Evidence of meeting #49 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 group.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
I'm prepared to take a friendly amendment, but I guess—
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
I just want to point out to you again that some of them aren't here and that you won't be able to further amend this to either remove “gender identity” or to add “gender expression” or to add “age”, “sex”, “mental or physical disability”.
I'm just pointing out that you guys are the ones to do this: I can't amend it.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
“Gender expression” would be fine. The problem is that it becomes too broad after awhile. You know what I mean: you get hate crimes against, I don't know, older people, younger people.... You know what I mean.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Yes. It's just that when all these other sections in the Criminal Code have this list, it would be odd, I think, to have a different list.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Consistency is rather important with these things; I take your point.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
I'll make the movement that it be expanded to include everything—
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Including age, sex, mental or physical disability, and gender expression.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Perfect. That at least means that we don't have to worry about those other amendments, if this....
I'll just consider that the mover has changed his motion. The mover has basically changed his motion; it's not an amendment, because he's putting it on the floor.
Basically, just for the purposes of the mover, he has now added “age”, “sex”, “mental or physical disability”, and “gender expression” to this list. That follows groups under paragraph (b) of the amendment, and that's what we are now going to vote on.
Let's move to a vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Now, I understand, Mr. MacGregor, that you're not putting forward amendment NDP-2—
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
—which would mean we should skip to amendment NDP-3, if you're bringing it forward.
I'll wait and give you the chance to decide.
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Yes. It will be amendment NDP-3.
It's a pretty straightforward amendment. As you can see, it seeks to replace, in clause 1, line 11 on page 1 with the following:
or ethnic origin, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.
I just refer to my party's main critic, Randall Garrison, when he gave his second reading speech in the House. His main point was to make sure that we add that important “gender expression” here to make the wording consistent with that of Bill C-16. We feel that adding “gender expression” does that to this bill.
That's what I have to say about it, Mr. Chair.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank Mr. MacGregor for bringing forward this amendment. It's a goal that I want to see, and I want to see it eventually in the legislation, but I think it can be better accomplished through the coordinating amendment that's being proposed later. The same outcome will be achieved when Bill C-16 eventually makes its way through the Senate.
That's the only reason I would be opposing this. It is something that I expect will be there, and I think most of us agree it should be there.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
I think too that the coordinating amendment that's coming addresses this issue.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Let's go to a vote.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Next we move to amendment LIB-1.
Mr. McKinnon.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
I don't have a lot to say about this. I just want to add these groups that were missing from the original bill, with the expectation that it will be fleshed out further once the coordinating amendment comes along.