Evidence of meeting #29 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Yes. What I've seen is that it's really more just for clarification of the language on two of them, and the other one is removing “Heritage” and replacing it with “the Government of Canada”. I have no problem with either.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And thank you for presenting this bill today.
Representing one of the largest rural constituencies in Canada, I have had overwhelming support for this bill from my post offices, especially in the small communities—some 47 in Alberta. So thank you very much for this.
I have just one question in relation to it. Is this not about a modernization? My understanding is that you can send a book somewhere under the reduced library rate, but you couldn't send, for instance, a CD or a DVD, even though it would contain exactly the same material. It would cost a lot less to send.
I see that your proposal is a modernization and a fixture of cost and availability to Canadian libraries from coast to coast. Is that a fair way to put it?
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Merv Tweed Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
That's very much what we're trying to do, obviously, with the new genre of reading material. You don't have to travel very far out of this room to find people reading tablets. Again, I think it's a benefit to Canada Post over time. I don't think it's going to happen overnight, but you can send 15 discs for the same cost as you can send one book.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Thank you very much for finding the consistency among all parties to support a good piece of legislation.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal John McCallum
If there are no more people wishing to ask questions, we'll go to clause-by-clause.
Does anybody else want to say anything?
(On clause 1)
I think there might be an amendment proposed.
Mr. Jean.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Yes, Mr. Chair. In clause 1, what we are doing is a clarification regarding the original clause 1 so that there is no uncertainty.
I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, but I've lost my notes here.
The installation of the definition of “library materials”.... My understanding is that there would be, with the original one that was proposed, the consistency to suggest that it includes...so it's not fully encompassing. In the original one, if memory serves me correctly at this stage, it says that “library materials” includes, etc. It is not totally inclusive. With this amendment, what we're trying to propose is that it would be totally inclusive, so it wouldn't just include, but it would be “means”.
11:10 a.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Mr. Chair, the Bloc Québécois will vote against the amendment put forward by the government. We feel that the English term “means” is too restrictive, when the bill talks about being inclusive. It provides a lot more flexibility and is much more suited to new technologies when passing legislation. Of course, an act can be amended and improved. It has to be an evolving mechanism. I think we should keep the idea of inclusiveness, instead of being more specific and restrictive by using the term “means”. So we will vote against the government's amendment.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Maybe I can ask for clarification from the French translators. I think the French definition is more restrictive than the English definition is, and I think you are missing the word “materials”, after “audio-visual”.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
All I can say is my understanding is that's exactly the purpose of the motion, to align the French with the English.
I'm not certain why Monsieur Guimond does not want to make sure that what we intend them to utilize through the service is defined exactly, but the government is totally amenable to any change that would reflect the English in the French, of course, and to have the consistency between them, because that's exactly what we're trying to do.
Possibly Monsieur Guimond, or someone else who is fluently bilingual, would be able to propose that.
I'm not sure, Ms. Crombie, if you....
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
No, it just seemed more restrictive. I think we are missing “video cassettes”, but I could be wrong, and maybe that's what “disques” is.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal John McCallum
Usually the French is longer than the English, and this time the French is way shorter. I can't imagine that it's exactly the same.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Mr. Chair, I think the difficulty is that if we do not restrict the definition, we're suggesting that the legislation will leave it open for parties to do their own interpretation of what is or is not able to be utilized under the book rate. I think what we're trying to do is have certainty in relation to the legislation itself so that people who utilize the service know exactly what they are entitled to send through Canada Post.
If Monsieur Guimond has another idea on how to enlarge the definition while ensuring that there's no uncertainty, I think the government is more than happy to be amenable to that.
11:15 a.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
The point is to keep “‘documents de bibliothèque’ Livres, magazines [...]” in the French version. The point is to keep the wording before us in its entirety.
The words “inclure notamment” could be added to the French version. The same could be added to the English version with the words “include notamment”.
How do you say “notamment” in English?
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal John McCallum
Okay, so between Monsieur Guimond and Monsieur Proulx, maybe we can get a French version.
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
I'd like to know...
Michel, in the first line of the proposed amendment, what do the letters “nes” refer to?
11:15 a.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
You have to look at the wording of the bill.
11:15 a.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
The letters “nes” refer to the last letters in the word “magazines” in the bill. It is on line 2 of the proposed wording.
