2nd Session, 41st Parliament

Issue 89

Tuesday, October 28, 2014
2:00 p.m.

The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker

The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Boisvenu, Carignan, Chaput, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Day, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Dyck, Eaton, Enverga, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McInnis, McIntyre, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oh, Patterson, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tardif, Tkachuk, Verner, Wallace, Watt, Wells, White

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Boisvenu, Carignan, Chaput, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, *Dawson, Day, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Dyck, Eaton, *Eggleton, Enverga, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, *Housakos, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Kinsella, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, *MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McInnis, McIntyre, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oh, Patterson, *Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Robichaud, Runciman, Seidman, Seth, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, 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.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bills — Second Reading

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

Motions

Order No. 1 was 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

Commons Public Bills — Third Reading

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

Senate Public Bills — Second Reading

Orders No. 1 to 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Commons Public Bills — Second Reading

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Boisvenu, seconded by the Honourable Senator Beyak, for the second reading of Bill C-452, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (exploitation and trafficking in persons).

After debate,

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

The bill was then read the second time.

The Honourable Senator Boisvenu moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Beyak, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

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

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Maltais, seconded by the Honourable Senator McIntyre, for the second reading of Bill C-377, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (requirements for labour organizations).

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Cowan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Jaffer, 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 Martin, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall, for the second reading of Bill C-525, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act (certification and revocation — bargaining agent).

After debate,

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

The bill was then read the second time, on division.

The Honourable Senator Tannas moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Batters, that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

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

°    °    °

Order No. 4 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Reports of Committees — Other

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

°    °    °

Consideration of the fifteenth report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: Prescription Pharmaceuticals in Canada: Unintended Consequences, tabled in the Senate on October 21, 2014.

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

That the fifteenth report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: Prescription Pharmaceuticals in Canada: Unintended Consequences, tabled in the Senate on October 21, 2014, 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 Fraser, for the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.

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

°    °    °

Consideration of the seventh report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights (Study on issues relating to human rights and, inter alia, to review the machinery of government dealing with Canada's international and national human rights obligations), tabled in the Senate on June 19, 2014.

The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Munson, that the report be adopted.

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

°    °    °

Consideration of the eighth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights (budget—study on the UNHCR and UNICEF regarding the needs of children in conflict situations—power to hire staff and to travel), presented in the Senate on June 19, 2014.

The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Munson, that the report be adopted.

After debate,

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

Motions

Orders No. 8, 47, 74, 79, 62, 55, 69, 9, 56, 66 and 60 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

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

That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to:

Review the temporary foreign workers program and the possible abuse of the system through the hiring of foreign workers to replace qualified and available Canadian workers;

Review the criteria and procedure to application assessment and approval;

Review the criteria and procedure for compiling a labour market opinion;

Review the criteria and procedure for assessing qualifications of foreign workers;

Review interdepartmental procedures and responsibilities regarding foreign workers in Canada;

Provide recommendations to ensure that the program cannot be abused in any way that negatively affects Canadian workers; and

That the Committee submit its final report no later than March 31, 2015, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Bellemare moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall, 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. 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 28, 10, 13, 16, 29, 26, 14 and 20 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Jaffer, calling the attention of the Senate to the issue of poverty in Canada — specifically unequal access to justice.

Debate concluded.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Jaffer, calling the attention of the Senate to the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and the mandate of Canada's Office of Religious Freedoms.

After debate,

With leave of the Senate,

Further debate on the inquiry was adjourned until the next sitting in the name of the Honourable Senator Jaffer.

°    °    °

Orders No. 34 and 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Dallaire, calling the attention of the Senate to the clear and present links between the genocide in Rwanda and the crisis in the Central African Republic today.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fraser, that further debate on the inquiry be adjourned until the next sitting.

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

°    °    °

Orders No. 30 and 31 were called and, pursuant to rule 4-15(2), dropped from the Order Paper.

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

Report of the Security Intelligence Review Committee for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, pursuant to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-23, s. 53. —Sessional Paper No. 2/41-909.

Agreements for RCMP policing services (First Nations Community Policing Service) for the province of British Columbia, pursuant to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. R-10, sbs. 20(5).—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-910.

Copy of Order in Council P.C. 2014-1146 dated October 24, 2014, concerning the approval of the supplementary convention entitled "Protocol amending the Convention between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains, signed at London on 8 September 1978, as amended by the Protocol signed at Ottawa on 15 April 1980, by the Protocol signed at London on 16 October 1985 and by the Protocol signed at London on 7 May 2003'', pursuant to An Act to implement conventions between Canada and Spain, Canada and the Republic of Austria, Canada and Italy, Canada and the Republic of Korea, Canada and the Socialist Republic of Romania and Canada and the Republic of Indonesia and agreements between Canada and Malaysia, Canada and Jamaica and Canada and Barbados and a convention between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to income tax, 1980-81-82-83, c. 44, s. 33(1). —Sessional Paper No. 2/41-911.

Report of the First Nations Lands Advisory Board, together with the Auditors' Report, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, pursuant to the section 41.2 of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, as ratified by the First Nations Land Management Act, S.C. 1999, c. 24, sbs. 4(1). —Sessional Paper No. 2/41-912.

ADJOURNMENT

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

That the Senate do now adjourn.

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

(Accordingly, at 4:45 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 Moore replaced the Honourable Senator Watt (October 27, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

The Honourable Senator Bellemare replaced the Honourable Senator Unger (October 27, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Unger replaced the Honourable Senator Tkachuk (October 27, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

The Honourable Senator Day replaced the Honourable Senator Mitchell (October 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Tannas replaced the Honourable Senator Black (October 27, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade

The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan replaced the Honourable Senator Beyak (October 27, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Demers replaced the Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) (October 27, 2014).

Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

The Honourable Senator Fraser replaced the Honourable Senator Campbell (October 27, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

The Honourable Senator Plett replaced the Honourable Senator Lang (October 27, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages

The Honourable Senator Charette-Poulin replaced the Honourable Senator Jaffer (October 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Jaffer replaced the Honourable Senator Charette-Poulin (October 27, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Rivard replaced the Honourable Senator McIntyre (October 27, 2014).

Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament

The Honourable Senator Furey replaced the Honourable Senator Day (October 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Jaffer replaced the Honourable Senator Moore (October 28, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Verner, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Frum (October 27, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Day replaced the Honourable Senator Furey (October 27, 2014).

The Honourable Senator Moore replaced the Honourable Senator Jaffer (October 27, 2014).

Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications

The Honourable Senator Munson replaced the Honourable Senator Cordy (October 27, 2014).