Human Resources Committee on Dec. 13th, 2022

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

PV-12 states that Bill C-22, in the preamble, be amended, first, by replacing lines 1 and 2 on page 1 with the following:

Whereas persons with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than per-

Second, it would replace, in the French version, line 4 on page 1 with the following:

les personnes qui ne sont pas

What this amendment would do is remove the words “working-age” seeking to move the Canada disability benefit to apply to all persons with disabilities. Poverty doesn't end for a person with a disability after the age of 65 and neither should the Canada disability benefit. Ten per cent of Canadians with severe disabilities over the age of 65 live in poverty. We heard this supported by many organizations, including a joint letter by the Citizens for Public Justice and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you.

Before we get to a discussion, I have a ruling on this.

Madame Chabot.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

I have a question about consistency. This seems like the same amendment that was proposed for previous clauses, and I voted against it. I'm wondering if we're about to vote on the same thing. If so, I'll vote the same way.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

PV-12 is inadmissible as no amendment to the bill to justify amending the preamble has been adopted. The amendment seeks to make a substantive modification by removing elements of the preamble linked to the notion of working age.

As the House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, page 774, states:

In the case of a bill that has been referred to a committee after second reading, a substantive amendment to the preamble is admissible only if it is rendered necessary by amendments made to the bill. In addition, an amendment to the preamble is in order when its purpose is to clarify it or to ensure uniformity of the English and French versions.

In the opinion of the chair, the proposed amendment is substantive and is, therefore, inadmissible. That is my ruling.

PV-12 is ruled inadmissible.

PV-13 is deemed moved pursuant to the routine motion adopted by the committee.

Mr. Morrice.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Given your ruling, I assume the same will apply to PV-13. I will take the 30 seconds or so to simply read it into the record to recognize that this was requested by groups like the Canadian Human Rights Commission. It would change Bill C-22, in the preamble, so as to be amended by adding after line 20 on page 1 the following:

Whereas Canada, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is committed to ensuring an adequate standard of living and social protection for persons with disabilities and their families, especially those living in poverty;

Whereas Canada, as a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, has undertaken to ensure the realization of the right of every person to an adequate standard of living:

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

PV-13 is admissible because of an earlier decision of the committee.

I'll open discussion on PV-13. Seeing no discussion, I will call a vote on PV-13.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

PV-14 is deemed moved pursuant to the motion.

Mr. Morrice.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This is the third and last attempt to improve the preamble. Specifically, it says that Bill C-22, in the preamble, be amended by adding after line 8 on page 2 the following:

Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes that persons with disabilities must be given meaningful opportunities to collaborate in the development and design of regulations made under this Act;

What this would do is go further than the existing text, specifically naming that the opportunities must be meaningful and specifying that collaboration must be in the design of regulations. This follows and aligns with a previous amendment, PV-9, that puts this into the bill. This would better align the preamble with the amended bill.

Again, as I mentioned earlier, organizations like the March of Dimes and Disability Without Poverty and many others called for this level of engagement specifically in the regulations.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

PV-14 is admissible. Is there discussion? Seeing none, we'll call the vote on PV-14.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

Shall the preamble carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Shall the short title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Shall the title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Shall the bill as amended carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Shall the chair report the bill as amended to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill as amended for the use of the House at report stage?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

That concludes the clause-by-clause review of Bill C-22, a very important piece of legislation.

Thank you, committee members, for your contributions from all sides, and thank you to the departmental staff and the legislative counsel for navigating me correctly through this process.

We still have time in the committee.

I'll go to Madam Zarrillo, who has her hand up.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I do have a motion that I want to bring to the floor, but before that, there are still three sitting days left in this session. Could the committee get an idea of whether this report can go right away to the House? What's the timeline for that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Do you mean the bill?

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Yes, the bill. I'm sorry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The earliest would be tomorrow.

It's ready now. It will depend on the calendar of the House. I don't control that, but the committee has dispensed of its work with the bill, so it will go into the priority of the House schedule.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Okay. We can expect to see it tomorrow, as soon as possible...?

I'll take that as a yes.