The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

AndersonArnotAtaullahjanAucoinAudetteBattersBellemareBernardBlackBoehmBoisvenuBonifaceBoyerBureyBussonCardozoCarignanClementCordyCormierCotterCoyleCuznerDagenaisDalphondDaskoDeacon (Nova Scotia)Deacon (Ontario)DeanDowneDuncanDupuisForestFrancisGagnéGalvezGerbaGignacGoldGreeneGreenwoodHarderHartlingHousakosJafferKingstonKlyneKutcherLaBoucane-BensonLankinLoffredaMacDonaldMarshallMartinMassicotteMcCallumMcPhedranMégieMiville-DechêneMocklerMoncionMoodieOhOmidvarOslerPatePatterson (Nunavut)Patterson (Ontario)PetitclercPettenPlettPoirierProsperQuinnRavaliaRichardsRinguetteRossSaint-GermainSeidmanSimonsSmithSorensenTannasVernerWallinWellsWhiteWooYussuff

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

AndersonArnotAtaullahjanAucoinAudetteBattersBellemareBernardBlackBoehmBoisvenuBonifaceBoyerBureyBussonCardozoCarignanClementCordyCormierCotterCoyleCuznerDagenaisDalphondDaskoDeacon (Nova Scotia)Deacon (Ontario)DeanDowneDuncanDupuisForestFrancisGagnéGalvezGerbaGignacGoldGreeneGreenwoodHarderHartlingHousakosJafferKingstonKlyneKutcherLaBoucane-BensonLankinLoffredaMacDonaldMarshallMartinMassicotteMcCallumMcPhedranMégieMiville-DechêneMocklerMoncionMoodieOhOmidvarOslerPatePatterson (Nunavut)Patterson (Ontario)PetitclercPettenPlettPoirierProsperQuinnRavaliaRichardsRinguetteRossSaint-GermainSeidmanSimonsSmithSorensenTannasVernerWallinWellsWhiteWooYussuff

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

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

At 2 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted on December 12, 2023, the Senate was suspended during pleasure and resolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider the subject matter of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, the Honourable Senator Ringuette in the Chair.

—In the Committee—

Pursuant to rule 12-32(4), the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P., Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, accompanied by Miodrag Jovanovic, Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy Branch, Finance Canada, and Samir Chhabra, Director General, Marketplace Framework Policy, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, were escorted to seats in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

It was agreed that the chair report to the Senate that the witnesses have been heard.

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The sitting of the Senate resumed.

The Chair of the Committee stated that the Committee had examined the subject matter of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, and had directed her to report the same to the Senate.

Senators’ Statements

Tributes

Tribute was paid to the Honourable Senator Patterson (Nunavut), who will retire from the Senate on December 30, 2023.

DEFERRED VOTES

At 4:15 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on September 21, 2022, the Senate proceeded to the taking of the deferred standing vote on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Plett, to the motion of the Honourable Senator Yussuff, seconded by the Honourable Senator Duncan, for the third reading of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms).

The question being put on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Plett, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin:

That Bill C-21 be not now read a third time, but that it be amended in clause 43, on page 49, by replacing lines 27 to 34 with the following:

“(i) that they are participating in a handgun shooting discipline,

(ii) the disciplines in which they participate, and

(iii) that the handgun in question is appropriate and necessary for participating in those disci-”.

The motion in amendment was negatived on the following vote:

YEAS

The Honourable Senators

ArnotAtaullahjanBattersBoisvenuCarignanDagenaisHousakosMacDonaldMarshallMartinMocklerOhPatterson (Nunavut)PlettPoirierRichardsSeidmanWallinWells—19

NAYS

The Honourable Senators

AndersonAucoinBellemareBernardBlackBoehmBonifaceBoyerBureyBussonCardozoClementCordyCormierCotterCoyleCuznerDalphondDaskoDeacon (Nova Scotia)Deacon (Ontario)DeanDowneDuncanDupuisForestFrancisGalvezGerbaGignacGoldGreeneGreenwoodHarderHartlingJafferKingstonKlyneKutcherLaBoucane-BensonLankinLoffredaMassicotteMcCallumMcPhedranMégieMoncionMoodieOmidvarOslerPatePatterson (Ontario)PetitclercPettenProsperQuinnRavaliaRinguetteRossSaint-GermainSimonsSmithSorensenWhiteWooYussuff—66

ABSTENTION

The Honourable Senator

Verner—1

Senators’ Statements

Tributes

Tribute resumed to the Honourable Senator Patterson (Nunavut).

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Introduction and First Reading of Senate Public Bills

The Honourable Senator Dasko introduced Bill S-283, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (demographic information).

The bill was read the first time.

The Honourable Senator Dasko moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Omidvar, that the bill be placed on the Orders of the Day for a second reading two days hence.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Tabling of Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations

The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan tabled the following:

Report of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 145th Assembly and related meetings, Kigali, Rwanda, from October 11 to 15, 2022.—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2492.

Question Period

The Senate proceeded to Question Period.

Orders of the Day

Government Business

Motions

The Honourable Senator Gold, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson:

That, pursuant to rule 7-2, not more than a further six hours of debate be allocated at third reading stage of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms).

Debate.

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Pursuant to rule 3-3(1), the Speaker left the Chair to resume the same at 8 p.m.

The sitting resumed.

Motions

The Senate resumed debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Gold, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson:

That, pursuant to rule 7-2, not more than a further six hours of debate be allocated at third reading stage of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms).

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted on the following vote:

YEAS

The Honourable Senators

ArnotAucoinBellemareBoehmBonifaceBureyBussonCardozoClementCordyCormierCotterCoyleCuznerDalphondDaskoDeacon (Nova Scotia)DowneDuncanDupuisForestFrancisGerbaGignacGoldGreenwoodHarderHartlingJafferKingstonKlyneKutcherLaBoucane-BensonLankinLoffredaMassicotteMcPhedranMégieMiville-DechêneMoncionMoodieOmidvarOslerPatterson (Ontario)PetitclercPettenProsperQuinnRavaliaRinguetteRossSaint-GermainSimonsSmithSorensenTannasVernerWhiteWooYussuff—60

NAYS

The Honourable Senators

AndersonAtaullahjanBattersBlackBoisvenuCarignanDagenaisHousakosMacDonaldMarshallMartinMocklerOhPatePlettPoirierSeidmanWallinWells—19

ABSTENTIONS

The Honourable Senators

Nil

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With leave,

The Senate reverted to Presenting or Tabling Reports from Committees.

The Honourable Senator Mockler, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, tabled the fifteenth report of the committee (Subject matter of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act).—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2493S.

Orders of the Day

Government Business

Bills – Third Reading

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Yussuff, seconded by the Honourable Senator Duncan, for the third reading of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms).

After debate,

The question was put on the motion.

Pursuant to rule 7-4(5)(c), a standing vote was deferred until 5:30 p.m. at the next sitting, with the bells to sound at 5:15 p.m. for fifteen minutes.

Bills – Second Reading

Second reading of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act.

The Honourable Senator Forest moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cormier, that the bill be read the second time.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

The bill was then read the second time.

The Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gold, P.C., that the bill be placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Bills – Reports of Committees

Consideration of the sixth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (Bill S-14, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, the Rouge National Urban Park Act and the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations, with amendments), presented in the Senate on December 12, 2023.

The Honourable Senator Miville-Dechêne moved, for the Honourable Senator Galvez, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cormier, that the report be adopted.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

The Honourable Senator Sorensen moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Duncan, that the bill, as amended, be placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading at the next sitting.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

ADJOURNMENT

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gold, P.C.:

That the Senate do now adjourn.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

(Accordingly, at 11:31 p.m., the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 2 p.m.)

DOCUMENTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 14-1(7)

Copy of the Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations (P.C. 2023-1211), pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act, S.C. 1992, c. 17, sbs. 7(1).—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2486.

Amendments to the Management Plan for Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada, pursuant to the Canada National Parks Act, S.C. 2000, c. 32, sbs. 11(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2487.

Amendments to the Management Plan for Boishébert and Beaubears Island Shipbuilding National Historic Sites of Canada, pursuant to the Canada National Parks Act, S.C. 2000, c. 32, sbs. 11(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2488.

Amendments to the Management Plan for Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada, pursuant to the Parks Canada Agency Act, S.C. 1998, c. 31, sbs. 32(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2489.

Report on the administration of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act for the year 2022, pursuant to the Act, S.C. 1992, c. 52, s. 28.—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2490.

Amendments to the Management Plan for Elk Island National Park of Canada, pursuant to the Canada National Parks Act, S.C. 2000, c. 32, sbs. 11(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/44-2491.

Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 12-5

Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

The Honourable Senator Wells replaced the Honourable Senator Oh (December 13, 2023).