Human Resources Committee on May 10th, 2007

Evidence of meeting #73 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was care.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-303, An Act to establish criteria and conditions in respect of funding for early learning and child care programs in order to ensure the quality, accessibility, universality and accountability of those programs, and to appoint a council to advise the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development on matters relating to early learning and child care
Committee Business

MPs speaking

Dean Allison
Lynne Yelich
Patrick Brown
Olivia Chow
Mike Lake
Ruby Dhalla
Yves Lessard
Gary Merasty
Vivian Barbot
Michael Savage

Also speaking

Shawn Tupper  Director General, Social Policy Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development
Glennie Graham  Director, Child and Youth Policy Division, Department of Human Resources and Social Development
Christian Beaulieu  Senior Counsel and Team Leader, Legal Services, Information Management and Social Programs Groups, Department of Human Resources and Social Development

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

Could I have 30 seconds?

I was going to say this in my closing remarks, and Ms. Yelich brought it up as well. The impact this bill is going to have for the first nations and aboriginal, the Inuit and the Métis people, is that it's going to provide an investment in early learning and child care. It's going to create child care spaces. It's going to provide an infrastructure. It's going to provide investment to ensure that in years to come--we're at number 25 in the study that has just been released by Save the Children--we no longer are at the bottom of the list, that we actually invest in early learning.

And I think each and every one of us has a responsibility to ensure that this bill is inclusive. Regardless of how you feel about this bill, I think it is imperative that all members support the inclusion of the aboriginal people.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Okay. We're going to call the vote. There are no other hands up.

On the subamendment, the way it reads is: “aboriginal peoples' organization” means an organization of First Nations band governments, Inuit or Métis people.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK

In the absence of real legal advice—

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

We are voting on the subamendment.

(Subamendment agreed to)

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

We are moving now to the amendment as amended.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

I would like a recorded vote, please.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Thank you.

There is a recorded vote on the amendment as amended.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

Mr. Chair, I have a point of clarification. I'm not going to do another speech; I have a question.

In terms of the amendments I've put forward, there are a significant number that are all basically the same amendment. For the sake of time, would it be possible to vote on them as a block?

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Yes.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Let's deal with this first, and then we'll have a conversation with the clerk before we move forward.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

We'll be sitting here for twelve meetings if we have--

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Okay. We're on the recorded vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 0)

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

We will now move to L-2.

Ms. Dhalla, would like to talk to us about L-2, which is on page 2.

Once again, I want to indicate that the first three have been ruled out of order, so we're moving forward.

Ms. Chow, you also submitted an amendment. I don't know if you've been in consultations and whether you want to make a subamendment to this one. I'm going to leave it with Ms. Dhalla to talk about this first, and then we can come back to your subamendment.

Ms. Dhalla.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

The amendment reads that clause 2 in Bill C-303 be amended by replacing line 5, on page 2, with the following:

province, territory, institution, aboriginal peoples' organization or corporate

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Okay. Ms. Chow, you're not adding a subamendment to this one. We'll deal with your amendment separately. Is that okay?

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Whichever is easier.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Well, nothing has been nothing easy, but anyway--

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

I'll do the subamendment because that is easier.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

You'll move it as a subamendment.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

I will do that. I so move.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Okay. Would you tell us how you'd like that to read?

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

I would add “First Nations government”.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Where would you like that added—at the end?

5:05 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

After the word “institution”.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Did you want that to say “First Nations band governments”?