Senator Pierre J. Dalphond welcomes the Supreme Court of Canada’s judgment rendered this morning, finding unconstitutional the discrimination between Canadians residing abroad introduced into the Canada Elections Act in 1993. “I am pleased to see that the majority of my colleagues in the Senate were right to vote last December on an amendment to the Canada … Read more
In response to Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould‘s (Vancouver-Granville, B.C.) refusal to accept amendments to Bill C-51, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, until she consults with stakeholders and experts to clarify the law on incapacity to consent, Independent Senator Kim Pate … Read more
The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry released a new report which finds that the federal government must protect Canada’s agriculture and forestry sectors from rising costs associated with the coming carbon pricing regime — which could see consumers pay more for goods. The committee outlines the effects of climate change on Canada’s agriculture, agri-food … Read more
Conservative Senator Leo Housakos is disappointed with the Trudeau government’s decision to vote against a motion in the Senate calling on Canada’s parliament to recognize the genocide of Pontian Greeks by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. “It is about acknowledging, and healing, and educating. And in so doing, preventing such atrocities from happening again,” said … Read more
The Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans entitled When Every Minute Counts – Maritime Search and Rescue. Senators recommend that the coast guard be made a separate statutory agency, reporting to the Minister of Transport. Other recommendations include making the coast guard a separate statutory agency, reporting to the Minister of Transport; the creation of a pilot project that … Read more
Senator Percy Downe’s Bill, the Fairness for All Canadian Taxpayers Act, has passed the Senate. Bill S-243 would require the Canada Revenue Agency to report on all convictions for overseas tax evasion, to study and to report to Parliament regularly on the tax gap, and to cooperate with the Parliamentary Budget Officer in his independent study of the tax … Read more
Senators sent a letter to MPs urging them to stand up for victims of sexual assault by passing the amendments made to Bill C-51 in the Senate: “The stated intent of Bill C-51 is to codify the law. The original wording of Bill C-51 does not do this. More fundamentally, however, it will fail Canadians, particularly … Read more
Senator Kim Pate welcomed the announcement that Heritage and Multiculturalism Minister Pablo Rodriguez (Honoré-Mercier, Que.) and Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.) appointed 14 part-time members to serve on the two expert panels: one dedicated to upholding official language rights and the other to ensuring equality and human rights of Canadians are protected. “This … Read more
The report on community reintegration released by the Auditor General yesterday reveals that the Correctional Service of Canada is failing in its mandate to ensure prisoners are released from federal penitentiaries when they are eligible for parole. “It is time to face the facts. Prisons are the least effective, most expensive way to address the issues that … Read more
The Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources has released a report entitled Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Canada’s Built Environment, which examines the impact of the transition to a low-carbon economy on Canada’s buildings. The full release is available online. Call 613-614-1180.
