Human Resources Committee on Feb. 13th, 2014

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Okay. Are there any other speakers to amendment G-1?

Seeing none, I'll call the vote on amendment G-1.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 2 as amended agreed to on division)

(On clause 3)

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Okay, we move on to Government-2 and I must point out that with this amendment there's a line conflict with amendments NDP-4 and NDP-5. If amendment G-2 is adopted, amendments NDP-4 or NDP-5 cannot be proceeded with.

Madam McLeod.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Because the language was moved into the earlier section, it really basically just removes a redundant section and it's a technical change with no impact.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Are there any other speakers to the amendment proposed by Government-2?

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Chair, can you just give me a moment please because we're going through this quite fast for me—

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Very good.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

—and I'm trying to see where all the different documents are.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

We'll slow it down.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Thank you.

Once again, Chair, I'm just going to talk about the process. I share my colleagues' concern that the process has been fundamentally flawed. We're opposed to this amendment as it deletes all of section 29, which currently governs representation votes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Are there any other speakers to amendment 2 proposed by the government? Seeing none, we'll call the vote on amendment 2 as proposed.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 3 as amended agreed to on division)

(On clause 4)

We move on to government amendment 3.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Chair, can I clarify? As I look at government amendment.... May I have permission to speak to this?

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Absolutely.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

I wanted a clarification because it didn't appear to me, unless I've missed government amendment 2 in repealing subsection 29(1), I'm wondering how that completely eliminates the amendment I'm proposing at subsection 29(2).

It's not the same language, so I wondered how in passing government amendment 2....

I'm sorry. I'm not in the clause yet. Excuse me. Sorry, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Okay.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

You will love this. I read Government-2 as Green-2. I'm very sorry.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

We'll move on now to the third amendment proposed by the government. I'll move directly to comments by committee members.

Ms. McLeod.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

This aligns the minimum employee support threshold that must be claimed in the decertification application with the related requirements for certification, so again I think it's an important improvement to this bill.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Ms. Sims.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

We're opposed to this amendment because it does lower the threshold for decertification vote to 40%. We plan to bring amendments at the report stage, but I'm hoping my colleagues across the way will hear our concerns and will have addressed them before it gets there because I also realize if I try to amend it here, then that stops me from bringing forward an amendment at the report stage.

I am expressing our concern at the very low threshold of 40%.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Monsieur Boulerice.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

I'm going to say almost the same thing in French.

I want to point out that we New Democrats do not agree with lowering the level at which a decertification process starts. That actually has major consequences for some, those in call centres, for example, or in any business that falls under federal jurisdiction. In our opinion, it should be a majority. We would prefer the level to be 50% rather than 40%.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Ms. McLeod.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Thank you, and I would like to point out of course it's written in the bill that it's 45%. We are moving it. So I think if you look at the norm, and we heard from the witnesses in terms of...this is certainly very much in line with some provincial norms and indeed perhaps a little lower.

[The Chair, Conservative, Phil McColeman]

Seeing no further members wish to comment, I'd like to move this amendment.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall clause 4 carry as amended?

Madam Sims.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

I have a subamendment for this one. In clause 5(e)....