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44th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION

Journals No. 285 Monday, February 26, 2024 11:00 a.m.

Prayer

Statement by the Speaker

The Speaker declared null and void all four amendments to Bill C-318, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (adoptive and intended parents), as adopted by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, and ordered that the reprint of the bill, as ordered by the committee, be cancelled.

Private Members' Business

At 11:16 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 30(7), the House proceeded to the consideration of Private Members' Business.

The order was read for the consideration at report stage of Bill S-205, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another Act (interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders), as reported by the Standing Committee on the Status of Women with amendments.

Pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(5), the Speaker selected and grouped for debate the following motions:

Group No. 1 — Motions Nos. 1 to 12.

Group No. 1

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 1, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 1, be amended

(a) by replacing lines 4 to 17 on page 1 with the following:

“1 (1) Section 515 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (3):

(3.1) Before making an order under subsection (2) in respect of an accused who is charged with an offence in the commission of which violence was used, threatened or attempted against the accused’s intimate partner, the justice must ask the prosecutor whether the intimate partner of the accused has been consulted about their safety and security needs.

(2) Subsection 515(4) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (e):

(e.1) wear an electronic monitoring device, if the Attorney General makes the request;

(2.1) Subsection 515(4.2) of the Act is amended by adding “or” at the end of paragraph (a.1) and by repealing paragraph (a.2).

(3) Paragraph 515(6)(b.1) of the Act is replaced by”; and

(b) by replacing line 1 on page 2 with the following:

“(4) The Act is amended by adding the following”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 2, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 2, be amended

(a) by replacing lines 9 to 12 on page 2 with the following:

“810.03 (1) A person who fears on reasonable grounds that their intimate partner will commit an offence that will cause personal injury to them, to their child or to a child of that intimate partner may lay an information”;

(b) by replacing lines 32 and 33 on page 2 with the following:

“(5) An order under either subsection (3) or (4) must be made in a timely manner.

(6) The provincial court judge may commit the defen-”;

“(7) The provincial court judge may add any reasonable”;

(d) by replacing lines 4 and 5 on page 3 with the following:

“or to secure the safety and security of the informant, their child or a child of the defendant, including condi-”;

(e) by replacing line 20 on page 3 with the following:

“rectly, with the informant, a child of the informant or”;

(f) by replacing lines 1 to 5 on page 4 with the following:

“(8) The informant may provide submissions in writing on the conditions that the judge may add to the recognizance under subsection (7).

(9) The provincial court judge shall consider whether it is desirable, in the interests of the informant’s safety or”;

(g) by replacing lines 14 and 15 on page 4 with the following:

“(10) If the provincial court judge adds a condition described in subsection (9) to a recognizance, the judge”;

(h) by replacing lines 22 and 23 on page 4 with the following:

“(11) If the provincial court judge does not add a condition described in subsection (9) to a recognizance, the”;

(i) by replacing lines 26 and 27 on page 4 with the following:

“(12) A provincial court judge may, on application of the informant or the defendant, vary the conditions fixed in”;

(j) by replacing lines 29 to 31 on page 4 with the following:

“(13) When the defendant makes an application under subsection (12), the provincial court judge must, before varying any conditions, consult the informant about their”; and

(k) by replacing line 33 on page 4 with the following:

“(14) A warrant of committal to prison for failure or re-”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 3, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing, in the English version, lines 15 and 16 on page 2 with the following:

“under subsection (1) may cause the informant and the person who is the subject of the information to appear”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 4, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 2, be amended

(a) by replacing line 23 on page 2 with the following:

“not more than two years.”;

(b) by replacing line 30 on page 2 with the following:

“into the recognizance for a period of not more than three”; and

“dant to prison for a term not exceeding two years if the”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 5, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 2, be amended

(a) by replacing lines 24 and 25 on page 3 with the following:

“(f) to refrain from using social media;

(g) to abstain from the consumption of drugs — ex-”;

(b) by replacing line 28 on page 3 with the following:

“(h) to provide, for the purpose of analysis, a sample of”; and

“(i) to provide, for the purpose of analysis, a sample of”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 6, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 3, be amended

(a) by replacing line 10 on page 5 with the following:

“810.01(4.1)(f), 810.011(6)(e), 810.03(7)(h),”;

(b) by replacing line 15 on page 5 with the following:

“810.01(4.1)(g), 810.011(6)(f), 810.03(7)(i), 810.1(3.02)(i)”; and

“810.01(4.1)(g), 810.011(6)(f), 810.03(7)(i), 810.1(3.02)(i) or”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 7, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing lines 34 and 35 on page 7 with the following:

“directly, with the informant, the informant’s child or any relative or close friend of the informant,”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 8, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing lines 39 and 40 on page 7 with the following:

“(e.3) refrains from using social media (section 801.03 of the Criminal Code);”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 9, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 7, be amended by replacing line 13 on page 8 with the following:

“810.01(4.1)(g), 810.03(7)(i), 810.011(6)(f), 810.1(3.02)(i) and”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 10, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 8, be amended by replacing lines 18 to 21 on page 8 with the following:

“fears on reasonable grounds that their intimate partner will commit an offence that will cause personal injury to them, to their child or to a child of that intimate partner, and a provincial”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 11, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 10.1, be amended by replacing, in subclause (2), the word “810.03(7)“ with the following:

“810.03(9)”

Ms. Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha), seconded by Mrs. Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country), moved Motion No. 12, — That Bill S-205, in Clause 10.1, be amended by replacing, in subclause (2), the words “the intimate partner’s safety” with the following:

“the informant’s safety”

Debate arose on the motions in Group No. 1.

Pursuant to Standing Order 98(2), the order was dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper.

Government Orders

Mr. MacKinnon (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons), seconded by Ms. Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs), moved, — That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, for the duration of the session,

(a)

(i) a minister of the Crown may, with the agreement of the House leader of another recognized party, at any time during a sitting, but no later than 6:30 p.m., request that the ordinary hour of daily adjournment for a subsequent sitting be 12:00 a.m., provided that it be 10:00 p.m. on a day when a debate pursuant to Standing Order 52 or 53.1 is to take place, and that such a request shall be deemed adopted,

(ii) a minister of the Crown may request, at any time during a sitting, that a decision to extend a subsequent sitting, made pursuant to subparagraph (a)(i), be rescinded and such request shall be deemed adopted;

(b) on a sitting day extended pursuant to subparagraph (a)(i),

(i) proceedings on any opposition motion pursuant to Standing Order 81(16) shall conclude no later than 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 6:30 p.m. on a Monday or 1:30 p.m. on a Friday, on an allotted day for the business of supply, except pursuant to Standing Order 81(18)(c),

(ii) after 6:30 p.m., the Speaker shall not receive any quorum calls or dilatory motions, and shall only accept a request for unanimous consent after receiving a notice from the House leaders or whips of all recognized parties stating that they are in agreement with such a request,

(iii) motions to proceed to the orders of the day, and to adjourn the debate or the House may be moved after 6:30 p.m. by a minister of the Crown, including on a point of order, and such motions be deemed adopted,

(iv) the time provided for Government Orders shall not be extended pursuant to Standing Orders 33(2), 45(9) or 67.1(2);

(c) during consideration of the estimates on the last allotted day of each supply period, pursuant to Standing Orders 81(17) and 81(18),

(i) when the Speaker interrupts the proceedings for the purpose of putting forthwith all questions necessary to dispose of the estimates, all remaining motions to concur in the votes for which a notice of opposition was filed shall be deemed to have been moved and seconded, the questions deemed put and recorded divisions deemed requested,

(ii) when a supply bill is considered in a committee of the whole, if a recorded division is requested to any bill elements or motions required to dispose of that stage of the said bill, the results of the vote shall apply to the remaining bill elements and motions required to dispose of that stage and report the bill to the House;

(d) a motion for third reading of a government bill may be made in the same sitting during which the said bill has been concurred in at report stage;

(e) on the last three sitting days set forth in the House of Commons Calendar for the periods ending in June, as well as the last two sitting days of the periods ending in December, a minister of the Crown may move, without notice, a motion to adjourn the House, provided that,

(i) the said motion shall be decided immediately without debate or amendment, and that the House shall be deemed adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28,

(ii) notwithstanding Standing Order 45, no recorded division requested between 2 p.m. on the third to last scheduled sitting day and the adjournment on the last scheduled sitting day of the periods ending in June, respectively, and between 2 p.m. on the second to last scheduled sitting day and the adjournment on the last scheduled sitting day of the periods ending in December shall be deferred, except for any recorded division requested in regard to a Private Member's Business item, for which the provisions of Standing Orders 93 and 98 shall continue to apply; and

(f) on any day, at midnight or thereafter, if the House has not completed a series of recorded divisions related to the business of supply or on any bill, a minister of the Crown may move, at any time, the suspension of the sitting of the House, which shall be deemed adopted, and the sitting of the House shall be suspended until 9:00 a.m., later that calendar day. (Government Business No. 35)

Debate arose thereon.

Statements By Members

Pursuant to Standing Order 31, members made statements.

Oral Questions

Pursuant to Standing Order 30(5), the House proceeded to Oral Questions.

Daily Routine Of Business

Introduction of Government Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Mr. Virani (Minister of Justice), seconded by Mr. Beech (Minister of Citizens’ Services), Bill C-63, An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts, was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Recommendation

(Pursuant to Standing Order 79(2))

Her Excellency the Governor General recommends to the House of Commons the appropriation of public revenue under the circumstances, in the manner and for the purposes set out in a measure entitled “An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts”.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Ms. Chagger (Waterloo), from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented the 60th report of the committee, which was as follows:

The committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, the following changes to the lists of members of the following standing committees:

Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage


Philip Lawrence for Martin Shields

Standing Committee on Health


Laila Goodridge for Shuvaloy Majumdar

Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs


Eric Melillo for Arnold Viersen Martin Shields for Gary Vidal

Standing Committee on Official Languages


Stephanie Kusie for Laila Goodridge

Standing Committee on Public Accounts


Arnold Viersen for Kelly McCauley

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security


Damien Kurek for Eric Melillo

The committee further recommends, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, that the names of the following members be added to the lists of associate members of the following standing committees:

Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage


Martin Shields

Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development


Shuvaloy Majumdar

Standing Committee on Health


Shuvaloy Majumdar

Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs


Gary Vidal Arnold Viersen

Standing Committee on Official Languages


Laila Goodridge

Standing Committee on Public Accounts


Kelly McCauley

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security


Eric Melillo

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 1) is tabled.

Mr. McCauley (Edmonton West), from the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, presented the 14th report of the committee, "Question of Privilege". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-388.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 103 and 104) was tabled.

Mr. Fonseca (Mississauga East—Cooksville), from the Standing Committee on Finance, presented the 16th report of the committee, "Shaping our Economic Future: Canadian Priorities". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-389.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 98, 100, 101, 103 to 107, 109, 111, 113, 116 to 120, 123, 125 and 128) was tabled.

Mr. McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood), from the Standing Committee on National Defence, presented the eighth report of the committee, "Increase in Rental Housing Costs for Canadian Military Personnel". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-390.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 91) was tabled.

Mr. McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood), from the Standing Committee on National Defence, presented the ninth report of the committee, "Donation of Surplus CRV7 Rockets to Ukraine". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-391.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 91) was tabled.

Mr. McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood), from the Standing Committee on National Defence, presented the 10th report of the committee, "On the Frontlines of Democracy: Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Responding to Russia’s Aggression in Europe". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-392.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requested that the government table a comprehensive response.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 93) was tabled.

First Reading of Senate Public Bills

Pursuant to Standing Order 69(2), on motion of Mr. Virani (Minister of Justice), seconded by Mr. Beech (Minister of Citizens’ Services), Bill S-13, An Act to amend the Interpretation Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, was read the first time and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the 60th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented earlier today, be concurred in.

Presenting Petitions

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified by the Clerk of Petitions were presented as follows:

— by Mr. Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan), one concerning social affairs and equality (No. 441-02200), one concerning civil and human rights (No. 441-02201), one concerning health (No. 441-02202) and one concerning foreign affairs (No. 441-02203);

— by Mrs. Wagantall (Yorkton—Melville), one concerning justice (No. 441-02204) and one concerning health (No. 441-02205);

— by Mr. Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa), one concerning justice (No. 441-02206);

— by Mr. Arnold (North Okanagan—Shuswap), one concerning taxation (No. 441-02207) and one concerning the democratic process (No. 441-02208);

— by Ms. May (Saanich—Gulf Islands), one concerning social affairs and equality (No. 441-02209);

— by Mr. Fillmore (Halifax), one concerning social affairs and equality (No. 441-02210);

— by Mr. Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton), one concerning justice (No. 441-02211);

— by Mr. Lamoureux (Winnipeg North), one concerning transportation (No. 441-02212);

— by Mr. Morrice (Kitchener Centre), one concerning foreign affairs (No. 441-02213).

Questions on the Order Paper

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the revised return to the following question made into an order for return:

Q-2064 — — With regard to Global Affairs Canada’s funding to the West Bank and Gaza: (a) does the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority receive a budget for spending on aid related projects, and, if so, how much is this budget in (i) 2023-24, (ii) 2024-25; (b) what oversight, if any, does Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in Ottawa exercise over the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority in terms of (i) vetting grantees, (ii) approving projects, (iii) auditing projects; (c) how does GAC ensure that funds are not misappropriated by terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; (d) what are the details of Canada’s “enhanced oversight policies” regarding international aid to the West Bank and Gaza; (e) what are the details of all grants Canada is currently providing to organizations in the West Bank and Gaza, including, for each, the (i) funding recipient organization, (ii) amount, (iii) purpose of the funding or the project description, (iv) local implementing partners; (f) is the government providing funding to World Vision for its work in Gaza via the Humanitarian Coalition, and, if so, how much funding is it providing; and (g) what action is being taken in response to intelligence reports detailing Hamas’ use of Gaza hospitals for terror, including what kind of reviews GAC is taking to examine funding provided to humanitarian organizations that were active in Gaza hospitals? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-2064-01.

Government Orders

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. O'Regan (Minister of Labour and Seniors), seconded by Ms. Ng (Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development), — That Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012, be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

The debate continued.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, presented earlier today, be concurred in.

Accordingly, the following recommendations of the committee were agreed to:

1. That an order of the House be issued requiring Kristian Firth and Darren Anthony each to appear before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates at dates and times determined by the Chair of the committee, but within twenty-one (21) days of the adoption of this order and with such accessibility accommodations the witnesses may request and the Chair agree to arrange; and

2. After those twenty-one (21) days, if the Chair of the committee informs the Speaker and the Sergeant at Arms in writing that one or both have failed to appear as ordered,

(a) the Sergeant at Arms shall take Kristian Firth, Darren Anthony or both of them, as the case may be, into his custody for the purposes of enforcing their attendance before the committee at dates and times determined by the Chair of the committee, for which the Speaker shall issue his warrant accordingly,

(b) the Sergeant at Arms shall discharge from his custody a witness taken into his custody, pursuant to paragraph (a), upon (i) a decision of the committee releasing the witness from further attendance, or (ii) a further order of the House to that effect,

Government Orders

The debate continued.

The question was put on the motion and, pursuant to Standing Order 45, the recorded division was deferred until Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

Returns and Reports Deposited with the Clerk of the House

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(1), papers deposited with the Clerk of the House were laid before the House as follows:

— by the Speaker — Report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled "Supplementary Estimates (C) 2023-24", pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act, R.S. 1985, c. P-1, sbs. 79.2(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-1119-105. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates)

— by Mr. Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities) — Response of the government, pursuant to Standing Order 109, to the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, "Financialization of Housing" (Sessional Paper No. 8510-441-326), presented to the House on Thursday, October 26, 2023. — Sessional Paper No. 8512-441-326.

— by Mr. Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities) — Summary of the Corporate Plan for 2023-24 to 2027-28 of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4). — Sessional Paper No. 8562-441-872-02. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities)

— by Ms. Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs) — Copies of the Special Economic Measures (Guatemala) Regulations (P.C. 2024-130) and of the Special Economic Measures (Guatemala) Permit Authorization Order (P.C. 2024-131), pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act, S.C. 1992, c. 17, sbs. 7(1). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-495-62. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development)

Adjournment Proceedings

At 5:55 p.m., by unanimous consent and pursuant to Standing Order 38(1), the question “That this House do now adjourn” was deemed to have been proposed.

After debate, the question was deemed to have been adopted.

Accordingly, at 6:28 p.m., the Speaker adjourned the House until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).