Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Human Rights

Issue 14 - Minutes of Proceedings - December 8, 2014

OTTAWA, Monday, December 8, 2014
(24)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights met this day at 1 p.m., in room 160-S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Andreychuk, Ataullahjan, Eaton, Eggleton, P.C., Frum, Hubley, Jaffer, Nancy Ruth, Ngo and Tannas (10).

In attendance: Mark Palmer, Acting Procedural Clerk; Julia Nicol and Jean-Philippe Duguay, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.

Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, the committee continued its study of Bill S-7, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Civil Marriage Act and the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

WITNESSES:

As an individual:

Hannana Siddiqui (by video conference).

South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario:

Deepa Mattoo, Staff Lawyer, Acting Executive Director.

Social Services Network:

Dr. Naila Butt, Executive Director.

London Abused Women's Centre:

Megan Walker, Executive Director.

Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic:

Avvy Yao-Yao Go, Clinic Director.

Conseil du statut de la femme:

Julie Miville-Dechêne, President.

As an individual:

Richard Kurland, Lawyer and Policy Analyst, Member of the Barreau du Québec, Member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Canadian Council of Muslim Women:

Alia Hogben, Executive Director.

Frontier Centre for Public Policy:

Aruna Papp, Research Fellow.

Thompson Rivers University:

Craig E. Jones, Q.C., Professor of Law (by video conference).

As an individual:

J. Michael Spratt, Partner, Abergel Goldstein & Partners.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police:

Superintendant Tyler Bates, Director, National Aboriginal Policing and Crime Prevention Services.

The chair made a statement.

Ms. Siddiqui made a statement and answered questions.

At 1:28 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 1:29 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Siddiqui answered questions.

At 1:51 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 1:57 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Mattoo, Dr. Butt, Ms. Walker and Ms. Go each made a statement and answered questions.

At 3:09 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 3:18 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Miville-Dechêne and Mr. Kurland each made a statement and answered questions.

At 4:12 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 4:16 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Hogben and Ms. Papp each made a statement and answered questions.

At 4:30 p.m., the Honourable Senator Tannas replaced the Honourable Senator Frum as a member of the committee.

At 4:58 p.m., the Honourable Senator Frum replaced the Honourable Senator Tannas as a member of the committee.

At 5:13 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 5:19 p.m., the committee resumed.

Messrs. Jones and Spratt each made a statement and answered questions.

At 6:15 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 7:08 p.m., the committee resumed.

Superintendent Bates made a statement and answered questions.

At 8 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Adam Thompson

Clerk of the Committee