 7. (six)
February 28, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Frum, seconded by the Honourable Senator Beyak for the adoption of the ninth report (interim) of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward (Question Period), presented in the Senate on October 25, 2016.—(Honourable Senator Ringuette)
No. 8. (one)
December 12, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Cordy for the adoption of the tenth report (interim), as amended, of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward (Nature), presented in the Senate on October 26, 2016.—(Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C.)
No. 9. (three)
February 8, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Munson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cordy:
That the fifth report, Finding Refuge in Canada: A Syrian Resettlement Story, of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 12-24(1), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship being identified as minister responsible for responding to the report, in consultation with the Minister of National Revenue.—(Honourable Senator Andreychuk)
No. 10. (three)
March 7, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator MacDonald, seconded by the Honourable Senator Patterson:
That the sixth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, entitled Pipelines for Oil: Protecting our Economy, Respecting our Environment, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on December 7, 2016 be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 12-24(1), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of Natural Resources being identified as minister responsible for responding to the report, in consultation with the Ministers of Transport and Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.—(Honourable Senator Mercer)
No. 11. (one)
March 28, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Andreychuk, seconded by the Honourable Senator Greene:
That the seventh report of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, entitled Free Trade Agreements: A Tool for Economic Prosperity, tabled with the Clerk of the Senate on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 12-24(1), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of International Trade being identified as minister responsible for responding to the report, in consultation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.—(Honourable Senator Bellemare)
No. 12. (three)
March 7, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Smith, seconded by the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan:
That the twelfth report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance entitled Smarter Planning, Smarter Spending: Achieving infrastructure success, tabled with the Clerk of the Senate on February 28, 2017 be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 12-24(1), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities being identified as minister responsible for responding to the report.—(Honourable Senator Bellemare)
No. 14. (three)
March 7, 2017—Consideration of the fifth report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, entitled Positioning Canada’s Electricity Sector in a Carbon Constrained Future, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on March 7, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Massicotte)
No. 15. (one)
March 28, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Fraser, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley for the adoption of the fourth report (interim) of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament, entitled Sessional Order, presented in the Senate on March 7, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C.)
No. 16. (one)
March 28, 2017—Consideration of the ninth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Supplementary budget—study on opportunities for strengthening cooperation with Mexico), presented in the Senate on March 28, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Andreychuk)
No. 17. (one)
March 30, 2017—Consideration of the second report of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, entitled Accessibility of Documents Incorporated by Reference in Federal Regulations, presented in the Senate on March 30, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Merchant)
No. 18. (one)
March 30, 2017—Consideration of the third report of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, entitled Marginal Notes of federal Acts and regulations, presented in the Senate on March 30, 2017.—(Honourable Senator Merchant)
Motions
No. 31. (twelve)
February 2, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, seconded by the Honourable Senator Enverga:
That the Senate — in order to ensure transparency in the awarding of public funds and foster efficiency in infrastructure projects in the larger context of economic diversification and movement toward a greener economy, all while avoiding undue intervention in the federal-provincial division of powers — encourage the government to make provision in the budget for the creation of the Canadian Infrastructure Oversight and Best Practices Council, made up of experts in infrastructure projects from the provinces and territories, whose principal roles would be to:
1.collect information on federally funded infrastructure projects;
2. study the costs and benefits of federally funded infrastructure projects;
3. identify procurements best practices and of risk sharing;
4. promote these best practices among governments; and
5. promote project managers skills development; and
That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that House with the above.—(Honourable Senator Wells)
No. 51. (one)
February 25, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Dawson:
That the Senate encourage the federal government, after appropriate consultations, to sponsor along with one or more of the provinces/territories a pilot project, and any complementary studies, to evaluate the cost and impact of implementing a national basic income program based on a negative income tax for the purpose of helping Canadians to escape poverty.
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, seconded by the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C.:
That the motion be amended to read as follows:
That the Senate encourage the federal government, after appropriate consultations, to provide support to initiatives by provinces/territories, including the Aboriginal Communities, aimed at evaluating the cost and impact of implementing measures, programs and pilot projects for the purpose of helping Canadians to escape poverty, by way of a basic income program (such as a negative income tax) and to report on their relative efficiency.—(Honourable Senator Dupuis)
No. 73. (fourteen)
March 24, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Patterson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Runciman:
Whereas the Senate provides representation for groups that are often underrepresented in Parliament, such as Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities and women;
Whereas paragraph (3) of section 23 of the Constitution Act, 1867 requires that, in order to be qualified for appointment to and to maintain a place in the Senate, a person must own land with a net worth of at least four thousand dollars in the province for which he or she is appointed;
Whereas a person’s personal circumstances or the availability of real property in a particular location may prevent him or her from owning the required property;
Whereas appointment to the Senate should not be restricted to those who own real property of a minimum net worth;
Whereas the existing real property qualification is inconsistent with the democratic values of modern Canadian society and is no longer an appropriate or relevant measure of the fitness of a person to serve in the Senate;
Whereas, in the case of Quebec, each of the twenty-four Senators representing the province must be appointed for and must have either their real property qualification in or be resident of a specified Electoral Division;
Whereas an amendment to the Constitution of Canada in relation to any provision that applies to one or more, but not all, provinces may be made by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada only 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;
Whereas the Supreme Court of Canada has determined that a full repeal of paragraph (3) of section 23 of the Constitution Act, 1867, respecting the real property qualification of Senators, would require a resolution of the Quebec National Assembly pursuant to section 43 of the Constitution Act, 1982;
Now, therefore, the Senate resolves that an amendment to the Constitution of Canada be authorized to be made by proclamation issued by His Excellency the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada in accordance with the Schedule hereto.
SCHEDULE
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF CANADA
1.(1) Paragraph (3) of section 23 of the Constitution Act, 1867 is repealed.
(2) Section 23 of the Act is amended by replacing the semi-colon at the end of paragraph (5) with a period and by repealing paragraph (6).
2.The Declaration of Qualification set out in The Fifth Schedule to the Act is replaced by the following:
I, A.B., do declare and testify that I am by law duly qualified to be appointed a member of the Senate of Canada.
3.This Amendment may be cited as the Constitution Amendment, [year of proclamation] (Real property qualification of Senators).—(Honourable Senator Maltais)
No. 89. (three)
May 12, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, seconded by the Honourable Senator Harder, P.C.:
That, in order to ensure that legislative reports of Senate committees follow a transparent, comprehensible and non-partisan methodology, the Rules of the Senate be amended by replacing rule 12-23(1) by the following:
“Obligation to report bill
12-23. (1) The committee to which a bill has been referred shall report the bill to the Senate. The report shall set out any amendments that the committee is recommending. In addition, the report shall have appended to it the committee’s observations on:
(a) whether the bill generally conforms with the Constitution of Canada, including:
(i) the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and
(ii) the division of legislative powers between Parliament and the provincial and territorial legislatures;
(b) whether the bill conforms with treaties and international agreements that Canada has signed or ratified;
(c) whether the bill unduly impinges on any minority or economically disadvantaged groups;
(d) whether the bill has any impact on one or more provinces or territories;
(e) whether the appropriate consultations have been conducted;
(f) whether the bill contains any obvious drafting errors;
(g) all amendments moved but not adopted in the committee, including the text of these amendments; and
(h) any other matter that, in the committee’s opinion, should be brought to the attention of the Senate.”
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Nancy Ruth, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk:
That the motion be not now adopted, but that it be amended by:
1.adding the following new subsection after proposed subsection (c):
“(d) whether the bill has received substantive gender-based analysis;”; and
2.by changing the designation for current proposed subsections (d) to (h) to (e) to (i).—(Honourable Senator Martin)
No. 92. (nine)
May 17, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Ngo, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan:
That the Senate note with concern the escalating and hostile behaviour exhibited by the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and consequently urge the Government of Canada to encourage all parties involved, and in particular the People’s Republic of China, to:
(a) recognize and uphold the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight as enshrined in customary international law and in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;
(b) cease all activities that would complicate or escalate the disputes, such as the construction of artificial islands, land reclamation, and further militarization of the region;
(c) abide by all previous multilateral efforts to resolve the disputes and commit to the successful implementation of a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea;
(d) commit to finding a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the disputes in line with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and respect the settlements reached through international arbitration; and
(e) strengthen efforts to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of the disputes upon the fragile ecosystem of the South China Sea;
That the Senate also urge the Government of Canada to support its regional partners and allies and to take additional steps necessary to de-escalate tensions and restore the peace and stability of the region; and
That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint it with the foregoing.—(Honourable Senator Ringuette)
No. 139. (three)
February 7, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C.:
That with Canada celebrating 150 years as a nation and acknowledging the lasting contribution of the First Nations, early settlers, and the continuing immigration of peoples from around the world who have made and continue to make Canada the great nation that it is, the Senate urge the Government to commit to establishing a National Portrait Gallery using the former US Embassy across from Parliament Hill as a lasting legacy to mark this important milestone in Canada’s history and in recognition of the people who contributed to its success.—(Honourable Senator Martin)
No. 146.
December 12, 2016—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Ringuette, seconded by the Honourable Senator Lankin, P.C.:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade, and Commerce be authorized to:
(a)Review the operations of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), and ADR Chambers Banking Ombuds Office (ADRBO);
(b)Review the agencies’ interaction with and respect for provincial jurisdictions;
(c)Review and determine best practices from similar agencies in other jurisdictions;
(d)Provide recommendations to ensure that the FCAC, OBSI, and ADRBO can better protect consumers and respect provincial jurisdiction; and
That the Committee submit its final report no later than May 31, 2017, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.—(Honourable Senator Tkachuk)
No. 158. (seven)
February 7, 2017—Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Merchant, seconded by the Honourable Senator Housakos:
That the Senate call upon the government of Canada:
(a) to recognize the genocide of the Pontic Greeks of 1916 to 1923 and to condemn any attempt to deny or distort a historical truth as being anything less than genocide, a crime against humanity; and
(b) to designate May 19th of every year hereafter throughout Canada as a day of remembrance of the over 353,000 Pontic Greeks who were killed or expelled from their homes.—(Honourable Senator Cools)
Inquiries
No. 1.
December 10, 2015—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Chaput, calling the attention of the Senate to the Program to Support Linguistic Rights, the importance of ensuring public financing of court actions that seek to create a fair and just society and to the urgent need for the federal government to re-establish the Court Challenges Program.—(Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C.)
No. 2. (thirteen)
March 9, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Jaffer, calling the attention of the Senate to the human rights implications of climate change, and how it will affect the most vulnerable in Canada and the world by threatening their right to food, water, health, adequate shelter, life, and self-determination.—(Honourable Senator Gold)
No. 8. (six)
May 5, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, calling the attention of the Senate to the Senate’s legislative work from the 24th to the 41st Parliament and on elements of evaluation.—(Honourable Senator Andreychuk)
No. 11. (eleven)
June 20, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Tardif, calling the attention of the Senate to the Trans Canada Trail — its history, benefits and the challenges it is faced with as it approaches its 25th anniversary.—(Honourable Senator Petitclerc)
No. 12. (six)
May 18, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Seidman, calling the attention of the Senate to its role in the protection of regional and minority representation.—(Honourable Senator Ataullahjan)
No. 13.
October 25, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, calling the attention of the Senate to the relevance of full employment in the 21st century in a Globalized economy.—(Honourable Senator Cormier)
No. 14. (one)
November 29, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Hubley, calling the attention of the Senate to the current state of literacy and literacy programs on Prince Edward Island, including the need for federal support of the PEI Literacy Alliance.—(Honourable Senator Housakos)
No. 15. (thirteen)
October 25, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Maltais, calling the attention of the Senate to the softwood lumber crisis.—(Honourable Senator Martin)
No. 16. (fifteen)
December 13, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Meredith, calling the attention of the Senate to the increasing rates of violence in Canada’s urban centres and to the causes of this increase, and to some possible strategies to deal with this serious problem.—(Honourable Senator Meredith)
No. 17. (two)
December 13, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Meredith, calling the attention of the Senate to the Canadian Temporary Foreign Workers Program, including the living and working conditions of workers and their access to health care.—(Honourable Senator Jaffer)
No. 18. (five)
December 1, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Mockler, calling the attention of the Senate to the issue of pipeline safety in Canada, and the nation-building project that is the Energy East proposal, and its resulting impact on the Canadian economy.—(Honourable Senator Mercer)
No. 19. (three)
December 8, 2016—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Pate, calling the attention of the Senate to the circumstances of some of the most marginalized, victimized, criminalized and institutionalized in Canada, particularly the increasing over-representation of Indigenous women in Canadian prisons.—(Honourable Senator Boniface)
No. 20. (seven)
February 14, 2017—Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Tardif, calling the attention of the Senate to regional universities and the important role they play in Canada.—(Honourable Senator Gagné)
Other
Nil
Notice Paper
Motions
No. 174. (five)
By the Honourable Senator Enverga:
February 28, 2017—That the Rules of the Senate be amended by replacing rule 4 by the following:
“Prayers and National Anthem
4-1.(1) The Speaker shall proceed to Prayers as soon as a quorum is seen, and, on a Tuesday, shall then call upon a Senator or guests to lead in singing the bilingual version of O Canada.
Guest singers
4-1.(2) The Speaker may invite guests to enter the galleries to lead in singing the National Anthem.”
No. 188. (three)
By the Honourable Senator White:
March 8, 2017—That it be an instruction to the committee to which Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, was referred that it divide the bill into two bills, in order that it may deal separately in one bill with the provisions relating to exemptions for supervised consumption sites contained in clause 42 of Bill C-37 and related provisions, and in the other bill with the other provisions of Bill C-37.
No. 189. (two)
By the Honourable Senator Ringuette:
March 9, 2017—That the Rules of the Senate be amended by:
1.replacing the period at the end of rule 12-7(16) by the following:
“; and
Human Resources
12-7. (17) the Standing Senate Committee on Human Resources, to which may be referred matters relating to human resources generally.”; and
2.updating all cross references in the Rules accordingly.
No. 192. (one)
By the Honourable Senator Watt:
March 29, 2017—That a Special Committee on the Arctic be appointed to consider the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants;
That the committee be composed of ten members, to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, and that five members constitute a quorum;
That the committee have the power to send for persons, papers and records; to examine witnesses; and to publish such papers and evidence from day to day as may be ordered by the committee;
That the committee be authorized to hire outside experts;
That, notwithstanding rule 12-18(2)(b)(i), the committee have the power to sit from Monday to Friday, even though the Senate may then be adjourned for a period exceeding one week; and
That the committee be empowered to report from time to time and to submit its final report no later than December 10, 2018, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 60 days after the tabling of the final report.
No. 194.
By the Honourable Senator Housakos:
April 4, 2017—That the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications be authorized to examine and report on issues related to the 373 million dollars of federal public money on loan to Bombardier Inc., including but not limited to the overall value for investment on behalf of Canadians; and
That the committee submit its final report to the Senate no later than June 7, 2017 and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.
No. 196.
By the Honourable Senator Tardif:
April 5, 2017—That the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages be authorized to examine and report on Canadians’ views about modernizing the Official Languages Act. Considering that the Act will be turning 50 in 2019 and that it affects various segments of the Canadian population, that the committee be authorized to:
(a) Examine and report on young Canadians’ views about the advancement of both official languages, how they identify with the languages and related cultures, the motivations for learning the other official language, the employment opportunities and future of bilingual youth, and what can be done to enhance federal support for linguistic duality;
(b) Identify the concerns of official language minority communities — and their sector-based organizations (e.g., health, education, culture, immigration) — regarding the implementation of the Official Languages Act, and what can be done to enhance their vitality and to support and assist their development;
(c) Examine and report on the views of stakeholders who have witnessed the evolution of the Official Languages Act since it was enacted 50 years ago, with a focus on success stories, its weaknesses, and what can be done to improve it;
(d)Identify issues specific to the administration of justice in both official languages, potential shortcomings of the Official Languages Act in this regard, and what can be done to ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada;
(e) Identify issues specific to the powers, duties and functions of federal institutions with respect to the implementation of the Official Languages Act — particularly the roles of the departments responsible (e.g., Canadian Heritage, Treasury Board Secretariat, Department of Justice, Public Service Commission of Canada) and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages — and what can be done to ensure the equality of both official languages in the institutions subject to the Act; and
That the committee submit interim reports on the aforementioned themes, that it submit its final report to the Senate no later than June 30, 2019, and that it retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.
Inquiries
No. 21. (one)
By the Honourable Senator Day:
March 30, 2017—That he will call the attention of the Senate to the career of the Honourable Senator Merchant.
No. 22.
By the Honourable Senator Sibbeston:
April 4, 2017—That he will call the attention of the Senate to the role of churches, particularly the need for recognition and acceptance of aboriginal practices and spirituality, in achieving reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Written Questions
No. 25.
By the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C.:
December 14, 2016—Regarding Ministerial Appointments:
1.Could the Government of Canada provide a list of all Ministerial appointments for each province and territory from October 2015 to November 2016?
2.Could the Government of Canada provide the name of the appointee, the appointment received, and the length of the term?
No. 26.
By the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C.:
December 14, 2016—Regarding Governor in Council (GIC) Appointments:
1.Could the Government of Canada provide a list of all Governor in Council appointments for each province and territory from October 2015 to November 2016?
2.Could the Government of Canada provide the name of the appointee, the appointment received, and the length of the term?
No. 28.
By the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C.:
December 14, 2016—Concerning the program Growing Forward 2 (GF2):
1.How much did the Government of Canada spend per year and per province under this program?
2.In which program sectors of activities was this money spent?
3.Does the government intend to renew this program when it expires?
No. 37.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
January 31, 2017—In a statement published in the Ottawa Citizen on December 17, 2016 a spokesperson for the Minister of Veterans Affairs stated that “a position to lead the recruitment of veterans within the department has now been created and a veteran appointed to that job”.
Regarding this position:
1.Who has been appointed to fill this position?
2. What is this person’s military experience, including rank upon release from the Canadian Armed Forces?
3. When was this position created?
4. When was this position filled?
5. What is the salary range for this position?
6. Where is this position located?
No. 38.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
January 31, 2017—Since 2005, qualified medically released Canadian Forces (CF) veterans have been eligible for priority employment appointments in the federal public service. The answer to Senate Written Question No.10 (tabled on November 28, 2016) indicated that between January 1, 2005 and May 1, 2016, 1956 medically released CF members activated their priority status. Of that number, 585 lost their priority status before they could find such employment.
For the period from January 1, 2005, to May 1, 2016:
1.How many members of the Canadian Forces have been medically released, by rank upon date of release;
2.How many of these qualified medically released members have applied for a priority employment appointment in the federal public service, by rank upon date of release;
3.How many have received a priority employment appointment, by rank upon date of release;
4.How many were still on the priority employment appointment list when their eligibility period expired, by rank upon date of release, and;
5.How many qualified medically released Canadian Forces veterans were hired by each federal Government department, by rank upon date of release?
No. 42.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
March 8, 2017—With respect to advertising for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the years 2015-17 inclusively:
(a)what was the advertising budget for the CRA, broken down by year;
(b)how many different advertising campaigns were created and/or used, broken down by year
(c)how many different advertisements were produced and/or used, broken down by year;
(d)what was the total cost (design, production, airtime, printing, etc.) for the advertising campaigns in (b);
(e)what was the total cost (production, airtime, printing, etc.) for the advertisements in (c);
(f)what was the cost to produce the television, radio, print, or online spots, broken down individually by advertisement;
(g)what company or companies produced the advertisements, broken down individually by advertisement;
(h)what was the cost of television airtime for the advertisements, broken down individually by advertisement;
(i)what television channels were the advertisements aired on;
(j)what was the cost of online airtime for the advertisements, broken down individually by advertisement;
(k)what online platforms were the advertisements aired on, broken down by free media (i.e. posting to YouTube) and fee media (i.e. online commercials);
(l)what was the cost of ad space in newspapers and other print publications, broken down individually by advertisement; and
(m)what programs or divisions of CRA were responsible for
(i)overseeing/coordinating production of the advertisements,
(ii)financing the production of the advertisements,
(iii)financing the purchase of airtime both on television and online, and print space in newspapers and other print publications?
No. 44.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
March 8, 2017—Regarding the item “How Canada is cracking down on offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance,” published in the National Post on March 3, 2017:
For the period 2015-17:
1.Did the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) write the item in question?
2.If not, who wrote it, and what was the cost of having it written?
3.If it was prepared by Post Media, how many items of such content have been purchased by the CRA from Post Media?
4.Have any items of such content been purchased by the CRA from any other firm?
5.If so, how many and what are the names of those firms?
6.How much money has the CRA spent on such content?
7.In what newspapers was this content published? On what dates?
8.Have similar purchases of content been made in other media (radio, television, internet, etc.)?
9.If so, what are the details of those purchases (instances, dates, expenditures, firms, etc.)?
No. 45.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
March 29, 2017—With respect to Veterans Affairs Canada:
Regarding the Veterans Priority Program Secretariat:
1. When was this organization formed?
2. Where is it located?
3. What is its budget?
4. Who are the members of the Secretariat?
No. 46.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
March 29, 2017—With respect to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):
An article in the March 20th 2017 edition of the Toronto Star mentioned “a new branch of the CRA, known as the International, Large Business and Criminal Investigations”.
Regarding this “new branch”:
1. When was it formed?
2. Is it a wholly new organization, or is it merely a reorganization of existing resources?
3. What is its annual budget?
4. What is its mandate?
5. Has it been assigned any performance goals? If so, what are they?
6. How many people are employed in it, full time?
7. How many of these people are new hires, and how many came from other parts of the Agency?
No. 47.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
April 4, 2017—With regard to Federal Public Service Employment:
For the period October 19th 2015 to March 31st 2017:
How many people worked for the Public Service of Canada (as defined by the Public Service Employment Act), by department, per geographical area for each of the months in the period specified?
No. 48.
By the Honourable Senator Downe:
April 4, 2017—With respect to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):
Regarding the April 11, 2016 announcement by the CRA of measures to combat overseas tax evasion:
1.The announcement referred to an investment of $444.4 million over five years.
•How much of that has actually been spent by the Agency as of the end of Fiscal Year 2016-17?
2.The Isle of Man was slated to be the first in a new series of in-depth examinations of potential tax havens. As of March 31, 2017:
• What have been the results, in terms of charges/convictions and revenue recovered?
•What additional jurisdictions have been added?
•How much money was identified as being owed?
•And how much was actually collected?
3.The CRA committed to creating a special program dedicated to stopping organizations that perform and promote tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. As of March 31, 2017:
•Has this special program been created?
•What resources have been spent on it?
•How does the number of tax schemes examined compare to one year ago?
•Has it resulted in more criminal investigations? If so, how many?
•How many charges have been laid as a direct result of this effort?
4.The Agency announced a five-fold increase in the number of investigations of so-called “high risk taxpayers” — from 600 to 3000 annually — which would bring in $423 million in new revenue. As of March 31, 2017:
•How many examinations have been conducted?
•How much new tax revenue has been collected?
5.CRA announced the hiring of 100 new auditors to investigate “high-risk multinational corporations” which the CRA was said to bring in half a billion dollars in five years. As of March 31, 2017:
•How many examinations have been conducted?
•How much new tax revenue has been collected?
•How many auditors are currently employed to investigate “high-risk multinational corporations”?
•How does this compare to the 440 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in the international Audit Program and the 506 FTEs working in the Aggressive Tax Planning Program in Fiscal Year 2009-10?
6.The Agency announced the formation of an Offshore Compliance Advisory Committee which, among other things, would lay out a course for the government to finally measure this country’s tax gap. As of March 31, 2017:
•How many times has it met?
•Who has attended these meetings?
•When will the committee issue further reports?
•What recommendations have been made?