Human Resources Committee on Nov. 8th, 2018

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow (Foothills, CPC)]

It's good to see everyone again. I missed all of you. It's been at least a minute since we saw each other.

Once again, I will go through the introductions for those who are new guests to our committee.

Today's meeting is on C-81, an act to ensure a barrier-free Canada. The objective of today's meeting is to resume the committee's clause-by-clause consideration of this bill.

I would like to take a moment to remind those participating in the proceedings as well as those observing the proceedings in person or on video that the committee adopted a motion on September 18 that included instructions for the clerk to explore options to allow for the full participation of all witnesses and members of the public on this study. As a result, the committee has made arrangements to make all meetings in relation to the study of Bill C-81 as accessible as possible in a variety of ways. This includes providing sign language interpretation and near real-time closed captioning in this room.

Please note that both American sign language and Quebec sign language are being offered to our audience. For those who would like to watch the American sign language interpretation, please sit on the benches to my left. For those who would like to watch the Quebec sign language interpretation, please sit on the benches to my right.

In addition, please note that the first two rows of benches have been reserved for those who wish to avail themselves of these interpretation services. Screens displaying a near real-time closed captioning have also been set up, with the English text to my left and the French text to my right. The sign language interpreters in the room are also being video recorded for the eventual broadcast of this meeting on ParlVu through the committee's website.

In light of these arrangements, the committee would like to ask, if you need to leave the room during the meeting, please do not walk in front of the sign language interpreters. Instead, please use the extremities of the room. In addition, we would ask that those in the room remain seated as much as possible during the meeting to ensure that everyone in the audience can clearly see the sign language interpretation. Finally, if a member of the audience requires assistance at any time, please notify a member of the staff or the committee clerk.

Once again, I would like to welcome our officials from the Department of Employment and Social Development, James Van Raalte, director general, accessibility secretariat; Benoît Gendron, director, accessibility secretariat; and Erik Lapalme, senior policy analyst, accessibility secretariat.

We will now continue with the clause-by-clause consideration.

I want to let everyone on the committee know that we're going to try to get done by one or two o'clock, before question period. According to the clerk, our sign language interpreters will only be here until 6 p.m. today. That gives us a deadline there as well. I know we are going to try to finish earlier than that.

With that in mind, if you don't feel you have to read out some clauses in the amendments, if it's pretty straightforward, we'll try to move through those as quickly as possible.

We will now pick up where we left off.

(On clause 21)

[The Chair]

We were on clause 21, PV-6.

[Dan Ruimy, Liberal, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Chair, just for confirmation, with the motion we passed that one o'clock was the deadline and after one o'clock we would just read and go through, is there a plan to stay until six o'clock?

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

According to the motion, today is open. We have that motion on file.

[Dan Ruimy, Liberal, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

If we can be done by one...but we've only gone through 20 clauses.

[Dan Ruimy, Liberal, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

The debate on the amendments will go until one o'clock.

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

Right, but the votes could take until past two, depending on how far we get.

It's not going to be open for debate or anything like that; it's just that the voting could take us past two.

Moving on to amendment PV-6 on clause 21, is there any discussion?

Mr. Diotte.

[Kerry Diotte, Edmonton Griesbach, CPC]

I was voting.

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

The legal counsel was just telling me that CPC-20 is pretty much identical to the previous amendment. Because we would be voting on Green Party amendment PV-6, CPC-20 would not be tabled. If you wanted to comment on CPC-20, I would do it now.

Ms. Hardcastle.

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Chair, it's important for us to have as much independence as possible for the organizations that are going to be established under Bill C-81. Some independence from the minister is important, and that's reflected in both of these amendments.

I just want to say, in regard to PV-6, that I know Ms. May would be here to speak to these motions herself, but she did have to get home for the Kristallnacht commemorations that are taking place.

It does reflect how important it is to all of the members here that we have some independence in the agencies that are going to be established for the work that they're going to do.

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

Thank you, Ms. Hardcastle.

(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 21 agreed to)

(On clause 22)

We now move to Green Party amendment PV-7.

Ms. Hardcastle.

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Chair, once again we see the importance of having timelines reflected and our expectations for the mandate of Bill C-81 being carried out in a reasonable fashion with this amendment.

(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 22 agreed to)

(On clause 23)

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

We have CPC-21.

Ms. Falk.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Basically, clause 23 would be amended by:

(1.1) The Chair is to be appointed on a full-time basis and the other directors are to be appointed on a part-time basis.

This is just to make sure that this is a full-time position, and it should be a full-time position with the substantial work that is involved.

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

Again, Ms. Hardcastle, yours is identical.

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Yes. I believe it is important for us to articulate in this bill that it is a full-time position due to the importance of that place.

(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

We move to Green Party amendment PV-8.

Ms. Falk.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Is this going to cancel out other ones?

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

Yes, it will, amendment CPC-22.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Okay, based on that, may I speak to it, then?

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

Absolutely.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Basically, this would provide fixed-term appointments for CASDO directors, with removal based on behaviour or competence standard.

(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Vice-Chair, Mr. John Barlow]

On CPC-22.1, Ms. Falk.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Basically the amendment is as follows:

The directors are to be appointed no later than six months after the day on which this subsection comes into force.

Again, as we reiterated last night, our stakeholders who have flown from all over the country to come as witnesses expressed their concern and the importance for timelines. This would just be respecting the testimony that we heard.