Journals of the Senate
2nd Session, 41st Parliament
Issue 159
Thursday, June 25, 2015
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Leo Housakos, Speaker
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Black, Campbell, Carignan, Chaput, Cools, Cowan, Dagenais, Dawson, Day, Doyle, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Frum, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Lang, LeBreton, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, McIntyre, Merchant, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Neufeld, Ngo, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tkachuk, Wallace, White
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Baker, Batters, Bellemare, Beyak, Black, Campbell, Carignan, Chaput, Cools, *Cordy, Cowan, Dagenais, Dawson, Day, *Downe, Doyle, Eaton, Eggleton, Enverga, Frum, Gerstein, Greene, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Lang, LeBreton, *MacDonald, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, McIntyre, Merchant, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Neufeld, Ngo, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tkachuk, Wallace, *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
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable the Speaker tabled the following:
Document entitled: Designation of Premises or Parts of Premises for the Purposes of the Definition "Parliamentary Precinct'' in Section 79.51 of the Parliament of Canada Act. —Sessional Paper No. 2/41-1301.
Presenting or Tabling Reports from Committees
The Honourable Senator White presented the following:
Thursday, June 25, 2015
The Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures, and the Rights of Parliament has the honour to present its
NINTH REPORT
Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-518, An Act to amend the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act (withdrawal allowance), has, in obedience to its order of reference of Tuesday, May 26, 2015, examined the said bill and now reports the same with the following amendments:
1. Clause 2:
(a) Page 1: Replace line 16 with the following:
"occurred while the person was a member or was a candidate as defined by subsection 2(1) of the Canada Elections Act, a''; and
(b) page 2:
(i) replace line 11 with the following:
"offence under the Canada Elections Act or any of the following provisions of'',
(ii) delete lines 30 and 31, and
(iii) delete lines 38 to 41;
2. Clause 3, page 3: Replace line 25 with the following:
"the person was a member or was a candidate as defined by subsection 2(1) of the Canada Elections Act, a withdrawal''.
Respectfully submitted,
VERNON WHITE
Chair
The Honourable Senator White moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Dagenais, 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.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Reports of Committees — Other
Consideration of the fifteenth report of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (Subject matter of Bill C-59 (Division 10 of Part 3)), tabled in the Senate on June 4, 2015.
After debate,
In amendment, the Honourable Senator Cowan moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day, that the report be amended, by deleting the heading "Conclusion'' and all the words following it, and replacing them with the following:
"Your committee is however very troubled that Bill C-59 did not include any amendments to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act to provide that the Director of the Parliamentary Protective Service, and all other RCMP members of the Parliamentary Protective Service, report to and are subject to the control and management of the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons and not the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Your Committee heard that the Director will be accountable to the Speakers "for the management and performance of the parliamentary protective service'', however he will also "be accountable to the RCMP commissioner through the RCMP chain of command to ensure that the RCMP meets its responsibility according to the terms of service that is included in the arrangement between the Speakers, the Minister of Public Safety and the RCMP.''
Your committee is troubled that this places the Director in an untenable conflict of interest, and threatens parliamentary privilege. Your committee notes that in all the years of Liberal governments, including the very challenging time immediately after the terrible events of 9/11, Liberal prime ministers and governments were able to effectively protect Canadians' security and the security of the parliamentary precinct without breaching parliamentary privilege of any parliamentarian or Parliament as a whole. Your committee is troubled that the current government has failed to achieve this balance therefore necessitating the unprecedented changes set out in Bill C-59, and moreover that we are witnessing an attempted takeover of Parliament by the government by placing the Parliamentary precinct under the control of a protective service whose director will be reporting to the RCMP Commissioner who in turn reports to the Minister of Public Safety.''
After debate,
In subamendment, the Honourable Senator Mitchell moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, that the motion in amendment be not now adopted, but that it be further amended by adding immediately after the last sentence the following:
"Conclusion
Your Committee is therefore concerned that Division 10 of Part 3 of Bill C-59 does not strike the best balance between the competing needs at play in the provision of security throughout the parliamentary precinct and the grounds of Parliament Hill, and that the proposed measures do not fully respect the letter and spirit of the resolutions of February 2015 while upholding parliamentary privilege.''
The Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall, that further debate on the subamendment be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Batters, Beyak, Black, Carignan, Dagenais, Doyle, Eaton, Enverga, Frum, Gerstein, Greene, Lang, LeBreton, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Mockler, Neufeld, Ngo, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tkachuk, Wallace, White—35
NAYS
The Honourable Senators
Baker, Campbell, Chaput, Cools, Cowan, Dawson, Day, Eggleton, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Merchant, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Ringuette—18
ABSTENTIONS
The Honourable Senators
Nil
° ° °
Consideration of the eleventh report of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce (Subject matter of Bill C-59 (Divisions 14 and 19 of Part 3)), tabled in the Senate on June 4, 2015.
After debate,
In amendment, the Honourable Senator Ringuette moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., that the report be amended by adding immediately before the words:
"Respectfully submitted''
the following:
"Nevertheless, the committee believes that the changes to the Trust and Loans Companies Act, the Bank Act, the Insurance Companies Act, and the Cooperative Credit Association Act should be reviewed in three years to determine their effectiveness.''.
The Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Marshall, that further debate on motion in amendment be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Batters, Beyak, Black, Carignan, Dagenais, Doyle, Eaton, Enverga, Frum, Gerstein, Greene, Lang, LeBreton, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Mockler, Neufeld, Ngo, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tkachuk, Wallace, White—35
NAYS
The Honourable Senators
Baker, Campbell, Chaput, Cools, Cowan, Dawson, Day, Eggleton, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Merchant, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Ringuette—18
ABSTENTIONS
The Honourable Senators
Nil
° ° °
Consideration of the twenty-second report of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (Subject matter of Bill C-59 (Division 15 of Part 3)), tabled in the Senate on June 3, 2015.
Debate.
DEFERRED VOTE
At 5:30 p.m., pursuant to rule 9-10, the Senate proceeded to the taking of the deferred standing vote on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Cordy, to the subsidiary motion of the Honourable Senator Ringuette, to the subamendment of the Honourable Senator Cowan, to the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Bellemare, to the motion of the Honourable Senator Dagenais, seconded by the Honourable Senator Doyle, for the third reading of Bill C-377, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (requirements for labour organizations).
The question was put on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Cordy, seconded by the Honourable Senator Jaffer, that the subsidiary motion be not now adopted but that it be amended by replacing the word "second'' with the word "third''.
The motion in amendment was negatived on the following vote:
YEAS
The Honourable Senators
Baker, Campbell, Chaput, Cools, Cowan, Dawson, Day, Eggleton, Hervieux-Payette, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Kenny, Merchant, Mitchell, Moore, Munson, Ringuette—18
NAYS
The Honourable Senators
Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Batters, Beyak, Black, Carignan, Dagenais, Doyle, Eaton, Enverga, Frum, Gerstein, Greene, Lang, LeBreton, Maltais, Manning, Marshall, Martin, Mockler, Neufeld, Ngo, Oh, Patterson, Plett, Poirier, Raine, Rivard, Runciman, Seidman, Stewart Olsen, Tannas, Tkachuk, Wallace, White—35
ABSTENTIONS
The Honourable Senators
Nil
The Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Martin:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
(Accordingly, at 5:35 p.m. the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 9 a.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 12-5
Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
The Honourable Senator Black replaced the Honourable Senator Beyak (June 23, 2015).
Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament
The Honourable Senator Housakos replaced the Honourable Senator Seidman (June 23, 2015).
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk replaced the Honourable Senator Maltais (June 23, 2015).