Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs,
Science and Technology
Issue 27 - Minutes of Proceedings
OTTAWA, Tuesday, April 22, 1997
(42)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met at 9:05 a.m. this day in Room 256-S, Centre Block, the Chair, the Honourable Senator Mabel M. DeWare, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Bonnell, Bosa, Cogger, Cools, DeWare, Forest, Hervieux-Payette, Lavoie-Roux, Losier-Cool, Maheu, Phillips and Rossiter. (12)
In attendance: From the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: June Dewetering and Grant Purves, Research Officers.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
WITNESSES:
For Bill C-84:
From the Department of Citizenship and Immigration:
Brian Grant, Director, Program Development, Enforcement Branch;
Norman Sabourin, Registrar, Citizenship, Integration;
Eric Stevens, Legal Counsel.
Pursuant to the Order of Reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, April 16, 1997, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-66, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part I) and the Corporations and Labour Unions Returns Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (for complete text of Order of Reference see Proceedings of the Committee dated April 16, 1997, Issue No. 25).
The Chair presented the Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which recommended that the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-66 on Tuesday, April 22, 1997 at 9:00 a.m.
The Honourable Senator Bosa moved adoption of the report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
The question being put on the motion, it was, by a show of hands, adopted: yeas: 6; nays: 4; abstentions: 1.
The Honourable Senator Cools moved that Mark Audcent, the Senate Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, be asked to attend before the committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was, by a show of hands, defeated: yeas: 6; nays: 6.
The Chair then proceeded to clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
The question being put to postpone the title, it was agreed.
The question being put to carry clause 1, it was, by a show of hands, carried: yeas: 6; nays: 4; abstentions: 2.
The questions being put to carry clauses 2 to 36, they carried.
The question being put to carry clause 37, it was, by a show of hands, carried: yeas: 6; nays: 5; abstentions: 1.
The questions being put to carry clauses 38 to 41, they carried.
The question being put to carry clause 42, it was, by a show of hands, carried: yeas: 6; nays: 5; abstentions: 1.
The questions being put to carry clauses 43 to 49, they carried.
The question being put to carry clause 50, it was, by a show of hands, carried: yeas: 6; nays: 5; abstentions: 1.
The questions being put to carry clauses 51 to 53, they carried.
The question being put to carry clause 54, it was, by a show of hands, carried: yeas: 6; nays: 5; abstentions: 1.
The questions being put to carry clauses 55 to 99, they carried.
The title of the bill carried.
The Honourable Senator Bosa moved that the bill be reported to the Senate without amendment.
The question being put on the motion, it was, by a show of hands, defeated: yeas: 6; nays: 6.
The Honourable Senator Lavoie-Roux requested that she be noted as having abstained on all votes except those where she raised her hand. The Honourable Senator Cools likewise requested that she be noted as having abstained on all votes except those where she raised her hand.
The Honourable Senator Phillips, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, presented the Subcommittee's report entitled "Steadying the Course".
The Honourable Senator Bonnell moved adoption of the report for presentation to the Senate today.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed.
The Honourable Senator Phillips, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, presented the Subcommittee's report on Bill C-300, An Act respecting the establishment and award of a Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for Canadians who have served with an international peacekeeping mission.
The Honourable Senator Bonnell moved adoption of the report for presentation to the Senate today.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed.
At 10:00 a.m., the meeting was suspended.
At 10:10 a.m., the meeting resumed.
The committee agreed to proceed with consideration of Bill C-84.
Pursuant to the Order of Reference adopted by the Senate on Monday, April 21, 1997, the committee commenced consideration of bill C-84, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration Act.
Three officials from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration were invited to appear and answer questions: Brian Grant, Director of Program Development, Enforcement Branch; Eric Stevens, Legal Counsel; and Norman Sabourin, Registrar, Canadian Citizenship.
Messrs Grant and Sabourin made an opening statement and, together with Mr. Stevens, answered questions.
The Honourable Senator Bosa moved that Bill C-84 be reported to the Senate without amendment, but with the recommendation that there be a framework to avoid drawn out reviews, and that the wording of this recommendation should be drafted by staff for the approval of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure along with the Honourable Senator Lavoie-Roux.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed.
At 10:45 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
ATTEST:
OTTAWA, Thursday, April 24 1997
(43)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met at 10:05 a.m. this day in Room 356-S, Centre Block, the Chair, the Honourable Senator Mabel M. DeWare, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Anderson, Bonnell, Bosa, Cogger, Cools, DeWare, Forest, Lavoie-Roux, Losier-Cool, Lucier, Maheu, Perrault, Phillips and Rossiter. (14)
Other senator present: The Honourable Senator Petten.
In attendance: From the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: Grant Purves, Research Officer.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
For Bill C-66:
From the Senate of Canada:
Mr. Mark Audcent, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.
From the Office of the Information Commissionner of Canada:
Mr. John Grace, Information Commissioner;
Mr. Alan Leadbeater, Deputy Information Commissioner;
Mr. Daniel Brunet, Legal Counsel.
Pursuant to the Order of Reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, April 16, 1997, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-66, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part I) and the Corporations and Labour Unions Returns Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (for complete text of Order of reference see Proceedings of the Committee dated April 16, 1997, Issue No. 25).
The Honourable Senator Bonnell presented the Interim Report of the Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education.
The Honourable Senator Lavoie-Roux raised concerns about the French translation of the report. The Chair proposed to raise these concerns with the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
The Honourable Senator Phillips moved adoption of the report for presentation in the Senate.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed.
The Chair presented the Third Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, as follows:
Wednesday, April 23, 1997.
The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its
THIRD REPORT
Your subcommittee met in camera on Tuesday, April 22, 1997, to consider matters of agenda relating to the committee's study of Bill C-66, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part I) and the Corporations and Labour Unions Returns Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, as well as other orders of reference currently before the committee.
Subcommittee members present at the meeting: The Honourable Senators Bosa, DeWare and Losier-Cool. (3)
Your subcommittee recommends the following:
That a meeting be scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, 1997, when the Senate rises, to deal with the following matters:
1. The Interim Report of the Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education;
2. Bill C-66, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part I) and the Corporations and Labour Unions Returns Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts:
(a) to invite Mark Audcent, Senate Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, to appear as a witness before the committee to respond to questions regarding the consultation of Parliamentary Officers and the Department of Justice in the drafting and consideration of a bill; and
(b) in view of the fact that the committee passed all clauses of Bill C-66 unamended, that the committee now reconsider its decision of Tuesday, April 22, 1997, not to report the bill to the Senate.
Respectfully submitted,
MABEL M. DEWARE
Chair
The Honourable Senator Cools moved that the the committee do not proceed with the report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed.
At 10:50 a.m., the meeting was suspended.
At 10:55 a.m., the meeting resumed.
The Honourable Senator Cogger moved that the committee hear further witnesses.
The Honourable Senator Cools moved, in amendment, that the committee now hear Mark Audcent, Senate Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, and John Grace, Information Commissioner of Canada, if available now.
The question being put on the motion as amended, it was agreed.
At 11:20 a.m., Mark Audcent answered questions.
Mr. Audcent tabled with the clerk a copy of" A Guide to the Making of Federal Acts and Regulations" which was retained by the clerk as Exhibit No. 5900-2.35/S2 27 "4".
At 11:55 a.m., it was agreed that John Grace now be heard for half an hour.
The Honourable Senator Maheu circulated copies of a letter sent to the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, Minister of Labour, by Bruce Phillips, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, a copy of which was retained by the clerk as Exhibit No. 5900-2.35/S2 27 "5".
At 12:00 p.m., John Grace, Information Commissioner of Canada, Alan Leadbeater, Deputy Information Commissioner, and Daniel Brunet, General Counsel, answered questions.
At 12:25 p.m., Mr. Grace and his colleagues withdrew from the witnesses' chairs. Copies of Minister Gagliano's response to Mr. Phillips, were circulated and a copy was retained by the clerk as Exhibit No. 5900-2.35/S2 27 "6".
At 12:50 p.m., the meeting was suspended.
At 1:17 p.m., the meeting resumed.
The Honourable Senator Cools moved that Bill C-66 be reported without amendment today but with the observations and recommendations she read into the record and, in addition, with the recommendation that the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology monitor the implementation of Bill C-66.
The Honourable Senator Lavoie-Roux moved in amendment that an additional observation be included.
The question being put on the motion in amendment, it was, by a show of hands, defeated: yeas: 4; nays: 6; abstention: 1.
The question being put on the main motion, it was, by a show of hands, agreed: yeas: 7; nays: 2; abstentions: 2.
At 1:45 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
ATTEST:
Jill Anne Joseph
Clerk of the Committee