Colleagues, that finishes our rounds of questions. We're now ready to proceed to clause-by-clause study, following which we will entertain the motions presented by Madam Chabot.

At this time I would like to say to our witnesses, thank you so much for being with us. Thank you so much for the work that you do and for your support of this bill. We are now going to proceed with clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. You are welcome to stay, but you're free to leave.

We are now going to suspend very briefly, because we are going to bring in a couple of officials to provide us with any assistance we need as we go through the clause-by-clause study.

Just for the benefit of the parliamentarians participating, these officials aren't present to be questioned or to provide testimony, but simply to support us, if anything comes up in the course of our clause-by-clause examination that requires further policy advice.

Thanks to everyone. We are suspended.

February 25th, 2021 / 4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

I call the meeting back to order.

Today's meeting is to consider Bill C-220, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code regarding compassionate care leave.

Before we begin clause-by-clause study, I would like to welcome Douglas Wolfe, acting director general, and Sébastien St-Arnaud, manager of strategic policy, analysis and workplace information directorate, from the Department of Employment and Social Development. They are available to answer policy-related questions in the context of the bill.

Colleagues, you have the bill before you. We will proceed now with clause-by-clause.

(On clause 1)

I understand that an amendment has been submitted called LIB/CPC-1.

I invite Mr. Housefather to speak to the amendment.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll turn it over afterwards to Mr. Jeneroux, if he wants to add anything.

I would advise colleagues that this is quite historic. I believe this is the first time that a committee has actually seen a motion of amendment labelled LIB/CPC-1. It's almost always LIB-1 or CPC-1, and it was actually quite tricky to find a way to make sure that this was done this way.

I want to thank the staff in the clerk's office, who found a way to create a joint amendment from two different parties. I hope this happens more often in the future.

This is the substantive amendment we're offering. It basically changes the bill such that, instead of extending compassionate care leave, it extends bereavement leave by five additional days. Instead of five days of bereavement leave, now everybody eligible for bereavement leave can have 10 days. It also extends bereavement leave to include all those employees who were on compassionate care leave or leave related to critical illness at the time that their loved one passed away.

It thus extends the universal bereavement leave and it extends bereavement leave by five days. I think this well achieves the objective of Mr. Jeneroux's bill but also creates a level of fairness, so that everyone who is on compassionate care leave gets 10 days, and a wider universe of people also get 10 days.

I hope everyone will support it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

Mr. Jeneroux.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB

I think you guys have heard lots from me today.

I'll just echo what Anthony said. I think creating this larger scope really does make a ton of sense. The focus of compassionate leave, obviously, was upon the caregiver. We're not losing sight of the caregiver. The caregiver's case stays the same, and that's an important piece of this. Expanding it to all types of bereavement, however, is, I think, very key.

Thanks again to Anthony, and particularly to Minister Tassi, for proposing this amendment.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

The floor is open for debate on the amendment. Please use the “raise hand” function, if you wish to intervene.

Seeing no hands raised, I presume we're ready for the question.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Clause 1 as amended agreed to)

We're now ready to proceed to clause 2. I understand that there is an amendment entitled LIB/CPC-2.

In the interest of fairness, I think we'll start this time with Mr. Jeneroux, as one of the co-sponsors of this amendment.

Mr. Jeneroux, would you like to speak to the amendment, please?

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

In part of the testimony, I touched on the importance of adding the three month piece after the bill receives royal assent. Allowing for collective bargaining agreements and others sorts of administrative details to be ironed out before it comes into force makes a lot of sense. I think it was astute of the parliamentary secretary to catch that and make it a part of this legislation.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Mr. Housefather.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

I've nothing more to say. Mr. Jeneroux covered it all.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

You have the amendment before you, colleagues. Are there any further interventions? Seeing none, I guess we're ready for the question.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

That brings us to the title.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Chair, don't we have to vote on clause 2 before we get to the title?

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

I'm not sure there is a clause 2 in the bill—

4:50 p.m.

Jacques Maziade Legislative Clerk

Mr. Chair, would you like me to explain?

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Yes, go ahead, please.

4:50 p.m.

Legislative Clerk

Jacques Maziade

The LIB/CPC-2 was a new clause. When you adopted the amendment, you adopted the clause at the same time. There's no need to vote on clause 2.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you.

While we have you, I know the notes before me indicate that there is not a requirement to vote on LIB/CPC-3, which relates to the title. Perhaps you can provide an explanation to the committee as to why that is not necessary. I don't understand it.

4:50 p.m.

Legislative Clerk

Jacques Maziade

No, it's fine. I think you can go ahead and ask the mover to move LIB/CPC-3 and ask the question for the adoption of the amendment. After that, you can ask the question for the title as amended.

You can go ahead like this. Forget my note.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you.

Colleagues, in case you're wondering, that was the sage advice of the legislative clerk who I did meet with earlier today to take me through some of the procedural and legal technicalities. He's here to support us and the chair, as are the witnesses on the screen.

That brings us then to LIB/CPC-3.

Mr. Housefather, would you like to speak to that amendment as it relates to the title?

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Yes, Mr. Chair.

The purpose of the amendment is simply to alter the title to reflect the changes that we have already made to the bill through amendment LIB/CPC-1. The title would now refer to "bereavement leave". I know that my colleague Ms. Chabot did not think that this was the right wording, and I might be in agreement with her. However, Division VIII of the Canada Labour Code is entitled "Bereavement Leave", and for consistency, that is what we are proposing.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

Do you have something to add, Mr. Jeneroux?

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB

Yes, I'm in agreement. I saw Madam Chabot's note as well. If it's throughout the rest of the act, it makes sense to keep it consistent.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sean Casey

Are there any further interventions with respect to LIB/CPC-3?

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

That brings us to the title.

Shall the title, as amended, carry?