The Members convened were:

The Honourable Senators

AndreychukAtaullahjanBakerBattersBellemareBernardBeyakBlack (Alberta)BoisvenuBonifaceBoveyBrazeauCampbellCarignanChristmasCoolsCordyCormierDagenaisDawsonDayDeanDowneDoyleDuffyDupuisDyckEggletonEnvergaForestFraserFureyGagnéGoldGreeneHarderHousakosHubleyJafferJoyalKennyLangLankinLovelace NicholasMacDonaldMaltaisManningMarshallMartinMcCoyMcInnisMcIntyreMcPhedranMégieMercerMerchantMitchellMoncionMunsonNgoOgilvieOhOmidvarPatePetitclercPlettPratteRaineRinguetteRuncimanSaint-GermainSeidmanSinclairSmithStewart OlsenTannasTardifTkachukUngerVernerWallinWattWellsWetstonWhiteWoo

The Members in attendance to business were:

The Honourable Senators

AndreychukAtaullahjanBakerBattersBellemareBernardBeyakBlack (Alberta)BoisvenuBonifaceBoveyBrazeauCampbellCarignanChristmasCoolsCordyCormierDagenaisDawsonDayDeanDowneDoyleDuffyDupuisDyckEggletonEnvergaForestFraserFureyGagné*GalvezGoldGreene*GriffinHarderHousakosHubleyJafferJoyalKennyLangLankinLovelace NicholasMacDonaldMaltaisManningMarshallMartin*MassicotteMcCoyMcInnisMcIntyreMcPhedranMégieMercerMerchant*MeredithMitchellMoncionMunson*NeufeldNgoOgilvieOhOmidvarPatePetitclercPlettPratteRaineRinguetteRuncimanSaint-GermainSeidmanSinclairSmithStewart OlsenTannasTardifTkachukUngerVernerWallinWattWellsWetstonWhiteWoo

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 Reports from Interparliamentary Delegations

The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan tabled the following:

Report of the Canadian Delegation of the Interparliamentary Union (IPU) respecting its participation at the 135th IPU Assembly and Related Meetings, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 23 to 27, 2016.—Sessional Paper No. 1/42-884.

Question Period

The Senate proceeded to Question Period.

Orders of the Day

Government Business

Bills – Second Reading

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

o o o

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Mitchell, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fraser, for the second reading of Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Martin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.

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

Motions

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

That the following Address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General of Canada:

To His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:

We, Her Majesty’s most loyal and dutiful subjects, the Senate of Canada in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious Speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.

After debate,

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

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

Inquiries

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

Other Business

Senate Public Bills – Third Reading

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

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 6 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

Commons Public Bills – Second Reading

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

Reports of Committees – Other

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

o o o

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator McCoy, seconded by the Honourable Senator Ringuette, for the adoption of the fifth report (interim) of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization, entitled Senate Modernization: Moving Forward (Caucus), presented in the Senate on October 4, 2016.

After debate,

In amendment, the Honourable Senator Tannas moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Plett:

That the fifth report of the Special Senate Committee on Senate Modernization be not now adopted, but that it be amended:

(a) by replacing the words “That the Senate direct the Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament and the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration to draft amendments to the Rules of the Senate and the Senate Administrative Rules by 30 November 2016 respecting the following:” in the third paragraph with the following:

“That the Clerk of the Senate and the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel be instructed to prepare and recommend draft amendments to the Rules of the Senate and the Senate Administrative Rules respecting the following, respectively, to the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament and the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, respectively, and that each Standing Committee examine and consider the draft amendments and report to the Senate:”; and

(b) by replacing the fourth paragraph, starting with the words “That the Senate direct the Committee on Internal”, with the following:

“That the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel be instructed to prepare and recommend to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration draft amendments to the Senate Administrative Rules to provide all groups (caucuses) of senators with funding for a secretariat and research projects, regardless of whether the groups (caucuses) are organized with or without political affiliation, and that the Standing Committee examine and consider the draft amendments and report to the Senate.”.

After debate,

The Honourable Senator Ringuette moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Lankin, P.C., that further debate on the motion in amendment be adjourned until the next sitting.

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

o o o

Orders No. 6 to 12 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

o o o

Consideration of the fifth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, entitled Finding Refuge in Canada: A Syrian Resettlement Story, tabled in the Senate on December 6, 2016.

The Honourable Senator Munson moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cordy:

That the fifth report, Finding Refuge in Canada: A Syrian Resettlement Story, of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 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 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship being identified as minister responsible for responding to the report, in consultation with the Minister of National Revenue.

After debate,

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

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

o o o

Order No. 14 was called and postponed until the next sitting.

Motions

Orders No. 158, 139, 31, 51, 73, 146 and 89 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

o o o

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Ngo, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan:

That the Senate note with concern the escalating and hostile behaviour exhibited by the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and consequently urge the Government of Canada to encourage all parties involved, and in particular the People’s Republic of China, to:

(a) recognize and uphold the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight as enshrined in customary international law and in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;

(b) cease all activities that would complicate or escalate the disputes, such as the construction of artificial islands, land reclamation, and further militarization of the region;

(c) abide by all previous multilateral efforts to resolve the disputes and commit to the successful implementation of a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea;

(d) commit to finding a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the disputes in line with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and respect the settlements reached through international arbitration; and

(e) strengthen efforts to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of the disputes upon the fragile ecosystem of the South China Sea;

That the Senate also urge the Government of Canada to support its regional partners and allies and to take additional steps necessary to de-escalate tensions and restore the peace and stability of the region; and

That a message be sent to the House of Commons to acquaint it with the foregoing.

After debate,

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

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

o o o

Order 60 was called and, pursuant to rule 4-15(2), dropped from the Order Paper and Notice Paper.

Inquiries

Orders No. 11, 15, 2, 1, 16, 17 and 13 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

o o o

Resuming debate on the inquiry of the Honourable Senator Pate, calling the attention of the Senate to the circumstances of some of the most marginalized, victimized, criminalized and institutionalized in Canada, particularly the increasing over-representation of Indigenous women in Canadian prisons.

After debate,

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

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

o o o

Orders No. 18 and 8 were called and postponed until the next sitting.

ADJOURNMENT

At 4 p.m., pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on February 4, 2016, the Senate adjourned until 1:30 p.m., tomorrow.

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

Report on the operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, pursuant to the Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 24 (4th Supp.), s. 8.—Sessional Paper No. 1/42-883.

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Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 12-5 and to the Order of the Senate of December 7, 2016

Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples

The Honourable Senator Martin replaced the Honourable Senator Patterson (February 8, 2017).

Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

The Honourable Senator Gold replaced the Honourable Senator Galvez (February 8, 2017).

The Honourable Senator Galvez replaced the Honourable Senator Duffy (February 8, 2017).

Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

The Honourable Senator Plett was added to the membership (February 8, 2017).

The Honourable Senator Stewart Olsen was removed from the membership of the committee, substitution pending (February 8, 2017).

Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence

The Honourable Senator Wallin replaced the Honourable Senator Boniface (February 8, 2017).

Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

The Honourable Senator Galvez replaced the Honourable Senator Dean (February 8, 2017).