That's correct.
Evidence of meeting #72 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cannabis.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #72 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cannabis.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
If there's no further debate, I'll put the question on the motion.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Mr. McKinnon, we come to your motion.
4:25 p.m.
Liberal
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
It is to also amend the motion, to accommodate conditional sentences in cases of 14-year maximum penalties.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
I'm new to this committee, but this legislation is split among a number of departments. Wouldn't it be better to send a letter to the chair of the justice committee and ask him to look at this and then make a recommendation? Isn't that more appropriate? I don't know whether this is within our jurisdiction to be doing.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
Well, they both testified here at the committee, so I think it's legitimate for us to respond to them. They were both present.
If they were here, we should be able to submit this to them.
Mr. Davies.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I want to agree with Mr. McKinnon's amendment. I think it could take different forms. This letter is going to the Minister of Health. It could be addressed to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice, or it could go to the Minister of Health asking the Minister of Health to work with her colleague, the Minister of Justice, to review the law around conditional sentences.
My hunch is that the present government is looking at altering the way conditional sentences are applied in this country. If we can say that our experience in this committee was that we could envision situations in which, because of the penalties, judges would be unable to offer conditional sentences in situations in which we think they ought to have discretion, I think we should make that recommendation, whether it's to the Minister of Health or the Minister of Justice.
Is that the tenor of your motion, Mr. McKinnon?
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
The Minister of Public Safety was also present, so if I may, let me offer a friendly amendment that this also be sent to the Minister of Public Safety.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
All right, all in favour of Mr. McKinnon's motion please signify.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
May I just ask a quick question? I think we took edibles out, but now we know that edibles have been put back in, so I don't think we need to—
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Yes, so we don't have to mention that in the letter now, because it's in the legislation.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
Is that it?
I want to thank everybody. We had our marathon sitting and we did a good job. There's been a debate about how many witnesses we had. We actually had 109 witnesses—90 groups, but we had 109 individuals—here to testify. I don't know about everyone else in the committee, but I learned a lot. We had great witnesses, we learned a lot, and I think we've done a good job on this.
It's going to be reviewed in three years, and I expect us all to come back and review it on this committee.
Mr. Van Kesteren.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
Didn't we change the review time to five years?
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
No, we changed it from five years to three, and I think that's good, because there's no question, we're going to learn lessons as this thing unfolds.
Mr. Davies.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
On behalf of the New Democrat caucus here, Mr. Chair, I want to thank you for the equanimity and the fairness with which you've chaired all these proceedings. I thought you did an excellent job; you let the witnesses finish their thoughts; you were very judicious in the way you apportioned the time among the parties.
I would like to thank all the committee members for indulging me so I could have five minutes in my second round. I really appreciated that. I want to thank you in particular, Mr. Chair, the staff, the analysts, the clerk, the legislative counsel, and all the ministry officials for their hard work and indulgence. This was a big bill, and I thought we got through it in a respectful way.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal