Journals of the Senate
1st Session, 41st Parliament
Issue 135
Thursday, February 7, 2013
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Boisvenu, Braley, Brown, Buth, Callbeck, Campbell, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dawson, Day, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McIntyre, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Ogilvie, Oh, Oliver, Patterson, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Watt, Wells, White
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Boisvenu, Braley, Brown, Buth, Callbeck, Campbell, *Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dawson, Day, *De Bané, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McIntyre, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Ogilvie, Oh, Oliver, Patterson, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Watt, Wells, White
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.
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
Tabling of Documents
The Honourable Senator Comeau tabled the following:
Copy of the Canadian Grain Commission's Proposal to Parliament for User Fees and Service Standards, dated
February 2013, pursuant to the User Fees Act, S.C. 2004, c. 6, sbs. 4(2).—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1476.
(Pursuant to rule 12-8(2), this document is deemed referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and
Forestry)
Report on the Statutes Repeal Act for the year 2013, pursuant to the Act, S.C. 2008, c. 20, s. 2.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1477.
Introduction and First Reading of Government Bills
A message was brought from the House of Commons with a Bill C-43, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.
The bill was read the first time.
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Verner, P.C., 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 Inter-Parliamentary Delegations
The Honourable Senator Johnson tabled the following:
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region 22nd Annual Summit, held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, from July 15 to 19, 2012. —Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1478.
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the 66th Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments, held in Charleston, West Virginia, United States of America, from July 28 to August 1, 2012.—Sessional Paper No. 1/ 41-1479.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Bills — Second Reading
Orders No. 1 to 3 were called and postponed until the nextsitting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Commons Public Bills — Third Reading
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the nextsitting.
Senate Public Bills — Reports of Committees
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Senate Public Bills — Second Reading
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Chaput, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley, for the second reading of Bill S-211, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act (communications with and services to the public).
After debate,
Further debate on the motion was adjourned until the nextsitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Comeau.
Orders No. 3 to 5 were called and postponed until the nextsitting.
Commons Public Bills — Second Reading
Orders No. 1 to 6 were called and postponed until the nextsitting.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator White, seconded by the Honourable Senator McInnis, for the second reading of Bill C-350, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accountability of offenders).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif, for the Honourable SenatorBaker, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Reports of Committees — Other
Consideration of the sixteenth report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, entitled: The Canada-USA Price Gap, tabled in the Senate on February 6, 2013.
The Honourable Senator Day moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Mercer, that the report be adopted.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Meredith, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 2 to 5 were called and postponed until the nextsitting.
Motions
Orders No. 75 and 128 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Inquiries
Orders No. 45, 9, 18, 61, 22, 60, 62, 50, 40, 57, 3, 56, 19 and 44 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable SenatorCallbeck, calling the attention of the Senate to the need to adequately support new mothers and fathers by eliminating the Employment Insurance two-week waiting period for maternity and parental benefits.
Debate concluded.
Order No. 59 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., calling the attention of the Senate to the importance of food banks to families and the working poor.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif, for the Honourable Senator Hubley, moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the nextsitting.
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 Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin:
That when the Senate adjourns today, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, February 12, 2013, at 2 p.m.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:25 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 2 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 12-5
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan replaced the Honourable Senator Frum (February 7, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Frum replaced the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan (February 6, 2013).
Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce
The Honourable Senator Stewart Olsen replaced the Honourable Senator Plett (February 7, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) replaced the Honourable Senator Rivard (February 7, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Oliver replaced the Honourable Senator Bellemare (February 7, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Bellemare replaced the Honourable Senator Oliver (February 6, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Rivard replaced the Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) (February 6, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Plett replaced the Honourable Senator Stewart Olsen (February 6, 2013).
Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Honourable Senator Finley replaced the Honourable Senator Demers (February 7, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Demers replaced the Honourable Senator Black (February 7, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Demers replaced the Honourable Senator Finley (February 6, 2013).
The Honourable Senator Black replaced the Honourable Senator Wallin (February 6, 2013).
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
The Honourable Senator Verner, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Boisvenu (February 6, 2013).
Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Honourable Senator Boisvenu replaced the Honourable Senator Verner, P.C. (February 6, 2013).
Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications
The Honourable Senator Verner, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Maltais (February 7, 2013).