Evidence of meeting #2 for Justice and Human Rights in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Thank you, Mr. MacGregor.
Is there unanimous consent of the committee?
Monsieur Fortin, you need to either raise your hand or give a thumbs-up, please.
I'm going to assume that if he's not intervening, he consents. Is everybody okay with that?
12:05 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
(Amendment withdrawn)
That's wonderful. Mr. MacGregor, thank you very much for that.
We'll go on to PV-1.
Mr. Virani, are you trying to speak to PV-1 at this time?
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Mr. Clerk, perhaps we could have a recorded vote on PV-1, please.
(Amendment negatived: nays 11; yeas 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Thank you, Mr. Clerk.
We will move to amendment LIB-2.
Mr. MacGregor, did you forget to lower your hand? Yes, okay.
Mr. Virani, you're next. I see your hand to speak to LIB-2.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
I had just forgotten to lower it. I apologize, Madam Chair.
I believe it was moved by Mr. Fergus.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Mr. Virani, thank you for that.
Mr. Fergus, can you speak to LIB-2, please?
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Yes, Madam Chair.
My arguments are similar to the points that I made regarding amendment LIB-1. We must ensure consistency in the use of terms.
I want to acknowledge Mr. MacGregor's generosity. I also want to acknowledge Ms. Atwin's work. That said, it's better to have general categories than to have very specific items. That way, we take into account the possibility that things may change over time. That's why I'm using the same terms in this section, which are “systemic racism and discrimination”.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Mr. Fergus, thank you for that.
Mr. Fortin, I see your hand raised to speak to LIB-2.
12:10 p.m.
Bloc
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Mr. Fortin, can you please move your microphone down so that the interpreter can hear you? Thank you.
12:10 p.m.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Sorry, Madam Chair.
I was saying that I listened to Mr. Fergus' comments. Based on the same logic, I'm against this proposal.
I want to say again that this has nothing to do with the topic. Madam Chair, I wonder whether I should rise on a point of order. This has nothing to do with the purpose of the bill, which is to provide training to judges on the issue of victims of sexual assault. Here, the proposal is to provide training to judges on racism, discrimination, oppression, systemic oppression, systemic racism and systemic discrimination.
Judges already receive training on a variety of topics. We're not here to train judges. They're already trained. The bill talks about training judges on the specific characteristics of sexual assault victims. The proposal is off topic and has nothing to do with what was announced. In my opinion, it's out of order. I'm not even sure whether this committee has the legal right to rule on this matter without having heard from witnesses or having announced its work on these issues.
For all these reasons, I'm against the proposal.
12:10 p.m.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I'd even urge caution. If we want to be credible as a committee, we must be careful about what we do.
Everyone likes apple pie. That isn't the issue. However, this isn't what Bill C-3 is about.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Thank you, Mr. Fortin, for raising your concerns. For clarity's sake, the bill before us also speaks to “social context”. My understanding is that these amendments that are being proposed are seeking to further clarify what social context is, and are therefore within the scope of what this bill is proposing.
I don't see any more hands raised to speak to LIB-2. I will call the question on the amendment. We will have a recorded vote.
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 10; nays 1 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Thank you, Mr. Clerk.
LIB-2 is carried. NDP-1 is withdrawn.
At this time, I will ask the clerk whether we are approaching the amendments that Mr. Fortin had emailed earlier.
Mr. Fortin, I'm just seeking some clarity from our clerk on whether we'll be going to you first or PV-2 first.
12:15 p.m.
Legislative Clerk
We should go to Mr. Fortin's amendment, but if I'm correct, I think Mr. Maloney had some amendments that would go there as well, before PV-2.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Madam Chair, I believe my amendment is identical to the one Mr. Fortin is proposing. I'll let him go ahead.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Maloney.
Mr. Fortin, please go ahead and speak to your amendment. Could you please read out the language so that everybody can follow it?
12:15 p.m.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Madam Chair, before I move my amendment, I want to make sure of one thing. I know that amendment LIB-1 was adopted. Amendment PV-1 concerned the same issue as amendment LIB-2. I gather that amendment PV-1 was defeated. Is that right?
12:15 p.m.
Bloc
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
We just voted on LIB-2, Mr. Fortin, and it carried. You voted against LIB-2 just now as well.
12:15 p.m.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Okay, that was my intention. You've reassured me, Madam Chair.
I gather that I didn't vote on amendment PV-1. Is that right?