Senate amendments to Bill C-49 will provide wider access to improved shipping benefits for Western Canadian farmers, under a bill given final Senate approval. The Senate had originally made 18 amendments to the bill. The House of Commons accepted six, including modifying three. The changes include: Widening access to long haul interswitching, which addresses limited … Read more
Senator Pamela Wallin introduced a motion in the Senate calling upon the Government to instigate a national network and work with the provinces, territories and other stakeholders to implement a Silver Alert strategy. The Silver Alert, which mirrors the successful Amber Alert, is a tool already used by many jurisdictions to assist in the location of … Read more
Senator Larry W. Smith, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Leader of the Conservative Senate Caucus, made the following statement on the retirement of Nancy Greene Raine: “Today we bid a fond farewell to a friend and colleague, the one and only Senator Nancy Greene Raine. Fifty years ago, she captured the imagination of … Read more
A new special Senate committee plans to examine the growing importance the charitable sector plays in Canadian society and recommend ways to tailor government policies at all levels to help them do their valuable work. The Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector was established in January 2018 to examine the impact of federal, provincial, and … Read more
Official language minority community media urgently need federal government support if they are to survive, the Senate Committee on Official Languages said in a letter sent to Minister of Public Services and Procurement Carla Qualtrough (Delta, B.C.) and Heritage and Official Languages Minister Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.). The letter was prompted by testimony from a … Read more
The Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources released a report entitled, Canada’s Oil and Gas in a Low-Carbon Economy, which finds that cutting back on Canada’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions will pose significant challenges for its oil and gas sector, but is essential to making good on the country’s commitment to … Read more
The Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs released its report on Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act. The committee brought forward a number of recommendations and observations to the Senate concerning the legalization of cannabis. The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology will be able to consider them prior to submitting its report on May 29, … Read more
Senator Nancy Greene Raine’s Child Health Protection Act, Bill S-228, was amended by the House of Commons Health Committee and returned to the House of Commons for 3rd reading. It was passed unanimously by the Senate in September 2017. The Committee made the following amendments to the bill: The definition of children was amended to mean under 13 … Read more
Senator Pamela Wallin expressed concern again that the Federal Government has created a discriminatory system for access to federal job funding. The 2018 Canada Summer Jobs program included a new attestation, requiring all employers to sign it in order to receive funding. Many Parliamentarians and citizens have criticized the attestation, saying it requires faith-based groups in … Read more
Senator Thanh Hai Ngo made the following statement regarding the adoption of the Senate motion to urge the government to take the steps necessary to de-escalate tensions and restore peace and stability in the South China Sea: “By passing this motion, the Senate is stating its concern on China’s escalating and hostile behaviour in the … Read more
