Journals of the Senate
58 Elizabeth II, A.D. 2009, Canada
Journals of the Senate
2nd Session, 40th Parliament
Issue 30
Wednesday, April 29, 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, Banks, Brazeau, Brown, Bryden, Callbeck, Campbell, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dawson, De Bané, Di Nino, Dickson, Duffy, Eaton, Eggleton, Eyton, Fairbairn, Fortin-Duplessis, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Goldstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Lang, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, MacDonald, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Mercer, Milne, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, Oliver, Pépin, Peterson, Poy, Prud'homme, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Wallin, Watt, Zimmer
The Members in attendance to business were:
The Honourable Senators
Adams, Andreychuk, Angus, Atkins, Bacon, Banks, Brazeau, Brown, Bryden, Callbeck, Campbell, Carstairs, Champagne, Chaput, Charette-Poulin, Comeau, Cook, Cools, Corbin, Cordy, Cowan, Dawson, *Day, De Bané, Di Nino, Dickson, *Downe, Duffy, Eaton, Eggleton, Eyton, Fairbairn, Fortin-Duplessis, Fox, Fraser, Furey, Gerstein, Goldstein, Grafstein, Greene, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Housakos, Hubley, Jaffer, Johnson, Joyal, Kenny, Keon, Lang, LeBreton, Losier-Cool, MacDonald, Martin, Massicotte, McCoy, Mercer, Milne, Mitchell, Mockler, Moore, Munson, Murray, Nancy Ruth, Neufeld, *Nolin, Oliver, Pépin, Peterson, Poy, Prud'homme, Raine, Ringuette, Rivard, Rivest, Robichaud, Rompkey, Segal, Smith, Spivak, Stollery, Stratton, Tardif, Tkachuk, Wallace, Wallin, Watt, Zimmer
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
WRITTEN DECLARATION OF ROYAL ASSENT
At 1:32 p.m. the Honourable the Speaker pro tempore informed the Senate that the following communication had been received:
RIDEAU HALL
April 28th, 2009
Mr. Speaker:
I have the honour to inform you that the Honourable Thomas Cromwell, Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, in his capacity as Deputy of the Governor General, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bill listed in the Schedule to this letter on the 28th day of April, 2009, at 4:59 p.m.
Yours sincerely,
Dorothy Grandmaître
For the Secretary to the Governor General
The Honourable
The Speaker of the Senate
Ottawa
Schedule
Bill Assented To
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation (Bill C-2, Chapter 6, 2009)
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Some Honourable Senators made statements.
DAILY ROUTINE OF BUSINESS
Tabling of Documents
The Honourable the Speaker pro tempore tabled the following:
Report of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner for the period ending March 31, 2009, pursuant to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, 2005, c. 46, s. 38.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-343.
Tabling of Reports from Inter-Parliamentary Delegations
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk tabled the following:
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Association respecting the visit to Warsaw, Poland by the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations, from September 17 to 19, 2008. —Sessional Paper No. 2/40-344.
Report of the Canadian Delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Association respecting the visit to the United States by the Defence and Security Committee, from January 26 to 30, 2009.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-345.
Presentation of Petitions
The Honourable Senator Harb presented petitions:
Of Residents of the Province of British Columbia concerning Canada's commercial seal hunt.
ANSWERS TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS
Pursuant to rule 25(2), the Honourable Senator Comeau tabled the following:
Reply to Question No. 10, dated January 26, 2009, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Downe, respecting the Canada Summer and Winter Games.—Sessional Paper No. 2/40-346S.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Bills
Orders No. 1 and 2 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Motions
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stratton:
That when the Senate adjourns on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 2 p.m.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
OTHER BUSINESS
Ordered, That Motion No. 61 standing in the name of the Honourable Senator Kenny on the Notice Paper be brought forward.
MOTIONS
The Honourable Senator Wallin moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Segal:
That the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence be authorized to study:
(a) services and benefits provided to members of the Canadian Forces; to veterans who have served honourably in Her Majesty's Canadian Armed Forces in the past; to members and former members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and its antecedents; and all of their families; and
(b) commemorative activities undertaken by the Department of Veterans Affairs Canada, to keep alive for all Canadians, the memory of Canadian veterans' achievements and sacrifices; and
(c) continuing implementation of the New Veterans Charter; and
That the committee report to the Senate no later than June 15, 2010 and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 90 days after the tabling of the final report.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
OTHER BUSINESS
Senate Public Bills
Orders No. 1 to 16 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., for the second reading of Bill S-211, An Act to require the Minister of the Environment to establish, in co- operation with the provinces, an agency with the power to identify and protect Canada's watersheds that will constitute sources of drinking water in the future.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Lang moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Brazeau, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 18 and 19 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Watt, seconded by the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., for the second reading of Bill S-227, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Excise Tax Act (tax relief for Nunavik).
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Tardif moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Milne, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 21 and 22 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Grafstein, seconded by the Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., for the second reading of Bill S-208, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (clean drinking water).
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
The bill was then read the second time, on division.
The Honourable Senator Grafstein moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C., that the bill be referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 24 and 25 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Reports of Committees
Consideration of the second report of the Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest for Senators (budget—mandate pursuant to rule 86(1)(t)—power to hire staff) presented in the Senate on April 28, 2009.
The Honourable Senator Joyal, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., that the report be adopted.
After debate,
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 2 to 6 were called and postponed until the next sitting.
Other
Orders No. 51 and 50 (motions) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Jaffer, seconded by the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C.:
That the Senate recognize and endorse April 25th annually as World Malaria Day.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stratton, that further debate on the motion be adjourned until the next sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
° ° °
Orders No. 13, 12 (motions), 12, 2, 10 (inquiries), 46, 5 (motions) and 1 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
With leave,
The Senate reverted to Notices of Motion.
With leave of the Senate,
The Honourable Senator Robichaud, P.C., moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Carstairs, P.C.:
That notwithstanding the Order of the Senate adopted on March 12, 2009, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, which was authorized to examine and to report on issues relating to the federal government's current and evolving policy framework for managing Canada's fisheries and oceans, be empowered to deposit a report with the Clerk of the Senate between April 30, 2009 and May 4, 2009 inclusive, if the Senate is not sitting; and that the report be deemed to have been tabled in the Senate.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
Other
Orders No. 42, 10 (motions), 6, 8 (inquiries) and 23 (motion) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
° ° °
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Callbeck, seconded by the Honourable Senator Corbin:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine and report on the accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada, including but not limited to:
(a) analysis of the current barriers in post-secondary education, such as geography, family income levels, means of financing for students, debt levels and challenges faced specifically by Aboriginal students;
(b) evaluation of the current mechanisms for students to fund post-secondary education, such as Canada Student Loans Program, Canada Student Grants Program, Canada Access Grants, funding for Aboriginal students, Canada Learning Bonds, and Registered Education Savings Plans;
(c) examination of the current federal/provincial transfer mechanism for post-secondary education;
(d) evaluation of the potential establishment of a dedicated transfer for post-secondary education; and
(e) any other matters related to the study; and
That the Committee submit its final report no later than December 31, 2010, and that the Committee retain until June 30, 2011, all powers necessary to publicize its findings.
After debate,
The Honourable Senator Comeau 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. 7, 8, 9, 25 (motions) and 7 (inquiry) were called and postponed until the next sitting.
REPORTS DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SENATE PURSUANT TO RULE 28(2):
Report of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year 2008, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). —Sessional Paper No. 2/40-340.
Report of the Laurentian Pilotage Authority, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year 2008, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). —Sessional Paper No. 2/40-341.
Report of the Pacific Pilotage Authority, together with the Auditor General's Report, for the year 2008, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 150(1). —Sessional Paper No. 2/40-342.
ADJOURNMENT
The Honourable Senator Comeau moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Stratton:
That the Senate do now adjourn.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
(Accordingly, at 3:58 p.m. the Senate was continued until Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 2 p.m.)
Changes in Membership of Committees Pursuant to Rule 85(4)
Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Senator Sibbeston replaced the Honourable Senator Fairbairn, P.C. (April 28, 2009).
Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications
The Honourable Senator Fox, P.C., replaced the Honourable Senator Pépin (April 28, 2009).