Journals of the Senate
1st Session, 41st Parliament
Issue 152
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Black (Alberta), Boisvenu, Braley, Buth, Callbeck, Campbell, Carignan, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Dyck, Eggleton, Enverga, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McInnis, McIntyre, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oliver, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Wallin, Wells, White, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Black (Alberta), Boisvenu, Braley, Buth, Callbeck, Campbell, Carignan, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, De Bané, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Duffy, Dyck, Eggleton, Enverga, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McInnis, McIntyre, Mercer, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, *Oh, Oliver, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Wallin, Wells, White, 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.
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
Presenting or Tabling of Reports from Standing or Special Committees
The Honourable Senator Dawson, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, tabled its eighth report entitled: One Size Doesn't Fit All: The Future Growth and Competitiveness of Canadian Air Travel.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1553S.
The Honourable Senator Dawson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Dallaire, 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 Senate Public Bills
The Honourable Senator Cowan introduced a Bill S-218, An Act to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination.
The bill was read the first time.
The Honourable Senator Cowan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tardif, 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 Annual Meeting with Members of the U.S. Senate, held in Washington, D.C., United States of America, on May 14 and 15, 2012.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1554.
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the 5th Annual Conference of the Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance, held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America, from May 20 to 22, 2012.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1555.
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the National Governors Association Annual Meeting, held in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America, from July 12 to 15, 2012.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1556.
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance Conference, held in Washington, D.C., United States of America, from September 23 to 25, 2012.—Sessional Paper No. 1/41-1557.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Bills — Second Reading
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Greene, seconded by the Honourable Senator Brown, for the second reading of Bill S-17, An Act to implement conventions, protocols, agreements and a supplementary convention, concluded between Canada and Namibia, Serbia, Poland, Hong Kong, Luxembourg and Switzerland, for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The bill was then read the second time.
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tannas, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Lang, seconded by the Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel), for the second reading of Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Day, for the Honourable Senator Kenny, moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Order No. 3 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees — Other
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Day, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, for the adoption of the seventeenth report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance (2012-2013 Main Estimates), tabled in the Senate on March 20, 2013.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 2 and 3 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Inquiries
The Honourable Senator MacDonald called the attention of the Senate to the inquiry standing in the name of the Honourable Senator Carignan, concerning the budget entitled: Economic Action Plan 2013: Jobs Growth and Long- term prosperity, tabled in the House of Commons on March 21, 2013 by the Minister of Finance, the Honourable James M. Flaherty, P.C., M.P., and in the Senate on March 25, 2013.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Poirier, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
OTHER BUSINESS
Commons Public Bills — Third Reading
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Senate Public Bills — Reports of Committees
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Senate Public Bills — Second Reading
Orders No. 1 to 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Commons Public Bills — Second Reading
Orders No. 1 to 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees — Other
Consideration of the twentieth report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, entitled: Prescription Pharmaceuticals in Canada: Post-Approval Monitoring of Safety and Effectiveness, tabled in the Senate on March 26, 2013.
The Honourable Senator Ogilvie moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Rivard:
That the report be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 12-24(1), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of Health being identified as minister responsible for responding to the report.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif, for the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hubley, 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 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Consideration of the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (Amendments to the Rules of the Senate), presented in the Senate on March 19, 2013.
The Honourable Senator Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Comeau, that the report be adopted.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Poirier, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Orders No. 6 and 7 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Consideration of the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament (Amendments to the Rules of the Senate), presented in the Senate on March 6, 2013.
The Honourable Senator Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Comeau, that the report be adopted.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Poirier, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Motions
Order No. 128 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the motion, as amended, of the Honourable Senator Cools, seconded by the Honourable Senator Comeau:
That this case of privilege, relating to the actions of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, be referred to the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament for consideration, in particular with respect to the consequences for the Senate, for the Senate Speaker, for the Parliament of Canada and for the country's international relations;
And on the motion of the Honourable Senator Tardif, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, that the question be referred to a Committee of the Whole for consideration.
After debate,
Further debate on the motion was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Fraser.
Orders No. 143, 147 and 75 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Inquiries
Orders No. 40, 9, 18, 60, 50, 57, 3, 66, 62, 56, 19, 22, 44, 35 and 59 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Tardif, calling the attention of the Senate to access to Justice in French in Francophone Minority Communities.
After debate,
Further debate on the inquiry was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Charette- Poulin.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Carignan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nancy Ruth:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:58 p.m. the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 12-5
Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
The Honourable Senator Dagenais replaced the Honourable Senator Eaton (April 16, 2013).
Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
The Honourable Senator Runciman replaced the Honourable Senator Beyak (April 16, 2013).