Justice Committee on Nov. 17th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Members, I call this meeting to order. Welcome to meeting number eight of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Today we're obviously in a hybrid format. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. Just so you're aware, the person who is speaking is the one who will be shown on the webcast, rather than the entirety of the committee.

To ensure an orderly meeting, I'd like to outline a few rules to follow.

Members and witnesses, you can speak in your official language. Interpretation services are available for the meeting. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of either “floor”, “English” or “French”. Please select the language that you need in your headset. Members who are participating in person, those being I and Mr. Cooper, are definitely following our health protocols here with our masks.

Members, before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. For those participating virtually, please click on the microphone icon to unmute yourself before speaking, and then do mute yourself once you're not speaking. For those who are in the room, we're following the normal proceedings for our microphones.

As a reminder, all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair. When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. Allow time for interpretation. When you're not speaking, your microphone should be on mute.

With regard to the speakers list, Mr. Clerk and I will do our best to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether you're participating virtually or in person. When you're participating virtually, I would appreciate it if you could use the “raise hand” function on your Zoom so that I can see who has their hands raised. The person who raises their hand first basically gets to go first. I will make sure that Mr. Cooper is kept on that list as well, as he's appearing in person.

Before we move to the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-7, I'd like to get the committee's consent for the small budget of $4,125 that has been prepared in relation to the study of this bill. You all got a copy yesterday. It was sent by Mr. Clerk. The budget will pay for the phone lines necessary for the holding of hybrid meetings and for meals and beverages and the headsets sent to witnesses.

I ask members for their agreement in passing this budget. You can show me a thumbs-up, if that's good.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

I see that everybody's thumbs are up. That's perfect. Thank you very much for that.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Madam Chair, what I'm about to say may be very optimistic.

If the meeting ends early, there should be a five-minute break before the clause-by-clause study begins so that my colleague Mr. Fortin can join the group. I'll leave the meeting at that time. Please don't cry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Yes, of course, Monsieur Thériault. If the meeting ends earlier than one o'clock—and I quite honestly doubt that it will—you're most welcome to have yourself replaced by Monsieur Fortin. Thank you for flagging that for me in advance. I appreciate it.

I'd like to welcome our witnesses today, our government officials who will assist us in our clause-by-clause study with our technical questions.

From the Department of Justice, we have Joanne Klineberg, acting general counsel, and Caroline Quesnel, counsel, criminal law policy section. From the Department of Health, we have Abby Hoffman, senior executive adviser to the deputy minister; Sharon Harper, director general, strategic policy branch; and, Karen Kusch, senior policy adviser, strategic policy branch.

As a note to members, these witnesses are here to answer any technical questions you may have with respect to any of the amendments that we're discussing today.

Right before we go into clause-by-clause consideration—I know Mr. Manly mentioned this—I will mention that we received two amendments. I want to make sure that you have them in your amendments package this morning. There was an amendment by Mr. Manly that replaces PV-4, which is on page number 18 in your package, and an amendment by Mr. Thériault that replaces BQ-4, which is at page 21 in your package.

At this time, does anybody have any questions around those two changes?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

I'm sorry, Madam Chair. When were these circulated?

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

It would have been this morning, and they would have been circulated by Mr. Clerk.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Okay, thank you.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Marc-Olivier Girard]

I can resend them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Can you?

On that, Mr. Maloney, we're going to try to resend them so that everybody has them.

If anybody does not have them, let us know so that we can direct you.

Madam Findlay, I see that your hand is raised.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

On that same point, I would like to have them recirculated to make sure I have the latest.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Absolutely.

Mr. Clerk is doing that right now, et voilà.

Has everybody received them now?

I'll clarify again that PV-4 replaces page 18 in your package, and BQ-4 replaces page 21 in your package. Now, if everybody has made those replacements, give me a thumbs-up so we can continue with clause 1.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

I haven't received them yet.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Neither have I.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Okay. We'll give it a few minutes.

[The Clerk]

Oh, I think it's still in my outbox.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Oh, M.O.G. is not on top of the ball today. What's going on?

[The Clerk]

It's network issues, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

It was sent at 9:11 a.m. this morning, so perhaps you could look in your inboxes.

Mr. Moore, you have your hand raised as well.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Yes, I just have a procedural point on the amendment.

We had a deadline for submitting them, and then we kind of got a flurry of amendments last night. What's the process on that? I'm happy to see amendments, but we, the Conservatives, tried to get ours in by a deadline that you had proposed. I know that someone could move an amendment from the floor, so it's helpful to have it in advance, but what are the mechanics on that, Madam Chair?

[Philippe Méla, Legislative Clerk]

Mr. Moore, can you hear me?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Yes.

[Philippe Méla]

Thank you.

This is the legislative clerk here, Philippe Méla.

Yes, you're right. There is a deadline that was set, and thank you for sending your amendments on time. That allows us to look at them procedurally and also to prepare the package of amendments and prepare the agenda so that everybody has the same documents to follow the meeting properly and it's organized. It's easier to do it that way than having amendments coming from the floor.

With regard to your question relating to the amendments that we received last night, generally speaking, we prefer to circulate them ahead of time so that members can have a look at them. Also, for us, it's easier to put them in the package ahead of time rather than having them moved from the floor. That's the reason they were circulated this morning.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thanks for that.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Would we get extra credit for having put ours in on time, or how does that work?