Human Resources Committee on April 28th, 2023

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

I want to thank the committee for allowing for the time to get it in. It has been heard very clearly at this table and at many other tables about the terminology of availability and accessibility. In the interests of working together, it's presented as such.

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

I have a point of order, Chair. I could not hear Ms. Saks at all. I wonder if she could speak louder, or if the volume could be turned up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I think her mike was off. She was responding, Ms. Falk, to a question from Ms. Gray, but I'll ask her to rephrase the answer that she provided Ms. Gray.

Do you hear me now, Ms. Falk?

Okay. Go ahead, and then we'll go to Ms. Ferreri.

This is a request for unanimous consent, so I'll have a limited discussion on it.

Ms. Saks, if you could, clarify for Ms. Falk what you just clarified.

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

I will be brief in time to answer Ms. Gray. This is a request for unanimous consent only on (b) to ensure that “availability” and “accessibility” are incorporated as part of the language, as per what's been heard at this table.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Go ahead, Ms. Ferreri.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Obviously, the five pillars in this bill are quality, availability, affordability, accessibility and inclusiveness. The Liberals put forth a subamendment that cut out two of those, which were availability and accessibility. They were caught by the Conservatives. Now they've put them back.

My question is why they were not there to begin with. To my colleague's point, she said, “We consulted,” but you never came to us. You said you consulted with the NDP and the Bloc, but you never came over to the Conservatives, so I'm curious on that comment, as well. You want to work with everyone, but there was no consultation over here.

My other question is why they were not in there to begin with?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Before we go, there was a request for unanimous consent. Do we have unanimous consent to debate the addition?

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

I'm sorry, Chair. My hand's up.

I think there's a typo in this. I think it should say “a summary”, not “an summary”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

That's correct, Ms. Falk. It depends on...what is the English manifest does not change the substance, but it is a typo. I'll ask the clerk to recognize that.

Thank you, Ms. Falk.

I need to see if the committee gives unanimous consent to Ms. Saks to add the verbiage before we continue the discussion on it. We cannot discuss it until it's unanimously agreed by the committee to adopt it. Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I see unanimous consent, so now we will go to the subamendment of Ms. Saks. The subamendment includes the verbiage that we just circulated.

Ms. Falk, do you still have your hand up, or is it...?

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

I do.

I'm just wondering, since there have been changes now, if the clerk could please send out the updated subamendment with all the parts. As Ms. Gray pointed out, we didn't have letter (a) sent out.

That's just so we know exactly what it is we are discussing at this point.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

To do that, we'll have to suspend for a couple of minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The committee is resuming from suspension.

I believe that the document requested by Ms. Falk has been circulated, but given that it's 10:45, I will adjourn the meeting.

The first order of business at the next meeting will be a resumption of the clause-by-clause discussion.

The committee is adjourned.