Evidence of meeting #97 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 incidents.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Mr. Chair, I agree entirely with my colleague Mr. Mark Warawa when he says that our work as parliamentarians is independent. I am surprised that we received a letter from Minister Hajdu during our work. The letter in question, I must say, refers to pillars of the act. There are three pillars: prevention, intervention and support.
The new framework is based on the first pillar, prevention. In the letter, it says that “the Government of Canada believes that prevention will have the greatest overall impact”. Why? It will help to “reduce incidents of harassment and violence in the workplace”. Isn't that exactly what we are doing?
There may be other amendments we can set aside, but this one seems fundamental to me. If we want to base our approach on prevention, as is the government's intention, and reduce harassment issues at the source, we have to attack the behaviour and the behaviour is manifested in incidents, whether they are isolated or repeated.
This is an extremely important amendment which sends a clear message that this bill is serious. Employers and parliamentarians must heed the message, because now we have an act about harassment.
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley—Aldergrove, BC
It was recommended that “or” be changed to “and”. In the amendment, it was recommended by Ms. Moran that “incidents of harassment or violence” should be changed to “incidents of harassment and violence". That was accepted as a friendly amendment. Is that what we're voting on?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
No, we're voting on the amendment. If you want to move that, we could do a subamendment on this amendment. We could easily do that.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley—Aldergrove, BC
Was it accepted as a friendly amendment? It is now reading “and” instead of “or”.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley—Aldergrove, BC
Chair, before we vote on this amendment, I will move a subamendment that “or” be changed to “and”.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Is everybody understanding what is happening here?
There is a subamendment on this amendment changing the word “or” to “and”.
Go ahead, Julie.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I think that, as we're going down this route, we have to consider one more subamendment, which maybe he will just include. I believe that Ms. Moran mentioned that the word should be “occurrences” not “incidents”.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley—Aldergrove, BC
I'm glad you brought that up. That was part of my subamendment.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
We'll read it here shortly, once I get it figured out.
It would read “The purpose of this Part is to prevent accidents, occurrences of harassment and violence." That's the new reading of the proposed subamendment of amendment NDP-3.
First, we need to vote on the subamendment. I see some shaking of heads. Are we concerned, Ms. Moran?
Director General, Strategic Policy, Analysis and Workplace, Labour Program, Department of Employment and Social Development
You need to add a comma.
Liberal
Conservative
Director General, Strategic Policy, Analysis and Workplace, Labour Program, Department of Employment and Social Development
Thank you. You need a comma after “accidents”.
Director General, Strategic Policy, Analysis and Workplace, Labour Program, Department of Employment and Social Development
Yes, I just didn't hear you say the comma, so I wanted to make sure, so it's “accidents, occurrences of harassment and violence”.