Journals of the Senate
61 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2012, Canada
Journals of the Senate
1st Session, 41st Parliament
Issue 48
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
2:00 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Angus, Ataullahjan, Baker, Boisvenu, Braley, Brown, Callbeck, Campbell, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Day, Demers, Di Nino, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Eaton, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, Mercer, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Nolin, Ogilvie, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), St. Germain, Stewart Olsen, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Wallin, Watt, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Angus, Ataullahjan, Baker, Boisvenu, Braley, Brown, Callbeck, Campbell, Carignan, *Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Day, *De Bané, Demers, Di Nino, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Eaton, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, Mercer, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Nolin, Ogilvie, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), St. Germain, Stewart Olsen, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Wallin, 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 Carignan tabled the following:
Certificate of Nomination of Anne-Marie Robinson, the nominee for the position of President of the Public Service Commission.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-676.
ANSWERS TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS
Pursuant to rule 25(2), the Honourable Senator Carignan, tabled the following:
Reply to Question No. 27, dated October 18, 2011, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Mitchell, respecting the Government of Canada's passenger automobile and light truck greenhouse gas emission regulations.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-677S.
Reply to Question No. 29, dated October 18, 2011, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Mitchell, respecting liquefied natural gas for vehicles.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-678S.
Reply to Question No. 30, dated October 18, 2011, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Mitchell, respecting the reviews on the science and use of hydraulic fracturing being done internally by Environment Canada and the Canadian Council of the Academies.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-679S.
Reply to Question No. 33, dated November 2, 2011, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Downe, respecting the Government of Canada's decision to hire an outside firm to conduct its search for a new Auditor General.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-680S.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Orders No. 1 to 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Orders No. 1 to 3 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Order No. 29 (inquiry) was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Raine, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk:
That the Senate call upon the Government of Canada to modernize and standardize the laws that regulate Canada's maple syrup industry, which is poised for market growth in North America and overseas, and which provides consumers with a natural and nutritious agricultural product that has become a symbol of Canada;
That the Government of Canada should do this by amending the Maple Products Regulations, in accordance with the September 2011 recommendations of the International Maple Syrup Institute in its document entitled "Regulatory Proposal to Standardize the Grades and Nomenclature for Pure Maple Syrup in the North American and World Marketplace'', for the purpose of
(a) adopting a uniform definition as to what constitutes pure maple syrup;
(b) contributing toward the development of an international standard for maple syrup, as it has become very apparent that the timing for the introduction of such a standard is ideal;
(c) eliminating non-tariff measures that are not found in the international standard that may be used as a barrier to trade such as container sizes and shapes;
(d) modernizing and standardizing the grading and classification system for pure maple syrup sold in domestic, import and export markets and through interprovincial trade, thereby eliminating the current patchwork system of grades that is confusing and fails to explain to consumers in meaningful terms important differences between grades and colour classes;
(e) benefiting both marketing and sales for an industry that is mature, highly organized and well positioned for growth;
(f) enhancing Canadian production and sales, which annually constitutes in excess of 80% of the world's annual maple products output; and
(g) upholding and enhancing quality and safety standards as they pertain to maple products.
After debate,
In amendment, the Honourable Senator Nolin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Lang, that the motion be amended as follows:
1) By replacing the words "which is poised for market growth'' by the words "which wants to pursue its dynamic development''; and
2) By replacing paragraph (d) in the motion by the following:
"Modernizing and standardizing the grading of pure Maple syrup sold in domestic, import and export markets and through interprovincial trade which would explain more clearly to the consumer the classification and the grading system;''.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Runciman moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stewart Olsen, that further debate on the motion in amendment be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 11, 27, 30 (inquiries), 19 (motion), 9 (inquiry), 37 (motion), 15 (inquiry), 56 (motion), 3, 20, 23, 17, 8 and 16 (inquiries) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Order No. 14 (inquiry) was called and pursuant to rule 27(3) was dropped from the Order Paper.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., calling the attention of the Senate to the issue of poverty in Canada—an issue that is always current and continues to have devastating effects.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
INQUIRIES
The Honourable Senator Callbeck called the attention of the Senate to the inequities of the Old Age Security Allowance for unattached, low-income seniors aged 60-64 years.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rivard, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck called the attention of the Senate to the importance of literacy, given that more than ever Canada requires increased knowledge and skills in order to maintain its global competitiveness and to increase its ability to respond to changing labour markets.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Frum called the attention of the Senate to egregious human rights abuses in Iran, particularly the use of torture and the cruel and inhuman treatment of unlawfully incarcerated political prisoners.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Munson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Jaffer, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., called the attention of the Senate to the 2009 poverty reduction strategy of New Brunswick.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Chaput moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Comeau called the attention of the Senate to the content of committee orders of reference.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Fraser moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Jaffer, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Neufeld:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade be authorized to study and report on the establishment of a "Charter of the Commonwealth'' as agreed to by the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth, Australia, in October 2011 and its implications for Canada; and
That the committee submit its final report to the Senate no later than April 13, 2012 and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until April 30, 2012.
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 Northern Pipeline Agency, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, pursuant to the Northern Pipeline Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. N-26, ss. 13 and 14.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41- 674.
Summaries of the Corporate Plan for the period 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 and of the Operating and Capital Budgets for 2011-2012 of the Blue Water Bridge Authority, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4). —Sessional Paper No. 1/41-675.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Seth:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 5:05 p.m. the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Dagenais replaced the Honourable Senator Meredith (February 7, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan replaced the Honourable Senator Wallace (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Meredith replaced the Honourable Senator Dagenais (February 2, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) replaced the Honourable Senator Rivard (February 2, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
The Honourable Senator Dickson replaced the Honourable Senator Lang (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Brown replaced the Honourable Senator Raine (February 2, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Honourable Senator Finley replaced the Honourable Senator Tkachuk (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Nolin replaced the Honourable Senator St. Germain, P.C. (February 2, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights
The Honourable Senator Plett replaced the Honourable Senator Brazeau (February 6, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Nolin replaced the Honourable Senator Andreychuk (February 6, 2012).
Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) replaced the Honourable Senator Runciman (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Comeau replaced the Honourable Senator Demers (February 2, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
The Honourable Senator Dagenais replaced the Honourable Senator Meredith (February 2, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on National Finance
The Honourable Senator Rivard replaced the Honourable Senator Finley (February 7, 2012).
Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Honourable Senator Merchant replaced the Honourable Senator Hubley (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Champagne, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Eaton (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Seth replaced the Honourable Senator Braley (February 2, 2012).
The Honourable Senator Martin replaced the Honourable Senator Neufeld (February 2, 2012).