46 Elizabeth II, A.D. 1997, Canada

Journals of the Senate

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Issue 25

Wednesday, December 3, 1997
1:30 p.m.

The Honourable Gildas L. Molgat, Speaker

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The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

Adams, Bacon, Beaudoin, Berntson, Bolduc, Bonnell, Bryden, Buchanan, Butts, Callbeck, Carstairs, Chalifoux, Cochrane, Cogger, Comeau, Cools, Corbin, De Bané, DeWare, Di Nino, Doody, Doyle, Fairbairn, Ferretti Barth, Forest, Forrestall, Ghitter, Gigantès, Grafstein, Graham, Grimard, Gustafson, Haidasz, Hays, Hébert, Jessiman, Johnson, Joyal, Kelleher, Kelly, Kenny, Keon, Kinsella, Kirby, Lavoie-Roux, Lawson, LeBreton, Lewis, Losier-Cool, Lynch-Staunton, Maheu, Mercier, Milne, Molgat, Moore, Murray, Nolin, Oliver, Pearson, Pépin, Perrault, Petten, Phillips, Poulin, Rivest, Roberge, Robertson, Robichaud, (L'Acadie-Acadia), Robichaud, (Saint-Louis-de-Kent), Rompkey, Rossiter, St. Germain, Simard, Sparrow, Spivak, Stewart, Stollery, Stratton, Taylor, Tkachuk, Watt, Whelan, Wood

PRAYERS

SENATORS' STATEMENTS

Some Honourable Senators made statements.

DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS

Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees

The Honourable Senator Murray, P.C., Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, presented its Second Report (budget-study on the state of health care in Canada concerning veterans of war and Canadian service persons).

Ordered, That the Report be printed as an Appendix to the Journals of the Senate of this day and form part of the permanent records of this House.

(See Appendix)

The Honourable Senator Murray, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Bolduc, 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.

Introduction and First Reading of Government Bills

The Honourable Senator Carstairs presented a Bill S-9, An Act respecting depository bills and depository notes and to amend the Financial Administration Act.

The Bill was read the first time.

The Honourable Senator Carstairs moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Watt, that the Bill be placed on the Orders of the Day for a second reading on Tuesday next, December 9, 1997.

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

Introduction and First Reading of Senate Public Bills

The Honourable Senator Di Nino presented a Bill S-10, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act.

The Bill was read the first time.

The Honourable Senator Di Nino moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver, that the Bill be placed on the Orders of the Day for a second reading on Tuesday next, December 9, 1997.

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

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bills

Second reading of Bill C-24, An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of postal services.

The Honourable Senator Carstairs moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hébert, 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 Carstairs moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hébert, that the Bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole presently.

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

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

The Senate was accordingly adjourned during pleasure and put into a Committee of the Whole on the Bill, the Honourable Senator Corbin in the Chair.

-In the Committee-

Pursuant to Rule 21, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, P.C., M.P., Minister of Labour, was escorted to a seat in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

Pursuant to Rule 21, the Honourable Alphonso Gagliano, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Works and Government Services, was escorted to a seat in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

With leave, Mr. Georges C. Clermont, Q.C., President and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Raymond Poirier, Corporate Manager, Industrial Relations, Canada Post Corporation, were escorted to seats in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

With leave, Ms. Deborah Bourque, 3rd National Vice-President, and Mr. Geoff Bickerton, Research Director, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, were escorted to seats in the Senate Chamber.

Debate.

The title of the Bill was read and postponed.

Clause 1, the short title of the Bill, was read and postponed.

Clauses 2 to 11 of the Bill were read.

The question of concurrence being put on Clauses 2 to 11 of the Bill, it was adopted.

Clause 12 of the Bill was read.

The question of concurrence being put on Clause 12 of the Bill, it was adopted on the following division:

Yeas-32 Nays-16

Clauses 13 to 21 of the Bill were read.

The question of concurrence being put on Clauses 13 to 21 of the Bill, it was adopted.

Clause 1, the short title of the Bill, was again read.

The question of concurrence being put on Clause 1, the short title of the Bill, it was adopted.

The title of the Bill was again read.

The question of concurrence being put on the title of the Bill, it was adopted.

The sitting of the Senate resumed. The Chairman of the Committee stated that the Committee had examined the Bill and had directed him to report the same to the Senate, without amendment.

With leave of the Senate,

The Honourable Senator Carstairs moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., that the Bill be read the third time now.

In amendment, the Honourable Senator Kinsella moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator DeWare, that the Bill be not now read the third time but that it be amended as follows:

(a) on page 5, by deleting clause 12;

(b) on page 5, by replacing line 39 with the following:

"section 11 constitutes a new collective"; and

(c) by re-numbering clauses 13 to 21 and all cross-references accordingly.

The question being put on the motion in amendment, it was negatived on the following division:

YEAS-POUR

The Honourable Senators-Les honorables sénateurs

Berntson, Bolduc, Cochrane, Comeau, DeWare, Gustafson, Johnson, Kinsella, Lynch-Staunton, Murray, Nolin, Oliver, Roberge, Robertson, St. Germain, Spivak, Tkachuk-17

NAYS-CONTRE

The Honourable Senators-Les honorables sénateurs

Adams, Bacon, Bonnell, Callbeck, Carstairs, Cools, Corbin, Fairbairn, Ferretti Barth, Forest, Graham, Haidasz, Hays, Hébert, Kenny, Lewis, Losier-Cool, Maheu, Mercier, Milne, Moore, Pearson, Pépin, Perrault, Petten, Poulin, Robichaud, (L'Acadie-Acadia), Robichaud, (Saint-Louis-de-Kent), Rompkey, Stewart, Stollery, Taylor, Watt, Whelan-34

ABSTENTIONS

The Honourable Senators-Les honorables sénateurs

Nil\Aucun

The question then being put on the motion of the Honourable Senator Carstairs, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., for the third reading of the Bill C-24, it was adopted on division.

The Bill was then read the third time and passed on division.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint that House that the Senate have passed this Bill, without amendment.

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The Honourable the Speaker informed the Senate that a communication had been received from the Secretary to the Governor General.

The Communication was then read by the Honourable the Speaker as follows:

RIDEAU HALL

December 3, 1997

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable Antonio Lamer, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, in his capacity as Deputy Governor General, will proceed to the Senate Chamber today, the 3rd day of December, 1997, at 10:15 p.m. for the purpose of giving Royal Assent to a Bill.

Yours sincerely,

Judith A. LaRocque

Secretary to the Governor General

The Honourable
The Speaker of the Senate
Ottawa

Ordered, That all remaining Orders be postponed until the next sitting.

Pursuant to Rule 135(4), the sitting was suspended until 10:10 p.m.

The sitting resumed.

ROYAL ASSENT

The Senate adjourned during pleasure to await the arrival of the Right Honourable the Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General.

After awhile, the Right Honourable Antonio Lamer, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, in his capacity as Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, having come and being seated at the foot of the Throne-

The Honourable the Speaker commanded the Usher of the Black Rod to proceed to the House of Commons and acquaint that House that:-

"It is the desire of the Honourable the Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General that they attend him immediately in the Senate Chamber."

The House of Commons being come,

One of the Clerks at the table then read the title of the Bill to be assented to as follows:

An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of postal services (Bill C-24, Chapter 34, 1997).

To this Bill the Royal Assent was pronounced by the Clerk of the Senate in the following words:-

"In Her Majesty's name, the Right Honourable the Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General doth assent to this Bill."

10:24 p.m.

The Commons withdrew.

After which the Right Honourable the Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General was pleased to retire.

REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 28(2):

Document entitled: "The Macroeconomic Impacts of Raising Public Pension Premium Rates" in response to a question raised in the Senate on November 6, 1997, by the Honourable Senator Oliver.-Sessional Paper No. 136-283S.

ADJOURNMENT

The Honourable Senator Carstairs moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator De Bané, P.C.:

That the Senate do now adjourn.

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

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