Evidence of meeting #116 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Mark Schaan Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Department of Industry
Mr. Chair, as the honourable member said, the amendment proposes a technical change to the bill. The amendment is recommended by the Department of Justice and would ensure a proper interpretation of the bill.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Thank you, Mr. Schaan.
Are there any comments on amendment G‑1?
Mr. Perkins, you have the floor.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
It's a technical or administrative amendment, right? I didn't hear you say what it actually does, Mr. Schaan.
Samir Chhabra Director General, Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Department of Industry
The act currently reads in the section, “the schedule to this Act”. The Department of Justice has recommended, for more clarity and better reading, to emphasize the “Schedule 1 to this Act”. The addition here the numeral “1”, just for precision.
Conservative
Director General, Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Department of Industry
My understanding from the DOJ is that it's simply for precision and clarity to ensure there's no unnecessary ambiguity with the reading of the act.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Does it have to do with the fact that you have introduced in a further amendment later in the bill another schedule?
Runa Angus Senior Director, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Department of Industry
No. It doesn't have anything to do with any other amendments.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
It doesn't have anything to do with schedule 2 in AIDA.
Senior Director, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Department of Industry
No.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Well, if it doesn't have anything to do with schedule 2 in AIDA, I don't understand why you need to make it “Schedule 1”, since it's the only schedule in the bill.
Director General, Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Department of Industry
I appreciate where you're coming from. In effect, once and if Bill C-27 passes, AIDA would become its own stand-alone piece of legislation. As well, the CPPA would become its own stand-alone piece of legislation.
The two schedules would not interact with one another. This is purely a recommendation made by the Department of Justice for the appropriate reading of the CPPA once it's promulgated.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Thank you.
Next up is Ms. Thomas, followed by Mr. Masse.
Ms. Thomas, you have the floor.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
I'll actually pass on my turn right now. I'm sorry.
Thank you.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Could you say that again? It's not what we expected here this morning.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Department of Industry
Potentially, even though the current digital charter implementation act is one current legal project, there are three stand-alone pieces of legislation contained within it: the CPPA, the tribunal and AIDA. Upon promulgation, each of them becomes their own statute.
The CPPA has a schedule. AIDA has a schedule. The two schedules have nothing to do with each other, though, but for precision the Department of Justice would like us to suggest that “Schedule 1” is what we were referring to at the outset, notwithstanding that there's not more than one schedule currently within the bill. It's simply for the purposes of appropriate reading to suggest that this is what we are referring to when we talk about the bill. It has no relationship to the other schedule that will appear in AIDA.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
I'm trying to think this through, because I have wanted these bills separated from the day I met the minister about the bill two and a half years ago.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Department of Industry
I think that's a separate question about the consideration of this legal project, which is known as the digital charter implementation act, and the three bills contained within it. Notwithstanding that they're being contemplated and considered as one legal project, Bill C-27, they will become stand-alone legislation insomuch as the statutes of Canada will be amended to include a statute called the CPPA, a statute called the AIDA and a statute related to the tribunal.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
All right. That brings me back to it being a political decision to assimilate the three bills. They could have been separated. It was a political decision to keep the three bills together.
Liberal