Evidence of meeting #61 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was transfer.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Glenn Campbell  Director, International Policy and Analysis Division , Department of Finance
Gilles Moreau  Director General, National Compensation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Department of Public Safety
Jonathan Roy  Senior Policy Analyst, Social Policy, Health, Justice, Culture, Department of Finance
Daniel MacDonald  Chief, Federal-Provincial Relations Division, CHT/CST and Northern Policy, Department of Finance
John Davies  Director General, National Security Policy, Department of Public Safety
Darryl Hirsch  Senior Policy Analyst, Intelligence Policy and Coordination, Department of Public Safety
Nigel Harrison  Manager, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
David Gillis  Director General, Ecosystems and Oceans Science Sector, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
David Lee  Director, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization; Policy, Planning and International Affairs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Samuel Godefroy  Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Alwyn Child  Director General, Program Development and Guidance Directorate, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Annette Nicholson  Secretary and General Counsel, International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Lenore Duff  Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Dominique La Salle  Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Nathalie Martel  Director, Old Age Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Bruno Rodrigue  Chief, Social policy, Income Security, Department of Finance
Annette Vermaeten  Director, Task Force, Special Projects, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Eileen Boyd  Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel, Privy Council Office
Neil Bouwer  Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Lynn Tassé  Director, Canada Gazette, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Gerard Peets  Senior Director, Strategy and Planning Directorate, Department of Industry
Patricia Brady  Director, Investment, Insolvency, Competition and Corporate Policy Directorate, Department of Industry
Andy Lalonde  Manager, Preclearance, Canada Border Services Agency, Department of Public Safety
Lynn Hemmings  Senior Chief, Payments, Payments and Pensions, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Order, order.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB

You ought to be sorry.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Order, order.

6:50 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

I know. Are you going to write me a ticket?

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Order. I'll just remind members that we are on television. We are being watched by our constituents and we should reflect that in the best manner possible.

We'll go to Mr. Marston, please.

6:50 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Look, putting aside the personalities that are bubbling a little here, there's a certain tone of condescension that comes over about the amount of work that we put into this.

I'm sitting here with pages after pages of legitimate questions. Your government has put together a huge document of 400 and some pages. Part of our responsibility is to bring forward the concerns and questions we have, and to do that in a public forum, here, in front of Canadians. I'm not going to make any apology at all to anybody for doing the due diligence that's necessary on this.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Jean, please.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB

Very briefly, Mr. Chair, I was just going to say that from my recollection, I think there was a proposed schedule or plan for of how we were going to study this. It was unanimous. I think it was unanimous, from my recollection of it. And if I can talk about it, I think everybody agreed to that project.

Did they not? Did we not all agree to it? I remember it was submitted around the table.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

My understanding is that the motion itself was not unanimous, but regarding our calendar—and members can correct me on this—all three parties instructed me as the chair to operate under the schedule proposed by Ms. Glover, once the motion had passed. There wasn't agreement on the motion, but there was agreement on the schedule. That's what my understanding was as chair.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB

That was my point, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for that confirmation.

It was a unanimously agreed upon schedule. The motion wasn't, but the schedule was.

Why don't we get on with the business? We already know what our position is. We know what your position is. You've stated it. We have a witness who's sitting here patiently—and whom I hope, for her sake, is paid significant overtime to be here. We've been here 15 to 20 minutes. Could we get on with the business we're here to do?

Then at the end of the day, at 9:30 or 9:29, if you want to make your statement, I'd be happy to stay as long as you want. And I promise no more fishing stories, as long as you come up and go fishing with me, along with Mr. Mulcair.

6:50 p.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB

I'd appreciate that. We could sit on the beaches and eat some fish there. I think you'd enjoy that.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Thank you.

We'll have Ms. Nash, please.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB

I would just like a clarification. Is the extra hour we sit tonight, if that's the will of the committee, an additional hour? Is that correct?

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Yes. If the committee agrees to it, it would be an additional hour tonight.

6:50 p.m.

NDP

Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON

All right.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Can I just ask if the additional hour tonight is agreed to by the committee?

Go ahead, Mr. Hoback, on this point.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

I just want to reconfirm that there will be no motions brought forward in this last hour.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Do I have the agreement of the committee that there'll be an extra hour tonight, to 9:30, and there will be no motions brought forward by any member of the committee?

6:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

6:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Look at how we all get along.

Ms. Duff, I apologize for making you sit there. We'll have you present an overview of division 22 on the Canada Labour Code.

6:50 p.m.

Lenore Duff Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development

Division 22 contains two elements. The first one consists of clauses 432 and 433, which amend section 115 of the Canada Labour Code, which in turn requires that unions and employers to file their collective agreements with the Minister of Labour.

There is currently no mechanism, short of prosecution, to ensure that the parties comply with this filing obligation. Once amended, section 115 will specify that parties must file their collective agreement with the minister immediately after it is entered into, renewed, or revised. It will also stipulate that a collective agreement may come into force only if at least one party has filed a copy.

Once the collective agreement is filed, its provisions will come into force on the day it would have come into force if not for the filing requirement, which essentially means that the provisions could apply retroactively.

These amendments will come into force on the date fixed by the Governor in Council.

6:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Thank you very much for that overview.

We'll have members' questions, starting with Ms. Nash.

6:55 p.m.

NDP

Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON

First of all, thank you for waiting patiently for us tonight.

Can you just clarify for me the rationale for this change, and would the information filed be made public?

May 17th, 2012 / 6:55 p.m.

Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development

Lenore Duff

There was always a requirement to file collective agreements, so the rationale for this was simply to try to encourage compliance with the measure. In the past, there have been some difficulties obtaining collective agreements from particular organizations.

There is a service at the labour program where people can seek information from collective agreements. It's contained in the Negotech system. There's a call centre. You can inquire about the provisions in collective agreements.