2nd Session, 41st Parliament

Issue 123

Tuesday, March 10, 2015
2:00 p.m.

The Honourable Pierre Claude Nolin, Speaker

The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Black, Campbell, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dawson, Day, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Kenny, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McInnis, McIntyre, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Watt, Wells

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Black, Campbell, Carignan, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cools, Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dawson, Day, Demers, Downe, Doyle, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Fortin-Duplessis, Fraser, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Kenny, Lang, LeBreton, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, McInnis, McIntyre, Merchant, Meredith, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Ngo, Nolin, Ogilvie, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Sibbeston, Smith (Cobourg), Smith (Saurel), Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tardif, Tkachuk, Unger, Verner, Watt, Wells

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

The Senate observed a minute of silence in memory of Sgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron whose tragic death occurred on March 6, 2015 while serving his country in Iraq.

SENATORS' STATEMENTS

Some Honourable Senators made statements.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Presenting or Tabling Reports from Committees

The Honourable Senator Ogilvie, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, tabled its eighteenth report entitled: Prescription Pharmaceuticals in Canada: Final Report.—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-1069S.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bills — Second Reading

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

Reports of Committees — Other

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

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

Senate Public Bills — Reports of Committees

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

Commons Public Bills — Reports of Committees

Consideration of the twenty-fourth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (Bill C-279, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity), with amendments), presented in the Senate on February 26, 2015.

The Honourable Senator Runciman moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Batters, that the report be adopted.

After debate,

In amendment, the Honourable Senator Mitchell moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Dyck, that the twenty-fourth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs be not now adopted, but that it be amended by deleting amendment No. 3.

The Honourable Senator Plett moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Johnson, that further debate on the motion in amendment be adjourned until the next sitting.

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

Senate Public Bills — Second Reading

Orders No. 1 to 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Mercer, seconded by the Honourable Senator Mitchell, for the second reading of Bill S-223, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speakership of the Senate).

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Fraser moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Munson, 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 — Second Reading

Orders No. 1 to 6 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Reports of Committees — Other

Orders No. 1 to 4 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Motions

Orders No. 73, 8, 55, 9, 56, 60, 66, 47, 74 and 79 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

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

That a Special Committee on Senate Transformation be appointed to consider;

1. methods to reduce the role of political parties in the Senate by establishing regional caucuses and systems to provide accountability to citizens;

2. methods to broaden participation of all senators in managing the business of the Senate by establishing a committee to assume those responsibilities, and to provide for equal regional representation on said committee;

3. methods to allow senators to participate in the selection of the Speaker of the Senate by providing a recommendation to the Prime Minister;

4. methods to adapt Question Period to better serve its role as an accountability exercise; and

5. such other matters as may be referred to it by the Senate;

That the committee be composed of nine members, to be nominated by the Committee of Selection and that four members constitute a quorum;

That, the committee have power to send for persons, papers and records; to examine witnesses; and to publish such papers and evidence from day to day as may be ordered by the committee;

That, notwithstanding rule 12-18(2)(b)(i), the committee have power to sit from Monday to Friday, even though the Senate may then be adjourned for a period exceeding one week; and

That the committee be empowered to report from time to time and to submit its final report no later than June 30, 2015.

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

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

Inquiries

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Plett, calling the attention of the Senate to the decisions made by certain provinces' law societies to deny accreditation to Trinity Western University's proposed new law school.

After debate,

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

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

°    °    °

Orders No. 19, 21 and 28 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

°    °    °

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Andreychuk calling the attention of the Senate to the challenges confronting a large and growing number of Canadians who provide care to relatives and friends living with dementia.

After debate,

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

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

°    °    °

Orders No. 41, 44, 14, 42, 43, 29, 20, 36, 27, 45, 34, 15 and 17 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

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

Report on the operations under the Canada Water Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, pursuant to the Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-11, s. 38.—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-1066.

Summary of the Corporate Plan for 2015-2019 of the Canadian Tourism Commission, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4).—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-1067.

Summaries of the Corporate Plan for 2015-2019 and of the Operating and Capital Budgets for 2015 of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4).—Sessional Paper No. 2/41-1068.

ADJOURNMENT

The Honourable Senator Martin 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 3:49 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 Agriculture and Forestry

The Honourable Senator Tannas replaced the Honourable Senator Unger (March 9, 2015).

The Honourable Senator Mercer replaced the Honourable Senator Munson (February 26, 2015).

Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

The Honourable Senator Eaton replaced the Honourable Senator Boisvenu (March 10, 2015).

The Honourable Senator Boisvenu replaced the Honourable Senator Enverga (March 10, 2015).

The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan replaced the Honourable Senator Patterson (March 9, 2015).

Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

The Honourable Senator Downe replaced the Honourable Senator Fraser (February 26, 2015).

Standing Senate Committee on National Finance

The Honourable Senator Wells replaced the Honourable Senator Eaton (March 9, 2015).

Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

The Honourable Senator Chaput replaced the Honourable Senator Moore (February 26, 2015).