Evidence of meeting #29 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
I think the clerk wants an advance notice, so when the time comes....
Ms. Atwin will have her amendment first, and then we'll get to yours, but the clerk needs to—
Conservative
Conservative
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
It's to add a subclause here, number 2, adding the words “Any such measures that propose to amend a federal law of Canada shall be identified in the action plan and nothing in this Act, by itself, shall be constructed as amending the federal laws of Canada.”
That's a comment by CAP.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Mr. Clerk, have you captured those matters?
Of course, I assume you'll get an email with the text. Then we can proceed with Ms. Atwin.
Legislative Clerk
I'm opening the email right now.
As I understand, Mr. Chair, we will begin with amendment that I will call “CPC-4”, adding the word “reasonable” at line 6, after “all”. After that we will go to PV-1 and then CPC-4, which I understand goes after line 10.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
We'll have a recorded division on the amendment that adds the word “reasonable”.
(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The amendment is defeated. Mrs. Atwin, you can present your amendment.
Green
Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I move:
That Bill C-15, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing line 10 on page 5 with the following:
tent with the Declaration and must, in cooperation with Indigenous governing bodies, implement the Declaration in a manner that respects the laws, traditions and practices of each governing body.
2) The Government of Canada must, in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples, take all measures necessary to ensure that the laws of Canada are drafted in a way that reflects non-binary gender identity and two-spiritedness.
I would like to provide a quick explanation for the benefit of the committee. The objective of this amendment, as put forward by the Assembly of First Nations, is to ensure that the federal ministers will work in collaboration with indigenous governing bodies on implementing UNDRIP in a manner that respects each indigenous government's laws, traditions and practices as unique and diverse entities.
The second objective is to ensure this legislation and all future legislation that will be drafted will reflect, both in English and French texts, the various gender identities of indigenous peoples by being gender inclusive. This can be achieved by not deferring to the masculine form by default in a French version of the text.
For context, “two spirits” refers to a person who identifies as having both masculine and feminine spirit and is used by some indigenous people to describe their sexual gender and/or spiritual identity. It is necessary that the language used in this bill includes space for this recognition.
This amendment is also in line with recommendation 25 issued from a July 2020 report investigating systemic racism at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The report recommended that gender pronouns be pluralized and be non-binary in all internal and external documents.
Finally, this amendment is consistent with the vision of this government to promote human rights, including respect for diversity and inclusion, protecting 2SLGBTQ+ rights and addressing discrimination.
This proposed amendment is a concrete step toward this objective as well as towards decolonizing Canada.
Liberal
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to propose a subamendment. Is this the right moment to do that?
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC
My subamendment is in fact very straightforward. I propose deleting subclause (2), which is to say everything from “The Government of Canada” to “two-spiritedness”, because we feel that it's superfluous. I don't want a debate on this matter, but am putting forward this subamendment to Mrs. Atwin's amendment.
Legislative Clerk
Mr. Chair, if I may, just for the process, the committee will vote on the subamendment first, and after that it will vote on the amendment as amended, if the subamendment is adopted or not.
The first thing is to vote on the subamendment.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
We'll vote on the subamendment.
(Subamendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Legislative Clerk
One moment, Mr. Chair; there is a technical issue....
Now we can proceed to the recorded vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
We'll now vote on the amendment.
(Amendment negatived: nays 11, yeas 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The amendment is lost.
Go ahead, Mr. Schmale.
Conservative
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
I'd like to add a section that reads, “Any such measures that propose to amend a federal law of Canada shall be identified in the action plan and nothing in this act, by itself, shall be construed as amending the federal laws of Canada.”
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
We'll vote on that second amendment.
(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
I wish I could apply the vote, but I think I'll have to ask once again.
Shall clause 5 carry?
We'll have a recorded division.
(Clause 5 agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)
(On clause 6)
We have an amendment proposed by Mr. Anandasangaree, reference number 11252702.
Legislative Clerk
Mr. Chair, I think Mr. Schmale has an amendment, which would be to line 15. Am I correct, Mr. Schmale?
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative