Justice Committee on Nov. 16th, 2009

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Let me just play devil's advocate for a minute to suggest that--I'm making this comment for my friends on the other side of the room--you're one of the exceptional cases. Do you see yourself that way, or do you see other individuals you've come across that way? I'm looking for an analysis of where you fit into the overall parameters of the people who apply and are successful in getting out on early release.

[Rick Sauvé]

I would say that I'm somewhat exceptional, but that's what this legislation was for. It was for those who do exceptionally well in a prison environment.

I work with men serving life sentences. Most of the men who are serving life sentences now and who are eligible to apply for the judicial review don't; most of them maintain throughout their sentence that they look forward to applying, but once they get to that point, many of them just say no. They say that they don't want to put their victims through that again, that they don't want to put their family through that again, and that they don't want to go through that again.

But it allowed them the hope and the opportunity to seize opportunities inside the prison to try to do well, so that someday they could successfully reintegrate, and that's one of the other aspects of this legislation. It provides hope inside the prison as well as getting out of the prison.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Thank you.

Are there any questions on the government side? No.

Monsieur Lemay, Madame Lavallée, any questions? No.

Mr. Comartin, do you want to carry on? No.

Okay.

Mr. Sauvé, thank you for attending.

We're going to move to clause-by-clause now on the bill. We'll just give you a moment to leave the table and then we'll go back into clause-by-clause.

We'll suspend for two minutes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

I'll reconvene the meeting.

We move now to clause-by-clause on Bill C-36, An Act to amend the Criminal Code.

Also, we want to welcome back John Giokas and Catherine Kane, who are with the criminal policy section of the Department of Justice. Welcome back to both of you.

You have before you four government amendments. I trust you've had an opportunity to review them. It's my understanding that all of the amendments were circulated to you by e-mail.

Pursuant to standing order 75(1), consideration of clause 1 is postponed.

(On clause 2)

I understand the government has an amendment on clause 2. Mr. Moore, would you like to present the amendment and explain it.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Yes, I'll move the amendment. It's a technical amendment bringing the English and French versions into the proper form, and if there's any further explanation anyone needs, there are experts here from the department who can answer them. It's a technical amendment dealing with language.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Perhaps we could have a comment from our criminal policy representatives.

[Catherine Kane, Acting Director General and Senior General Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section, Department of Justice]

Yes, certainly.

As Mr. Moore indicated, this is simply an amendment to clarify the language. The English and French basically convey the same notion, and that is to explain that once this act comes into force, the provision that it refers to in subsection (1) is not applicable anymore. A more expansive wording was used in the French version, and the proposed motion will make the English more in line with the French version. The effect is the same, so it's basically just an expansion and clarification of the drafting, and only an amendment to change the English version of the bill.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Right, thank you.

Mr. Comartin.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Just so I'm clear, we're not changing the wording in the French version at all?

[Catherine Kane]

That's correct. We're just making the English more--

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

In line with the French.

[Catherine Kane]

Yes. It's not a translation, but a better interpretation of the French.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 2 as amended agreed to on division)

(On clause 3)

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

On clause 3, we have amendment G-2.

Mr. Moore.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

This is the same as the last amendment, Mr. Chair. It's just harmonizing the English and French versions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Thank you.

Is there any discussion? I'll call the question on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to on division [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 3 as amended agreed to on division)

(On clause 4)

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Moving on to clause 4, we have amendment G-3.

Mr. Moore.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

I'll move the amendment the same as before, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Is there any discussion?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

As with all the amendments we've moved, it's to harmonize the English and French.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

If there's no further discussion, I'll call the question on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to on division [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 4 as amended agreed to on division)

(Clause 5 agreed to on division)

(On clause 6)

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Moving on to clause 6, we have the last government amendment, G-4.

Mr. Moore.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

This is to harmonize the English and French versions, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

It's the same rationale as before.

Are there any questions or is there discussion on the amendment to clause 6? Hearing none, I'll call the question on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to on division [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 6 as amended agreed to on division)

(Clause 7 agreed to on division)

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Shall the alternative title carry?