2nd Session, 41st Parliament

Issue 53

Tuesday, April 29, 2014
2:00 p.m.

The Honourable Pierre Claude Nolin, Speaker pro tempore

The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Black, Boisvenu, Callbeck, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, Demers, Downe, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Kenny, Lang, LeBreton, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McInnis, McIntyre, Mercer, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Runciman, Segal, Seidman, Seth, Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Wallace, Watt, Wells, White

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Black, Boisvenu, Callbeck, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dallaire, Dawson, Day, Demers, Downe, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Frum, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Kenny, Lang, LeBreton, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McInnis, McIntyre, Mercer, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Runciman, Segal, Seidman, Seth, Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, 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.

The Clerk at the Table informed the Senate that the Honourable the Speaker was unavoidably absent, whereupon the Honourable Senator Nolin, Speaker pro tempore, took the Chair, pursuant to rule 2-4(2).

PRAYERS

SENATORS' STATEMENTS

Some Honourable Senators made statements.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Tabling of documents

The Honourable the Speaker Pro tempore tabled the following:

Annual Report of the Royal Society of Canada for 2013, pursuant to the Act to Incorporate the Royal Society of Canada, S.C 1883, C-49, s. 9.—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-457.

Presenting or Tabling of Reports from Committees

The Honourable Senator Runciman, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, informed the Senate that, pursuant to an order adopted by the Senate on April 7, 2014, he had deposited the sixth report (interim) of the said committee (Subject matter of Bill C-23, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to certain Acts) with the Clerk of the Senate on April 15, 2014.—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-454S.

Introduction and First Reading of Government Bills

A message was brought from the House of Commons with a Bill C-34, An Act to give effect to the Tla'amin Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, to which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

The bill was read the first time.

The Honourable Senator Martin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall, 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 Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, held in Washington, D.C., United States of America, from February 21 to 24, 2014.—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-458.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bills — Second Reading

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Motions

Orders No. 23 and 1 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Inquiries

Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Other

Order No. 2 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

OTHER BUSINESS

Senate Public Bills — Third Reading

Third reading of Bill S-213, An Act respecting Lincoln Alexander Day, as amended.

The Honourable Senator Meredith moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Raine, that the bill be read the third time.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., 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.

Commons Public Bills — Third Reading

Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Senate Public Bills — Second Reading

Orders No. 1 to 11 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Second reading of Bill S-218, An Act respecting National Fiddling Day.

The Honourable Senator Hubley moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stewart Olsen, that the bill be read the second time.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

The bill was then read the second time.

The Honourable Senator Hubley moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stewart Olsen, 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.

°    °    °

Order No. 13 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Commons Public Bills — Second Reading

Orders No. 1 to 10 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Reports of Committees — Other

Consideration of the third report of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (budget—study on bee health—power to hire staff and to travel), presented in the Senate on April 8, 2014.

The Honourable Senator Mercer moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Mitchell, that the report be adopted.

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.

°    °    °

Consideration of the fourth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples (budget—study on challenges and potential solutions relating to First Nations infrastructure on reserves—power to hire staff and to travel), presented in the Senate on April 10, 2014.

The Honourable Senator Patterson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Ogilvie, that the report be adopted.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Motions

Orders No. 62, 9, 55 and 56 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C.:

That, the Senate of Canada calls on the Government of Pakistan to immediately release Ms. Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who is being arbitrarily detained due to her religious beliefs;

That, the Senate of Canada declare its intention to request that Ms. Asia Bibi be granted Honourary Canadian Citizenship, and declare its intention to request that Canada grant her and her family asylum, if she so requests; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons requesting that House to unite with the Senate for the above purpose.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Martin 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.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Ringuette, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tardif:

That the Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce be authorized to examine and report on trade between the United States and Canada and the adherence to the laws and principles of all trade agreements, with particular focus on spent fowl and chicken imports, including:

(a) the application of tariffs and quotas on classifications that include blends, food preparation, kits, and sets, as well as the potential for these products to circumvent the law and principle of trade agreements, in particular import quotas;

(b) the regulations regarding import tariffs and quotas as established by the Department of Finance;

(c) the interpretation and application of those rules and regulations by the Canadian Border Services Agency;

(d) the monitoring of products defined as blends, food preparation, kits, and sets; and

(e) The reciprocity of US regulations regarding similar Canadian imports;

That the committee provide recommendations for regulatory and legislative actions to ensure fairness for Canadians in the system; and

That the committee submit its final report to the Senate no later than June 27, 2014, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings for 180 days after the tabling of the final report.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Maltais moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator White, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

Inquiries

Orders No. 4, 15, 7, 14, 18, 19, 20, 13 and 24 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Nolin, calling the attention of the Senate to its role in representing the regions of the Canadian federation.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Fraser, for the Honourable Senator Dawson, 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.

°    °    °

Orders No. 2, 8, 10, 17, 12, 22, 21 and 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 14-1(7):

Government Response, dated April 10, 2014, to the fourteenth report of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence entitled: Conduct Becoming: Why the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Must Transform its Culture, tabled in the Senate on June 18, 2013.—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-453S.
(Pursuant to rule 12-24(4), the report and the response were deemed referred to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence)

Proposed Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27, sbs. 5(2).—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-455.

Report of Export Development Canada, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year ended December 31, 2013, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1).—Sessional Paper No. 2/41- 456.

ADJOURNMENT

The Honourable Senator Martin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall:

That the Senate do now adjourn.

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

(Accordingly, at 4:40 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 12-5

Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples

The Honourable Senator Watt replaced the Honourable Senator Sibbeston (April 28, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

The Honourable Senator Tkachuk replaced the Honourable Senator Buth (April 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Rivard was removed from the membership of the committee, substitution pending (April 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Rivard replaced the Honourable Senator McIntyre (April 14, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce

The Honourable Senator Rivard was removed from the membership of the committee, substitution pending (April 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Tkachuk replaced the Honourable Senator Unger (April 14, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Rivard replaced the Honourable Senator Poirier (April 14, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

The Honourable Senator Frum was removed from the membership of the committee, substitution pending (April 14, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade

The Honourable Senator Johnson replaced the Honourable Senator Tannas (April 14, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan replaced the Honourable Senator Boisvenu (April 25, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Boisvenu replaced the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan (April 24, 2014).

Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

The Honourable Senator Tkachuk replaced the Honourable Senator Seidman (April 14, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

The Honourable Senator Moore replaced the Honourable Senator Jaffer (April 16, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Jaffer replaced the Honourable Senator Moore (April 16, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on National Finance

The Honourable Senator Maltais replaced the Honourable Senator Rivard (April 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Rivard replaced the Honourable Senator Seth (April 28, 2014).

Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament

The name of the Honourable Senator Frum was added to the membership (April 14, 2014).