Journals of the Senate
60 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2011, Canada
Journals of the Senate
1st Session, 41st Parliament
Issue 18
Thursday, October 6, 2011
2:00 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Angus, Ataullahjan, Baker, Banks, Boisvenu, Braley, Callbeck, Carignan, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cools, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Demers, Dickson, Downe, Duffy, Dyck, Eaton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Meighen, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Peterson, Poirier, Poy, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Segal, Seidman, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), St. Germain, Stewart Olsen, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Verner, Wallace, Wallin, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Angus, Ataullahjan, Baker, Banks, Boisvenu, Braley, Callbeck, Carignan, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cools, *Cordy, Cowan, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Demers, *Di Nino, Dickson, Downe, Duffy, Dyck, Eaton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Meighen, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Munson, Nancy Ruth, *Nolin, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Peterson, *Plett, Poirier, Poy, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Segal, Seidman, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), St. Germain, Stewart Olsen, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Verner, Wallace, Wallin, 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 Carignan tabled the following:
Agreements for RCMP policing services made between Canada and the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, pursuant to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. R-10, sbs. 20(5).—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-474.
Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees
The Honourable Senator Manning, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, tabled its second report (interim) entitled: Seeing the Light: Report on Staffed Lighthouses in Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-475S.
The Honourable Senator Manning moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Meredith, 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.
The Honourable Senator Manning, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, tabled its third report (interim) entitled: Report on the Implementation of the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-476S.
The Honourable Senator Manning moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Lang, 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.
The Honourable Senator Chaput, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, tabled its second report (interim) entitled: The Vitality of Quebec's English-speaking Communities: From Myth to Reality.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-477S.
The Honourable Senator Chaput moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Mahovlich, 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 Carignan presented a Bill S-4, An Act to amend the Railway Safety Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Transportation Act.
The bill was read the first time.
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Oliver, 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.
Notices of Motions
The Honourable Senator LeBreton, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan:
That pursuant to rule 85(2.1) of the Rules of the Senate, the membership of the Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest for Senators be as follows:
The Honourable Senators Andreychuk, Angus, Cordy, Joyal, P.C., and Stratton.
Pursuant to rule 85(2.1) the motion was deemed adopted.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Motions
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Comeau, seconded by the Honourable Senator Di Nino:
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.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Carignan 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.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Carignan, seconded by the Honourable Senator LeBreton, P.C.:
That, during the remainder of the current session,
(a) when the Senate sits on a Wednesday or a Thursday, it shall sit at 1:30 p.m. notwithstanding rule 5(1)(a);
(b) when the Senate sits on a Wednesday, it stand adjourned at the later of 4 p.m. or the end of Government Business, but no later than the time otherwise provided in the Rules, unless it has been suspended for the purpose of taking a deferred vote or has earlier adjourned;
(c) when the Senate sits past 4 p.m. on a Wednesday, committees scheduled to meet be authorized to do so, even if the Senate is then sitting, with the application of rule 95(4) being suspended in relation thereto; and
(d) when a vote is deferred until 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings, if required, immediately prior to any adjournment but no later than the time provided in paragraph (b), to suspend the sitting until 5:30 p.m. for the taking of the deferred vote, and that committees be authorized to meet during the period that the sitting is suspended;
And on the motion of the Honourable Senator Mockler, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wallace:
That the original question be now put.
After debate,
The question was put on the motion.
Pursuant to rule 67(2), 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
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Inquiries
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Orders No. 1 to 6 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Orders No. 4, 10 (inquiries), 32 (motion), 6 and 2 (inquiries) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Gerstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin:
That the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance be authorized to examine and report on the potential reasons for price discrepancies in respect of certain goods between Canada and the United States, given the value of the Canadian dollar and the effect of cross border shopping on the Canadian economy;
That, in conducting such a study, the committee take particular note of differences between Canada and the United States including, but not limited to, market sizes, transportation costs, tariff rates, occupancy costs, labour costs, taxes and fees, regulations, mark-up; and
That the committee submit its final report to the Senate no later than June 30, 2012, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings for 180 days after the tabling of the final report.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Ordered, That Order No. 5 (Bill S-201) under ORDERS OF THE DAY, OTHER BUSINESS, Senate Public Bills, be again called.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Mercer, seconded by the Honourable Senator Jaffer, for the second reading of Bill S-201, An Act respecting a National Philanthropy Day.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The bill was then read the second time.
The Honourable Senator Munson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
With leave,
The Senate reverted to Government Notices of Motions.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rivard:
That when the Senate adjourns today, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 2 p.m.
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 Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, pursuant to the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 24 (3rd Supp.), Part III, sbs. 45(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-469.
Report of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, together with the Auditors' Report, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, pursuant to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 49 (4th Supp.), sbs. 31(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-470.
Report of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, pursuant to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 18 (3rd Supp.), Part I, s. 40.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-471.
Summaries of the Corporate Plan for 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 and of the Operating and Capital Budgets for 2011- 2012 of the Standards Council of Canada, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4).—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-472.
Summaries of the amended Corporate Plan for 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 and of the Operating and Capital Budgets for 2011-2012 of the Standards Council of Canada, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4). —Sessional Paper No. 1/41-473.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Comeau:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:50 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 2 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Brazeau replaced the Honourable Senator Stratton (October 5, 2011).
Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
The Honourable Senator Meighen replaced the Honourable Senator Duffy (October 5, 2011).
The Honourable Senator Finley replaced the Honourable Senator Plett (October 5, 2011).
Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
The Honourable Senator Neufeld replaced the Honourable Senator Lang (October 6, 2011).
The Honourable Senator Lang replaced the Honourable Senator Neufeld (October 6, 2011).
The Honourable Senator Neufeld replaced the Honourable Senator Lang (October 5, 2011).
The Honourable Senator Banks replaced the Honourable Senator Mahovlich (October 5, 2011).
The Honourable Senator Lang replaced the Honourable Senator Neufeld (October 5, 2011).
Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
The Honourable Senator Cowan replaced the Honourable Senator Campbell (October 5, 2011).
The Honourable Senator Wallin replaced the Honourable Senator Di Nino (October 5, 2011).
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
The Honourable Senator Stratton replaced the Honourable Senator Frum (October 6, 2011).
Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Honourable Senator Demers replaced the Honourable Senator Rivard (October 5, 2011).