Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on July 26th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I open this Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development of Thursday, July 26, 2007.

I will ask the media to discontinue recording, as this meeting is being recorded by the House of Commons. Thank you.

Committee members, you have the orders of the day before you. Today we'll be dealing with Bill C-44, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, February 21, 2007.

Technical witnesses with us today are Douglas Kropp, senior counsel, resolution strategy unit; Martin Reiher, senior counsel, operations and programs section; Jim Hendry, general counsel, human rights law section--

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I'm reading the introduction of the meeting, and then we'll move to clause-by-clause consideration.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

No, you won't, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Mr. Lemay.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I have a point of order. I'm going to take my time because I think it's important that you hear the interpreter clearly.

I'd like you to explain to committee members on the basis of which Standing Order you agreed to call this meeting. In other words, what is your basis for calling us here today?

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Mr. Lemay, I had a request from some of the committee members to hold a meeting to proceed with clause-by-clause. This bill was presented to this committee by the House--unanimously sent to this committee to consider--and therefore I think we need to proceed.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I believe you relied on Standing Order 106(4), which I have read. If you received a request from a number of members of this committee and you relied on that Standing Order, you should have received a written request from four members, in accordance with that Standing Order. Despite my repeated requests, I have in my possession copies of letters from only three members of this committee.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to know who is the fourth committee member who made that written request.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I'm calling this meeting in my capacity as chair of this committee, not under Standing Order 106.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

The minister asked you to.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I have a point of order. Since you called this meeting, you must have in your possession two motions that I sent. I ask that we study those two motions before anything else this morning.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Is that the pleasure of the committee?

I have that as the committee business to be dealt with after we deal with clause-by-clause. I need a motion to change the order of business.

Madam Neville.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

This is a motion to change the order of business.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

That's right.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

And we're going to debate that.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Right now first nations people in Canada can't file human rights complaints. This is why we're here today.

The opposition parties want to put off clause-by-clause, but we took the time to come back this summer to deal with the very important issue of extending human rights to first nations people. It's a shameful reality in Canada today that first nations people on reserve don't have human rights--

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

I have a point of order. Is he speaking on anything?

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

As a Métis Canadian, I have access to the Canadian Human Rights Act. I can take it for granted, but first nations people, over the last 30 years--

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Mr. Bruinooge, the motion is that we deal with the motions that have been presented.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

And this is why we've brought forward clause-by-clause today. That's why we requested it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I understand that. You can speak to that as we get to the motion as presented. The question here is whether we proceed with the motions or whether we proceed with clause-by-clause. Madam Neville has moved that we speak to the motions first.

Madam Neville.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Okay, Madam Crowder.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

I just want to point out to the committee that the May 10 subcommittee report was unanimous that clause-by-clause would be deferred until September. That was a unanimous report of this committee.

That's the point of order I wanted to raise.