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.
Koren Marriott Senior Counsel, Aboriginal Law Centre, Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio, Department of Justice
Do you want—
Laurie Sargent Assistant Deputy Minister, Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio, Department of Justice
Mr. Chair, I'm not sure if we're being called upon, but I would be happy to pass it to Koren Marriott to speak to that issue of drafting.
Senior Counsel, Aboriginal Law Centre, Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio, Department of Justice
The Interpretation Act already provides that singular text is read to include the plural and that plural is read to include the singular. Because the French version is drafted in the singular, most often they try to draft the English “purpose” clauses also in the singular to keep that symmetry, as was discussed.
Liberal
Legislative Clerk
Mr. Chair, the amendment is on the floor. It's up to the committee to decide if they want to adopt it or to defeat it.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I think we could just put this to a vote so that we can move on, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Is there any further opposition?
I'm seeing none, so that is carried, and the legislative advice that we have is that it will be translated in the plural as well in the French.
Is that okay, Ms. Gill?
Legislative Clerk
Mr. Chair, no, the amendment says that it's going to be plural in English and that it's going to—
Legislative Clerk
—stay like this in French. It won't be changed because the amendment only changes the English version.
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Chair, I also raised my hand because I wanted to express my disagreement. I'm voting against the amendment.
