I would like to ask the question posed by our analysts concerning this proposal.
The change proposed by clause 24 of the document deals with the English-language version of section 99 of the Canada Shipping Act, which sets out circumstances in which the Minister of Transport may adjudicate a dispute between an authorized representative and a crew member.
In the English-language version, the conjunction “and” is found between the parties, which leads us to believe that the request must be presented by both parties. In the French-language version, the conjunction “ou” is used, indicating that either party can request an adjudication. Clause 24 replaces the word “and” with “or” in the English-language version to make it consistent with the French-language version.
How can we be certain that this was the legislator's intent? Are there no other way to make such changes than to go through this committee? These are two completely different concepts.