Evidence of meeting #36 for International Trade in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:30 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I have sixty seconds on clause 32. What are the implications of that for Canadians and Canadian softwood workers who bear the brunt of the past few years and are now having this appallingly bad legislation forced on them because of this committee? What are we doing with clause 32? We're simply saying that the moment the amount is required to be paid, the softwood company—those poor mom-and-pop operations in northern B.C.—are required to pay those amounts immediately. If they don't, we'll see later on, Mr. Chair, that we're talking about a series of punitive actions—18 months in prison and that kids' trust funds can be taken over—because this government, with the support of opposition parties, is ramming through the unthinkable: the most draconian legislation that, as many members of the softwood industry said, follows the worst negotiation in Canadian history.
So in sixty seconds, without any due consideration, it's impossible to pay justice to the impact that ramming through clause 32 has. It requires that companies pay immediately, that they enter that jungle of punitive actions, which the government can take--
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Thank you, Mr. Julian.
That was on clause 32.
Does anybody else want to speak on clause 32?
We'll go to the recorded division on clause 32.
(Clause 32 agreed to: yeas: 10; nays 1)
(On clause 33—Demand for return)
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
On clause 33, amendment NDP-22 is on page 43 of the amendment booklet.
Mr. Julian, you have a whole minute, if you need it all, to move your motion and debate it.
3:35 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's a bit of an embarrassment to any Canadian to know that we have sixty seconds to devote to each of these clauses. What an absolutely farcical situation.
It would make a good play or movie, I'm sure, Mr. Chair.
This is so egregiously bad, I cannot believe the Liberals would agree to these appallingly bad rules of order.
We're now on clause 33, amendment NDP-22, which I so move.
In this particular case, when we look at clause 33, we again have specific and strict requirements that the minister himself or herself sets. The minister sets a reasonable time. It's not defined in the act. It doesn't appear anywhere.
The minister, given the rest of this act, would probably think sixty seconds would be a good period of time to impose this particular demand, because sixty seconds is clearly what the government believes—
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
On amendment NDP-22, does anybody else want to speak to it?
We'll have the vote on NDP-22.
(Amendment negatived: nays 9; yeas 1 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Julian, you've taken over a minute to cast your vote. Maybe it's time for a designated voter to come and fill in for you.
3:35 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Thank you very much.
What we have here is an egregious usurpation of parliamentary privilege, with sixty seconds on each amendment.
I believe that at least in this corner of the committee room we should at least pay some attention to our vote rather than voting without any forethought. We've already seen a number of amendments that are completely and horribly irresponsible--
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Julian, it's your own amendment. It should not take you a minute to decide how you're going to vote on your amendment.
3:35 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
It's the only area, Mr. Chair, in which you are allowing due consideration. I will take the due consideration that I'm allotted.
3:40 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, in ramming through in sixty seconds, the only time for due consideration seems to be in the vote. That's it. Aside from that, we're ramming this through.
What have we done so far? We've destroyed the B.C. timber sales process by refusing to acknowledge what the independent lumber remanufacturers have clearly called for in terms of tenure. We have gone the opposite route of what we've defended for so long in the WTO and NAFTA.
In this case, what we had was the opportunity to actually have a reasonable period defined by the act rather than by the minister. I don't believe sixty seconds to debate amendments that will be having implications and consequences for the softwood industry for years to come is adequate or reasonable at all. The minister and the government obviously think sixty seconds is reasonable. I can only surmise, Mr. Chair, that in this particular clause, clause 33, the government's interpretation is sixty seconds. In other words, you owe the money, pay up right now--and that's irresponsible.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Julian, your time is up.
Does anybody else wish to speak to clause 33?
I call the vote on clause 33.
3:43 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Julian, it's somewhere around two minutes since the clerk has asked you to declare your vote. You probably forget what it's on, and so do I.
November 7th, 2006 / 3:43 p.m.
Conservative
3:43 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
It's on clause 33, but, Mr. Chair, given that there is no due consideration on any aspects of this bill, the vote is the only opportunity a responsible parliamentarian has to provide some consideration.
I will be voting no on clause 33, Mr. Chair.
(Clause 33 agreed to: 7 yeas, 2 nays)
(On clause 34--Compound interest on amounts not paid when required)
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
We go now to clause 34, NDP-23, which is on page 44 of the booklet.
Mr. Julian.
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I move NDP-23. Here we have another punitive clause, another clause that of course will be glossed over by members of this committee. Let's just ram it through, they'll say. Let's have sixty seconds' consideration. Well, in this particular case, Mr. Chair, another punitive action occurs for mom-and-pop softwood operations in northern B.C. If they fall ill or there is a sudden disability and they are not able to pay, the full weight of the draconian Bill C-24 comes on top of them--the full weight. They are required to pay right away.
The amendment offers that when there is sudden illness or disability, those would be extenuating circumstances that should allow that individual to not have the full draconian weight of this Orwellian bill fall on top of them.
We have a reverse onus in tax law, Mr. Chair. What that means is that the person is guilty until proven innocent--
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Does anyone else wish to debate amendment NDP-23?
Go to the vote on NDP-23.
Mr. Julian, I'll remind you that this is an NDP amendment we're voting on. It shouldn't take you long to consider it, effectively.
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Somebody, Mr. Chair, has to take due diligence and responsibility, and I intend to do that. The due diligence means taking some time, and that means both in terms of votes and in terms of the pitiful sixty seconds.
Yes, Mr. Chair.