Evidence of meeting #59 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lessard.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Marla Israel  Director, International Policy and Agreements, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Social Development Sectors Branch, Department of Human Resources and Social Development
Nancy Lawand  Director General, Canada Pension Plan Disability Directorate, Department of Human Resources and Social Development
Ross MacLeod  Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations Branch, Service Canada
Suzan Kalinowski  Senior Economist, Department of Finance

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON

I believe that's a motion I'm willing to support, but I'm not sure if that is a motion she has moved. Is that to be voted on?

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

I need unanimous consent to be able to move that.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON

Is there unanimous consent?

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

You need unanimous consent to move a motion.

My question is, do we want to vote on amendment NDP-2? That's what's before us.

5:05 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC

Yes.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

If all the discussion is done....

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Are we going to go back to amendment NDP-1?

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

No, that one was defeated. This is a new one.

I will remind everyone that we voted against it the last time, but here we are at amendment NDP-2.

February 27th, 2007 / 5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Mr. Chair, I'd like to hear the officials' response to the suggestion made by Ms. Charlton.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

That suggestion didn't get unanimous consent, though.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

That's correct.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

I'd still like to hear from them.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Do you have any comments?

5:05 p.m.

Director, International Policy and Agreements, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Social Development Sectors Branch, Department of Human Resources and Social Development

Marla Israel

If I understand it correctly, you would end up providing sponsored immigrants with income-tested benefits on a prorated basis, in the same way that you would—

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Canadian citizens.

5:05 p.m.

Director, International Policy and Agreements, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Social Development Sectors Branch, Department of Human Resources and Social Development

Marla Israel

—non-sponsored immigrants.

You may end up levelling the playing field in terms of persons, but from the financial side, it's not something we've assessed from a departmental perspective. I'm not quite sure....

It comes back to the financial obligation of the sponsor as well.

5:05 p.m.

Director General, Canada Pension Plan Disability Directorate, Department of Human Resources and Social Development

Nancy Lawand

I was just going to say that the intent of sponsorship is that the sponsor takes on the financial responsibility. It's a relationship with the sponsored immigrant, and if I'm understanding your point correctly, the effect of your proposed change would be to basically undo the amendment that was brought in back in 1996. That's how I hear the effect of what you're suggesting.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Are there any other comments?

We don't have a formal motion or amendment before us, because that does require unanimous consent.

The second point I'll add is that if we're going to add more benefits, there is a chance such a proposition could require royal recommendation. Once again, I haven't seen a motion, so if there is no more discussion, I'm going to go back to what we have before us, which is amendment NDP-2.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Could we get a recorded vote on that?

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Most definitely.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Thank you, sir.

(Amendment negatived) [See Minutes of Proceedings])

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Motion BQ-14 is the same, so we will strike that.

We had motion BQ-12, which was negatived; BQ-13, which was out of order; and NDP-2 which was defeated. So we go back to clause 19.

(Clause 19 agreed to)

(On clause 20)

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

We are now going to clause 20.

We have before us motion BQ-15, which is on page 17 of the handouts and page 18 of the actual bill.

Mr. Lessard, again, this is a “shall”. Do we want to deal with that in the same way we have in the past?

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC

Yes.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Thank you very much, sir.

That is defeated.

(Amendment negatived) [See Minutes of Proceedings]