Human Resources Committee on Dec. 10th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, September 30, 2009, we will commence clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-304, an act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible, and affordable housing for Canadians.

(On clause 5--Conference to be held)

I'll go back to where we were when we met on Tuesday. We were at clause 5, and we were looking at amendment LIB-16, which is on page 17.1.

You'll notice that the package you have before you today contains considerably less than what we started with on Tuesday. There's not a whole lot left to work on.

I'm going to turn the floor over to Mr. Kennedy. I believe he was talking about amendment LIB-16.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I'm actually asking for your indulgence, Mr. Chair, and that of the committee. There's a slight wording change to amendment LIB-16, and I think that's being distributed now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay, so do you want unanimous consent to withdraw amendment LIB-16?

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

No, I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, if you would give me just a moment, I want to make sure I have what I need.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. Go ahead.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We'll withdraw the first one in order to consider amendment LIB-16.01.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

All right. Do we have unanimous consent to withdraw amendment LIB-16?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

So then we'll turn to page 17.2, amendment LIB-16.01, and I will turn the floor back over to Mr. Kennedy to speak to that motion.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Again, just to remind the committee, this is setting up a process so that there is a consequence to the bill itself, first for measuring outcomes, and then for taking in complaints. This just streamlines it a bit from the motion that was pulled back, but that's essentially what we're doing in the spirit of the bill that has been brought forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Is there any discussion on amendment LIB-16.01?

Go ahead, Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, I believe this bill doesn't, as a rule, require royal recommendation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That is correct.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

How do you set up a reporting process for complaints without money? Perhaps Mr. Kennedy could address that. Obviously it's talking about setting up a reporting process for addressing complaints, and I'm not sure how a government sets that up without some form of financial remuneration for the people who would receive those reports, unless they just go into possibly an e-mail that's not answered.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, this type of provision has been ruled on numerous times. In other words, it's not the granting of money; it's not the distribution of money. Processes in the ordinary course of government can be determined by governments at that time. They could fund it a little, a lot, or not at all. In other words, that process might turn out to be inadequate. This simply provides for its existence. How it's made into existence is a prerogative of the government of the day.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I'll just comment on that, Mr. Jean. This is about developing the national strategy, not about implementation.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As you can see, it says “a process for”. It doesn't say to put in place the actual independent review.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

That's interesting. Thank you.

As a matter of interest for future reference, does Mr. Kennedy have a reference for that from Marleau and Montpetit or any other source? I've not seen it and I'm a bit of a junkie.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I wasn't referring to Marleau and Montpetit, or Bourinot, or anyone else. Just for your general awareness, and I'm sure you'll pick this up in other committees, this is the kind of language that is permitted for private members' bills. It's not new to this.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. That's why we have our legislative clerks with us.

Is there any other discussion? I'll call the question on amendment LIB-16.01.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

I'll ask you to turn to page 18 in your handouts and look at amendment LIB-16.1.

Once again I will turn the floor over to Mr. Kennedy to speak to that motion.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Very briefly, Mr. Chair, Canada has been a signatory, but has been subject to United Nations review on its human rights compliance with respect to adequate housing for decades now, and it has had no vehicle with which to address the recommendations that come from our engagement with the international community. This provides for that, again, in developing such a review and follow-up basis.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

All right, is there any discussion on this?

I'll call the question, then, on L-16.1.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 5 as amended agreed to)

(On clause 6—Report)

We have a proposed amendment on page 19, the next page in your handouts, and it is L-18.

Once again, Mr. Kennedy, I'll turn the floor over to you to discuss that amendment.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This is simply a conforming amendment that recognizes the work the committee just did in adding clauses, to make sure it's in compliance.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Is there any discussion on amendment L-18? No.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 6 as amended agreed to)

(On clause 2--Definitions)

Now we're going to come back to the clauses that we stood down. On clause 2 we have an NDP motion, NDP-1, so we're going to turn back to the first page in your handouts again, to NDP-1 on page 1. If we're all there, then I will get Ms. Leslie to talk to the amendment, then we can have any discussion there is.