Justice Committee on Nov. 17th, 2016

Evidence of meeting #35 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 testing.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill S-201

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Laurie Sargent Deputy Director General and General Counsel, Human Rights Law Sector, Public Law and Legislative Services Sector, Department of Justice

Laurie Wright Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Justice

Bev Heim-Myers Chair, Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness

Richard Marceau General Counsel and Senior Government Advisor, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Noah Shack Director of Policy, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Clare Gibbons Genetic Counsellor and Past President, Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON

Monsieur Marceau, you mentioned that you're a member of a particular political party and you have insight into that particular political party. I asked this question of the Department of Justice earlier, and perhaps you'll appreciate it. Have you known provinces to be particularly shy when they have concerns about the constitutionality of a particular piece of legislation going through the federal Parliament?

12:55 p.m.

General Counsel and Senior Government Advisor, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Richard Marceau

No, it is to the contrary, and what we found in consultation with the provinces, when we met with provincial law officials across the country was that they were looking to Ottawa for some kind of leadership. When we were meeting with them, we were saying that this was happening, and they would ask what Ottawa was doing and what the plans were, and say that they would like, if there was a need, to do some complementary legislation. That was a very strong desire that came through, despite being jealous of their prerogatives of looking to have federal leadership on this file. That really struck me throughout the work we have been doing.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON

I know it's difficult, and there was mention that there aren't any statistics available, but are there any numbers of people walking away from either clinical trials or genetic tests? Do we have any information on that in hard numbers?

12:55 p.m.

Chair, Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness

Bev Heim-Myers

With respect to the Huntington disease community, there is a genetic test for Huntington disease. There has been one since 1993, and fewer than 18% of people at risk will be tested for Huntington disease.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON

Thank you.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

Thank you very much.

We're closing in on one o'clock. Does anyone have a really short question?

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON

We've run out of time, have we?

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

It's almost one o'clock. Do you have a short question, Mr. Nicholson?

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON

Well, not really, but anyway—

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

You sound as though you're wishing you did have a short question.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON

No, but I'll conclude by saying thank you for making a very compelling case on behalf of this legislation.

Monsieur Marceau, thank you for your comments, as well, about outlining in the federal jurisdiction completely unacceptable behaviour. I liked the comments about the human rights boards. Very often the people are victims to begin with, and they're the least able, many times, to come forward to make these cases.

The comment I was going to make was that I'd be interested in the names of some of these people or these employers who are involved in this disgusting behaviour.

Mr. Shack, I'd be interested in knowing what law firm in Toronto would fire some guy on a Monday morning because of his genetic testing, and I'd love to know the name of that employer who fired somebody because they had testing for Huntington disease that may come in 20 years.

I'd like to invite them to the committee here, but I'd love to have their names, if you can give us their names.

1 p.m.

Director of Policy, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Noah Shack

I'd have to get permission from the person who shared their story with me before—

1 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON

Please do. I know we're very polite, and we don't like to point fingers at people, but if there is some employer that's requiring people to have genetic testing, I think everybody should know about that, and if there is a law firm that doesn't have.... I won't start describing what that law firm may be like, but I think everybody should know that.

Would you advise any of your clients to go to a law firm that involves the kind of behaviour, that would fire somebody with respect to genetic testing?

I'd ask you all, if you can come up with those names, I'd love to have them. I'd love to make them public.

Thank you.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather

Thank you again for coming. Your testimony was very helpful to the committee, so thank you all so much.

1 p.m.

General Counsel and Senior Government Advisor, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Richard Marceau

Thank you.

1 p.m.

Director of Policy, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs