Evidence of meeting #6 for Justice and Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was c-9.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Bloc
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
We didn't have that opportunity because we decided to push it to the end of the meeting.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
It's now at a vote, Mr. Maloney, to resume the debate on this motion. You can then speak to it.
(Motion agreed to)
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Mr. Chair, I move to adjourn the debate on this motion. Let's put an end to this and carry on with the witnesses.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
We'll have to vote on that.
(Motion negatived)
Let's resume debate on the motion Mr. Brock put on the table in the first hour.
The floor is anyone's to speak to the motion.
Ms. Lattanzio is first.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Mr. Chair, this is a study on Bill C-9 and we absolutely want to collaborate. We want to make sure that Bill C-9 moves through this committee efficiently and responsibly. This is not about rushing the process. It's about studying legislation that is meaningful so that we can have the protections in place in the House of Commons as soon as possible.
I remind everybody that today is October 7, a very significant day, and the piece of legislation we have before us would solve some of the issues that communities in each of our ridings, stakeholders in each of our ridings, have asked us to look at, to study and to come up with legislation on as soon as possible.
The way the motion is drafted, we are looking at 10 meetings, Mr. Chair. I'm of the opinion that we can easily have this disposed of in a matter of five meetings at most—or at best, however you want to qualify that. Should members stick to 10 meetings, which will obviously take up a lot of the committee's time—and I understand that the suggestion last time around was to study this concurrently—then I will suggest that we increase the number of meetings of this committee so that we can go ahead and expedite the study and this important piece of legislation.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
I get it. To understand clearly, you're asking to increase the number of meetings between....
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I'm not asking to increase the number of meetings at this point. I'm not making an amendment as of yet, but—
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
—I'm just trying to basically colour or paint the situation that we find ourselves in. We have an important piece of legislation. Stakeholders in each of our respective communities have asked us to pass this legislation in an efficient and expedient manner, and I'd like to be able to do so.
I'm looking at the motion, and we're looking at a suggestion of 10 meetings, which would bring us, if we look at the two constituency weeks.... We are not going to be able to dispose of Bill C-9 before February of 2026. This is a request, an important request and a very serious request, from our stakeholders, and I'd like for us to be able to undertake that study as soon as possible.
Now, there has been discussion in terms of having it concurrently with the bail study that we've also undertaken, but again, it would not get us to where we need to be with this legislation before the holidays. I'd like to see this back in the House in the month of December.
If colleagues around the table could consider that we do this in a very efficient way, we could consider bringing 10 meetings down to five. If not, if committee is of the opinion that we need 10 meetings, then I suggest, Mr. Chair, that we increase the number of meetings of this committee so that the job gets done, the work gets done, by December.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
Thank you. It's understood.
Mr. Lawton, and then I have Mr. Baber, Mr. Maloney and Mr. Brock.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
When this committee established its priorities, I think we all agreed—and I'm very grateful that there was a general agreement across party lines—how pressing the concerns were that led to the studies that we championed.
There's a reason that we decided to lead off with a study on bail, repeat offenders and sentencing. It was because stakeholders in my riding and across the country have been crying out for action on this file. We have heard from victims' groups. We have heard from law enforcement. We have heard from municipalities. We have heard from provinces about how urgently these issues need to be resolved.
I think the work we're doing on this particular study is incredibly important. We do know that Bill C-9 is before this committee as well, and I think Mr. Brock's motion to deal with these concurrently recognizes that both are important issues. No one is disagreeing with that. We also know that the Liberal government has promised other legislation that is also likely to go before this committee. We cannot have a situation in which the studies that we've all, as members, agreed to adopt get indefinitely punted down the road because of government legislation. I think it's incredibly important that we do both of these studies concurrently. I think the proposal to have one meeting each week dedicated to each of these priorities is incredibly reasonable.
As for the number of meetings, I don't have an exact number, but to Ms. Lattanzio's point, I have already had numerous requests to appear on Bill C-9, specifically from stakeholders with very active participation in this and from individuals representing a range of ethnic communities, religious communities and legal interests.
I do not want to shortchange a very important study that needs to take place on Bill C-9, and I think 10 meetings is very reasonable on that. I think it's more important to do it right than it is to rush something like this.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
Not to be argumentative, Mr. Lawton, but you do understand that it's the practice of the House and committees that these pieces of legislation referred to us have priority. That is extremely important for the members here to be seized of.
There is a relationship between the two. I think we'll be very serious in considering the number of meetings that we need to have. The House has asked us to consider it, and it is of extreme importance to the people who put us in those seats.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
I believe that's a point of debate, Chair.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
On the motion itself, which is to do these things concurrently, I'm debating the merits of Mr. Brock's proposal.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
Again, we're masters of our own destiny and we'll decide accordingly, but that priority should rest on our minds.
We'll go to Mr. Baber and then Mr. Maloney.
