Evidence of meeting #1 for Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hours.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Dykstra
Order. We're back live.
This is the motion as moved by Madam Jennings:
That the Committee study primarily the Bill C-27 portion of Bill C-2; accordingly, that the Committee uses the list of witnesses established by the Bill C-27 Legislative Committee in the First session of the 39th Parliament; that the evidence and documentation received by the Legislative Committee on Bill C-27 in the First session of the 39th Parliament be taken into consideration by this Committee; and that the witnesses who have testified in the First session, 39th Parliament be invited back before this committee, if needed.
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
I would like to move an amendment. I just want the list of witnesses to be longer. We have just voted that we have until November 1 to table it. I do not want us to have to adhere blindly to the first list, because we are going to add to it. So I would say “the new and improved witness list”.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
That is not what she is talking about. She is talking about bringing in witnesses.
Liberal
Bloc
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Dykstra
Mr. Ménard, good point, but that is incorporated in the motion. It's understood that it could be expanded. There's no amendment.
Do we have agreement on the motion?
Mr. Moore.
Conservative
Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB
My read of this, or what I think I hear, is that in general we're going to be hearing witnesses on what was Bill C-27. Does Ms. Jennings' motion mean that if we wanted to hear something on some aspect of one of the other bills, we would be absolutely precluded from doing that?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Dykstra
My understanding of the motion is that the fifth word in this is “primarily”, as in primarily the Bill C-27 portion of Bill C-2, and that it would, in fact, if necessary, allow us to--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Dykstra
The clerk makes a great point here. I would just remind everyone that we have until 11:59 on November 1 to get our witness list in. The clerk and I will between us endeavour to have witnesses for tomorrow who are actually, as Ms. Jennings said, waiting on the edge of their seat to get here to present.
Now I'd like to deal with Mr. Ménard.
I don't know if your request is actually in the form of a motion or if you're asking Mr. MacKay for detailed information in terms of a chart.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
I do not think that it should take the form of a motion. I just want to make sure that we have the three following pieces of information: a table comparing the old Bill C-27 with the additions that have been made; a table showing the sequence of events by which someone is declared a dangerous offender and the court process involved; and finally I would like to have a list of American witnesses who could inspire the committee in the same way as the Conservatives have been inspired by American practices.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Dykstra
The only thing I would request, Monsieur Ménard, is that it come through the clerk and that it be distributed to all members of the committee.
Conservative
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
This is just a suggestion for tomorrow afternoon. I think it would be useful, especially for the members of the committee who haven't sat through Bill C-27 before, if the officials came back for the first hour. We're not going to get much out of them this afternoon if we've only an hour with them and the minister, and at least some of them should be available, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Dykstra
Thank you. That's a good recommendation.
Is there anything else?
The meeting is adjourned.
