Journals of the Senate
61 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2012, Canada
Journals of the Senate
1st Session, 41st Parliament
Issue 52
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Angus, Ataullahjan, Baker, Boisvenu, Braley, Brazeau, Brown, Buth, Callbeck, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Dyck, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Peterson, Plett, Poirier, Poy, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), 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, Brazeau, Brown, Buth, Callbeck, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Dyck, *Eaton, Eggleton, Fairbairn, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Peterson, Plett, Poirier, Poy, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), 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:
Annual Report on Implementation of the Westbank First Nation Self-Government Agreement for 2008-2010. —Sessional Paper No. 1/41-714.
Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society for the fiscal year 2009-2010.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-715.
Introduction and First Reading of Government Bills
The Honourable Senator Carignan presented a Bill S-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act.
The bill was read the first time.
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rivard, 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.
Presentation of Petitions
The Honourable Senator Cordy presented petitions:
Of Residents of Canada concerning Bill C-10.
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 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
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;
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Nolin, 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,
Further debate on the motion in amendment was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Frum, calling 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 Chaput moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Mitchell, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 11, 18, 19, 22, 26, 31, 29, 27, 30 (inquiries), 19 (motion) and 9 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Dawson, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day:
That the Senate agree that suicide is more than a personal tragedy, but is also a serious public health issue and public policy priority; and, further, that the Senate urge the government to work cooperatively with the provinces, territories, representative organizations from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, and other stakeholders to establish and fund a National Suicide Prevention Strategy, which among other measures would promote a comprehensive and evidence-driven approach to deal with this terrible loss of life.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 15 (inquiry) and 56 (motion) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Cordy, calling the attention of the Senate to those Canadians living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), who lack access to the ''liberation'' procedure.
After debate,
Further debate on the inquiry was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Cordy.
° ° °
Orders No. 20, 23 and 17 (inquiries) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Order No. 8 (inquiry) was called and pursuant to rule 27(3) was dropped from the Order Paper.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Wallace moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Plett:
That on Thursday, February 16, 2012, the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs have the power to sit even though the Senate may then be sitting, for the purpose of its consideration of Bill C-10, An Act to enact the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and to amend the State Immunity Act, the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and other Acts, with the application of rule 95(4) being suspended in relation thereto.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Wallace moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall:
That the papers and evidence received and taken and work accomplished by the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs during its study of Bill C-15, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, during the Second Session of the Fortieth Parliament, and Bill S-10, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, during the Third Session of the Fortieth Parliament; and that the papers and evidence received and taken by the Special Senate Committee on Anti-Terrorism, during its study of Bill S-7, An Act to deter terrorism and to amend the State Immunity Act during the Third Session of the Fortieth Parliament and by the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, during its study of Bill S-225, An Act to amend the State Immunity Act and the Criminal Code (deterring terrorism by providing a civil right of action against perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism), during the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament, be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs for the purposes of its study on Bill C-10, An Act to enact the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and to amend the State Immunity Act, the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and other Acts, during the current session.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Buth:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:38 p.m. the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.)
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Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Watt replaced the Honourable Senator Cordy (February 14, 2012).