Evidence of meeting #1 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was subcommittee.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
But they can do with those two other reports what they did with that?
1:15 p.m.
The Clerk
Yes, sir.
1:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
However, Melissa, to your knowledge, they haven't done anything with those. As I mentioned, they weren't even discussed. Is that correct?
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Just a point of clarification, Mr. Chair. In order for the foreign affairs committee to make it part of their record, and since they have not done that so far, is this something they do through their own motion or is it something we would have to ask them to do?
1:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
They weren't advised by us, obviously, because we hadn't met yet on the Omar Khadr thing, so I think the answer is that they can do it on their own. Perhaps something you're not exactly asking but are implying is that we could do the same kind of re-adoption as evidence and then resubmit it. Would that be correct? Procedurally we could do that.
February 12th, 2009 / 1:15 p.m.
The Clerk
Again we would report to the main committee.
1:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
So we could in fact initiate that if that was the will of the committee.
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
It might be a good idea to re-adopt what we did adopt and refer it to the foreign affairs committee for their adoption. The other thing is that we could informally inquire whether they were prepared to do it, and if they were, we wouldn't have to go that route. If they were not, then we could go that route.
1:20 p.m.
Conservative
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
I think it might go more quickly if we informally asked them to do it, and then if we saw that it was not forthcoming, which we could ascertain quickly, we could then more formally move to that effect.
1:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
I suppose, given the fact that it is essentially advice to us all.... We all have members of our party on that committee.
1:20 p.m.
Conservative
1:20 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
I'm not always, but most times.
It's good to be back with everybody. I'm looking forward to this session.
I had a motion prepared. I was going to bring it to this meeting, and the time was under the 48 hours, and I tried to respect that.
Regarding the United Nations Human Rights Council periodic review of Canada's human rights record, I think this committee should look at it, study what is asked of Canada by our allies, and make recommendations to the main committee.
If I need to bring that forward as another motion, I certainly can do that. I'd ask the clerk if he could get a copy of this report and distribute it to the members. I could forward it to him. I do have an electronic copy, if that's easier. Just give me your e-mail address afterwards and I'll have my staff do that.
I wouldn't call it a condemning report, but it's certainly a report that has a lot of concerns around OPCAT, indigenous rights, and a number of things we certainly should deal with as a committee, seeing as human rights is our main focus.
1:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
Mr. Marston, I have a question. This is on international human rights, so has our parent committee--to make sure this is within our jurisdiction--authorized us or ever studied similar things such as international reports on Canadian human rights situations? I just want to make sure that's--
1:20 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
I can't answer that. The clerk would probably have a better idea of that. I don't recall, and my time here is brief compared to some of the experience around the table.
1:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
Okay. Maybe we'll just check on that. If you have the motion, and we've been informed of the substance of the motion, and you bring it to us, it will be before us at our next meeting.
1:20 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
I'll just bring it for the next meeting. It's not something that's absolutely pressing, but if the clerk could distribute that, then when people see the motion, they'll have an idea of what we're trying to do here.
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
I welcome Mr. Marston's suggestion. I think we should be looking at this. I also wanted to mention that it might be useful for us to look at the operation of the United Nations council on human rights as a whole. There have been some problems with its operations, not with regard to the Canadian report--that's the better part of their work--but with some of their other approaches. In fact there have been breaches of their own principles and procedures as a UN body, and I think it would behoove us to have a hearing on the work of the UN Human Rights Council. We are, after all, a subcommittee on international human rights, and we could perhaps make some recommendations with regard to the improvement of the work of that body.
1:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
All right.
I have two potential agenda items now, and I saw Mr. Marston's hand again.
1:20 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Just speaking to what my friend has just said, one of the things that shows a differentiation in this report is that when Iran spoke, they didn't mention Israel's name, which is a pleasant surprise, when you compare that to other things that have come out of there. But I agree that looking at those things from our perspective is the purview of this committee.