Journals of the Senate
58 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2009, Canada
Journals of the Senate
2nd Session, 40th Parliament
Issue 33
Thursday, May 7, 2009
1:30 p.m.
The Honourable Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Speaker pro tempore
The Members convened were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Atkins, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Brazeau, Brown, Campbell, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dawson, Day, Di Nino, Dickson, Downe, Duffy, Eaton, Fairbairn, Fortin-Duplessis, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Goldstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Keon, Lang, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Manning, Martin, Massicotte, Meighen, Mercer, Milne, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Peterson, Poy, Prud'homme, Raine, Ringuette, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Sibbeston, Smith, St. Germain, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Wallin
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Atkins, Bacon, Baker, Banks, Brazeau, Brown, Campbell, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Cochrane, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dawson, Day, Di Nino, Dickson, Downe, Duffy, Eaton, Fairbairn, Fortin-Duplessis, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Goldstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Joyal, Keon, Lang, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, Lovelace Nicholas, MacDonald, Mahovlich, Manning, Martin, Massicotte, Meighen, Mercer, Milne, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Peterson, Poy, Prud'homme, Raine, Ringuette, *Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Sibbeston, Smith, St. Germain, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Wallin
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.
The Clerk at the Table informed the Senate that the Honourable the Speaker was unavoidably absent, whereupon the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool, Speaker pro tempore, took the Chair, pursuant to rule 11.
PRAYERS
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
Tributes
Tribute was paid to the Honourable Senator Goldstein, who will retire from the Senate on May 11, 2009.
Senators' Statements
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Presentation of Reports from Standing or Special Committees
The Honourable Senator St. Germain, P.C., Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, tabled its fifth report (interim) entitled: New Voter Identification Procedures and Related Impacts on Aboriginal Peoples and Communities in Canada.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-359S.
The Honourable Senator St. Germain, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, presented its third report (budget—study on the evolving policy framework for managing Canada's fisheries and oceans—power to hire staff and to travel).
(The report is printed as appendix "A'' at pages 591-602 (available in print format PDF))
The Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Di Nino, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, presented its sixth report (budget—study on China, India and Russia).
(The report is printed as appendix "B'' at pages 603-610 (available in print format PDF))
The Honourable Senator Di Nino moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nancy Ruth, 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Di Nino, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, presented its seventh report (budget—study on foreign relations in general).
(The report is printed as appendix "C'' at pages 611-618 (available in print format PDF))
The Honourable Senator Di Nino moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cochrane, 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., Deputy Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, presented its second report (budget—study on the current state and future of Canada's forest sector—power to hire staff).
(The report is printed as appendix "D'' at pages 619-626 (available in print format PDF))
The Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., Deputy Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, presented its third report (budget—study on the current state and future of agriculture and agri-food in Canada—power to hire staff).
(The report is printed as appendix "E'' at pages 627-634 (available in print format PDF))
The Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C., 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Furey presented the following:
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FIFTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends that the following funds be released for fiscal year 2009-2010.
Agriculture and Forestry (Legislation)
Professional and Other Services $ 2,500 Transportation and Communications — All Other Expenditures 1,350 TOTAL $ 3,850
Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Legislation)
Professional and Other Services $ 2,857 Transportation and Communications 4,814 All Other Expenditures 1,329 TOTAL $ 9,000
(includes funds for participation at conferences)
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE J. FUREY
Chair
The Honourable Senator Furey moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Wallace, for the Honourable Senator Bacon, presented the following:
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has the honour to present its
THIRD REPORT
Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, has, in obedience to the Order of Reference of Tuesday, April 28, 2009, examined the said Bill and now reports the same with the following amendment:
Page 26, clause 29: Add after line 36 the following:
"(4) The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications or, if there is not a Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, the appropriate committee of the Senate may review any regulations made under this Act, either on its own initiative or on receiving a written complaint regarding a specific safety concern. The committee may hold public hearings and may table its report on its review in the Senate.''
Respectfully submitted,
LISE BACON
Chair
The Honourable Senator Wallace moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Angus, 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.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Wallin, Deputy Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, presented its third report (budget—study on the national security policy—power to hire staff and to travel).
(The report is printed as appendix "F'' at pages 635-656 (available in print format PDF))
The Honourable Senator Wallin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Raine, 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.
Tabling of Reports from Inter-Parliamentary Delegations
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Losier-Cool tabled the following:
Report of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), respecting its participation at the Seminar of the APF's Network of Women Parliamentarians on the Role of Women Parliamentarians in Conflict Resolution in the Francophonie and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 30 and 31, 2009. —Sessional Paper No. 2/40-360.
Presentation of Petitions
The Honourable Senator Harb presented petitions:
Of Residents of the Province of British Columbia concerning Canada's commercial seal hunt.
MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
A message was brought from the House of Commons to return S-3, An Act to amend the Energy Efficiency Act,
And to acquaint the Senate that the Commons has passed this bill, without amendment.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Bills
Second reading of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act.
The Honourable Senator Lang moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Tkachuk, that the bill be read the second time.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 2 to 5 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Pépin, for the second reading of Bill S-230, An Act to amend the Bank of Canada Act (credit rating agency).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Oliver moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Di Nino, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 3 to 21 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Second reading of Bill S-228, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act and the Bank of Canada Act (quarterly financial reports).
The Honourable Senator Segal moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin, that the bill be read the second time.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Segal moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Reports of Committees
Order No. 1 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Rompkey, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Fraser, that the second report of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, entitled Rising to the Arctic Challenge: Report on the Canadian Coast Guard, deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on May 4, 2009, be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 131(2), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and the Minister of National Defence being identified as ministers responsible for responding to the report.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Keon, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Order No. 3 was called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Tardif, that the third report of the Special Senate Committee on Aging entitled Canada's Aging Population: Seizing the Opportunity, tabled in the Senate on April 21, 2009, be adopted and that, pursuant to rule 131(2), the Senate request a complete and detailed response from the government, with the Minister of State (Seniors), Minister of Veterans Affairs, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Minister of Health, Minister of State (Status of Women), and the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages being identified as ministers responsible for responding to the report.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 5 and 6 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Orders No. 13, 15 (inquiries), 49, 57, 6 and 51 (motions) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., seconded by the Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C.:
That the ninth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry tabled in the Senate on Monday June 16, 2008 during the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament, entitled: Beyond Freefall: Halting Rural Poverty, be placed on the Orders of the Day for consideration at the next sitting.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Andreychuk, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
° ° °
Orders No. 13, 12 (motions), 12, 2, 10 (inquiries), 46 (motion), 1 (inquiry), 42, 10 (motions), 6, 8 (inquiries) 23, 7, 8, 9 and 25 (motions) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
INQUIRIES
The Honourable Senator Harb called the attention of the Senate to the fact that the European Union has passed a resolution effectively banning the importation of commercial seal hunt products, that the Canadian government should therefore take immediate steps to assist those Inuit communities and Atlantic fishers affected by the ban and that the Canadian government should drop any threats of a taxpayer funded WTO challenge against our second largest trading partner, the European Union.
Debate concluded.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Tardif called the attention of the Senate for the purposes of paying tribute to the Honourable Yoine Goldstein, in recognition of his outstanding career as a member of the Senate of Canada and for his many contributions and service to Canadians.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif, for the Honourable Senator Dawson, moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cowan, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Banks, for the Honourable Senator Kenny, moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Day:
That Rule 86(1)(r) be amended by replacing the word "nine'' with the word "ten''.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Banks moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Moore, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
The Honourable Senator Segal moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin:
That,
Whereas Canada's efforts in the diplomatic, military, political and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan have been assisted and served by Afghans who work alongside our military, who staff our embassy, and who work with Canadian firms and non-governmental organizations; and
Whereas there is no better way to express our gratitude to these individuals who are friends of Canada than to welcome them to settle in Canada;
That the Senate urge the Government of Canada to develop and implement a program to facilitate the settlement in Canada of Afghan nationals who have helped Canada during our engagement in Afghanistan; and
That a message be sent to the House of Commons requesting that House to unite with the Senate for the above purpose.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Segal moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Nolin, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
With leave,
The Senate reverted to Government Notices of Motions.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Keon:
That when the Senate adjourns today, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at 2 p.m.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 28(2):
Report of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency on the administration and enforcement of the Pest Control Products Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, pursuant to the Act, S.C. 2002, c. 28, sbs. 80(1).—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-356.
Report of the Canadian Tourism Commission, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year ended December 31, 2008, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1).—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-357.
Report of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year ended December 31, 2008, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1).—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-358.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Di Nino:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 5:15 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at 2 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Campbell replaced the Honourable Senator Fraser (May 7, 2009).
The Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Cordy (May 7, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Honourable Senator De Bané, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Zimmer (May 7, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
The Honourable Senator Campbell replaced the Honourable Senator Peterson (May 7, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on National Finance
The Honourable Senator Mitchell replaced the Honourable Senator Banks (May 7, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Honourable Senator Segal replaced the Honourable Senator Stratton (May 7, 2009).