Evidence of meeting #113 for Justice and Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agreed.
A recording is available from Parliament.
7:25 p.m.
Acting Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section, Policy Sector, Department of Justice
Sorry, it's “or less”. I apologize.
If you look at proposed paragraph 245(1)(b), we have the maximum of two years.
Did that answer your question?
7:25 p.m.
Acting Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Policy Section, Policy Sector, Department of Justice
If you look at proposed paragraph 245(1)(a), it remains at 14 years in the bill, and then 245(1)(b) is where the hybridization would be proposed.
7:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Maybe my question is really to Mr. Clement, since the sentence is two years in this offence already. It's the same sentence. We're changing one sentence to another. Whether it's indictable or summary, it's still a two-year sentence in this proposed paragraph.
It's not one where the maximum is actually being reduced.
7:25 p.m.
Liberal
7:25 p.m.
Parry Sound—Muskoka, CPC
One day makes a difference.
We'd like a roll call on this one.
7:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Sure. Hopefully it won't take a whole day.
(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Clause 85 agreed to)
(On clause 86)
It's 7:30, and I've been asked by colleagues to end the meeting. Let's finish with clause 86. That will be the last one we will do, and then let's see when we can schedule for Monday.
We go to CPC-47. This will be the last amendment that we will deal with, and clause 86 will be the last clause we will deal with today.
On CPC-47, we have Mr Cooper.
7:25 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, this is dealing with a reclassification. This particular section of the Criminal Code deals with a very serious indictable offence involving setting a trap or device that is likely to cause the death of or bodily harm to an individual. On its face, it's tough to understand why the government would propose reducing the sentence for this offence to potentially a mere fine.
7:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Thank you very much.
Does anybody wish to speak? I'm not hearing anyone. We'll vote on CPC-47.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Clause 86 agreed to)
If it's okay, colleagues, given that we've only made it through clause 86, I would like to make the meeting on Monday longer, but I would like to offer an alternative. If your schedules so permit, perhaps we could start the meeting before question period, going from, let's say, 12:30 to two and reconvening at 3:30.
7:30 p.m.
Parry Sound—Muskoka, CPC
Chair, I'm trying to understand your philosophy. We have set meetings at this committee.
7:30 p.m.
Parry Sound—Muskoka, CPC
We or our substitutes will be here. I'm not sure why we're elongating the process. We have set times. Can't we just stay with the set times of the committee?
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Having seen that we had over three hours today and we only got through 86 of over 300 clauses....
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
I can only say that in past practice we have met for longer and we've done clause-by-clause for longer than two hours.
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
I would like to propose that we do that again on Monday and see where we get.
7:30 p.m.
Parry Sound—Muskoka, CPC
You'll have to put it to a motion, then, because I'm not very happy with that.
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
I think there are a couple of reasons why it might be a good idea, if it can work, to do it in as few meetings as possible.
Number one, it allows all of us to have all the materials here, have the same thoughts in our minds as to which ones we want to deal with and keep some consistency there. Also, we have quite a few people who are joining us here—officials and whatnot—to answer our questions. If we can find a way to make it work, I think we should try to do it in as few meetings as possible.
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
I'm suggesting—again, only if committee members can make it—that we would meet from 12:30 to two, let's say, on Monday, in addition to 3:30 to 5:30. If we're not able to, we can just go later on Monday, after 5:30, but I thought that maybe if people were here earlier, it would be less intrusive.