Evidence of meeting #123 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was discussion.
A video is available from Parliament.
10:10 p.m.
Conservative
10:10 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
I think I'm ready. The subamendment would read “tribute to the realization, over a 10-year period, of a Canada without”.
10:10 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
Does everybody understand the subamendment?
We'll call the subamendment to a vote.
Did you ask for a recorded vote?
10:10 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Yes.
(Subamendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
10:10 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
Is there any further discussion on LIB-10?
Seeing none, we'll call the vote on LIB-10.
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We now move to LIB-11.
10:10 p.m.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Excuse me, Mr. Chair; I've not been allowed to speak to amendment PV-4.
10:10 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
My understanding is that it's been deemed moved, and because it was part of the previous one and the way it has been changed, you.... No.
10:10 p.m.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
That is a violation of the terms of the motion that compels me to be here. I have very limited rights in these circumstances, but if you review the motion you passed, I believe you'll find that I have a right to speak to each amendment. Whether they conflict with others or not, they are deemed moved, and the only right I have is to be able to speak to them.
Now, if you want to take that position, I'm not in a position to challenge the chair, but you all passed this motion. I objected to it at the time. It's onerous and unfair and it's coercive, but the one thing I have is a right to speak to each of my amendments in clause-by-clause study.
10:10 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
Thank you, Ms. May. I appreciate that, and I will keep that in mind as we move forward. I know you have a few more. I will make sure that we give you the floor at the beginning when we start the discussion. Okay?
10:10 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB
It's a very minor grammar change. I'll read it out:
That Bill C-81, in Clause 18, be amended by replacing, in the English version, line 11 on page 7 with the following:
“barriers through, among other things,”
That is as opposed to “barriers by”. We want to change that to “through”.
10:15 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
Is there any further discussion on amendment LIB-11?
(Amendment agreed to)
We're on amendment CPC-15. Is there any discussion?
Go ahead, Ms. Falk.
10:15 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
It reads:
That Bill C-81, in Clause 18, be amended
(a) by replacing line 12 on page 7 with the following:
“(a) the development and revision of all accessibility stan-”
(b) by adding after line 25 on page 7 the following:
“(2) When developing accessibility standards in the areas of information and communication technologies or transportation, the Standards Organization must consult the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission or the Canadian Transportation Agency, as the case may be.”
The reasoning for this amendment is that the bill gives powers to more than one body to create accessibility requirements in many areas. The CTA and the CRTC have powers to enact accessibility standards in certain areas and the CASDO has powers to create proposed accessibility standards, which the federal government may enact into law. This creates a legally complex scheme. It may be difficult for the public to identify which accessibility requirements apply to which organizations. It risks creating inconsistent accessibility requirements.
10:15 p.m.
Conservative
Alex Nuttall Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON
I think this is actually what Mr. Long's amendment was about earlier. It is that you have multiple regimes, multiple organizations overseeing a single idea of accessibility within a sector or a space and needing the ability to determine which one actually matters. I think the intent of the amendment that we passed earlier was that the greater of the two would be the one adopted.
Further to that, it would make sense that we conduct or force a conducted consultation throughout that process, because it is likely going to be very complex, but ignorance shouldn't be an excuse at any point throughout this process. If there are multiple oversight mechanisms, then you do want the consultation taking place with those organizations that are going to be affected.
10:15 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
Thank you, Mr. Nuttall.
Is there any further discussion on CPC-15?
Seeing none, I'll call the vote.
10:15 p.m.
Conservative
10:15 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
We'll have a recorded vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 3 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We now move on to CPC-16.
Is there any discussion on CPC-16?
Go ahead, Mrs. Falk.
10:15 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
It reads:
That Bill C-81, in Clause 8, be amended by adding after line 25 on page 7 the following:
“(2) The Standards Organization must, within six months after the day on which this Act comes into force, develop and implement an education and information program for the dissemination of information to the public under paragraph (1)(e).”
I know we have heard testimony from many different witnesses about having some type of public education rolled out. I know that Mr. Christopher Sutton of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association mentioned it. We also had Ryerson University mention it. There were a few. I think it's important that the opportunity for public education be rolled out to inform Canadians.
10:20 p.m.
The Vice-Chair Mr. John Barlow
Thank you, Mrs. Falk.
Is there any further discussion on CPC-16?
Go ahead, Mr. Nuttall.
10:20 p.m.
Conservative
Alex Nuttall Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON
Mr. Van Raalte, in terms of your implementation of this bill, what is your expected timeline for starting the education surrounding the legislation changes?
10:20 p.m.
Director General, Accessibility Secretariat, Department of Employment and Social Development
Thanks for the question, Mr. Chair.
The expectation is that the new organization would open its doors this summer. It'll take about a year to stand up the organization in terms of infrastructure, getting staffed up and getting everything in place. It will be fully operational a year from this summer.
10:20 p.m.
Conservative