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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 64
Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 3:42 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Robert J. Morrissey, Chair (Liberal)

• Sylvie Bérubé for Louise Chabot (Bloc Québécois)
• Joël Godin for Scott Aitchison (Conservative)
House of Commons
• Marie-Hélène Sauvé, Legislative Clerk
• Émilie Thivierge, Legislative Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Eleni Kachulis, Analyst
• Mayra Perez-Leclerc, Analyst
• Vanessa Preston, Analyst
Department of Employment and Social Development
• Michelle Lattimore, Director General, Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
• Cheri Reddin, Director General, Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat
• Jill Henry, Director, Policy, Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat
• Kelly Nares, Director, Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
• Christian Paradis, Director, Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, February 1, 2023, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada.

Cheri Reddin and Michelle Lattimore answered questions.

The committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of Clause 1 (short title) was postponed.

The Chair called Clause 2.

Clause 2 carried.

Clause 3 carried.

Clause 4 carried.

On Clause 5,

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 5, be amended

(a) by replacing lines 23 and 24 on page 3 with the following:

“child care system, including in both official languages, and its commitment to ongoing collaboration with the provinces, Indigenous peoples and official language minority communities”

(b) by replacing, in the French version, line 24 on page 3 with the following:

“nue avec les provinces, les peuples autochtones et les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire afin”

(c) by replacing lines 28 and 29 on page 3 with the following:

“taining long-term funding for the provinces, Indigenous peoples and official language minority communities for the establishment and mainte-”

Debate arose thereon.

Sylvie Bérubé moved, — That the amendment be amended:

(a) In paragraph (b) by replacing the words “de langue officielle” with the word “francophones”; and

(b) In paragraph (c) by replacing the words “official language” with the word “francophone”.

At 3:59 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:06 p.m., the sitting resumed.

At 4:07 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:14 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Sylvie Bérubé and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé — 1;

NAYS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 10.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joël Godin and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5;

NAYS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6.

Clause 5 carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

On Clause 6,

Leah Gazan moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing lines 29 and 30 on page 4 with the following:

“programs and services that are culturally appropriate, that are led by Indigenous peoples and that respect the right of Indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent in matters relating to children.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Leah Gazan and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 7;

NAYS: Chad Collins, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 4.

Clause 6, as amended, carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

On Clause 7,

Michelle Ferreri moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 7, be amended by replacing lines 4 to 9 on page 5 with the following:

“(a) facilitate access to all types of early learning and child care programs and services regardless of the provider — such as those that are provided through traditional daycare centres, centres with extended, part-time or overnight care, nurseries, flexible and drop-in care, before- and after-school care, preschools and co-op child care, faith-based care, unique programming to support children with disabilities, home-based child care, nannies and shared nannies, au pairs, stay-at-home parents or guardians who raise their own children, or family members, friends or neighbours who provide care — that meet or exceed standards set by provincial governments or Indigenous governing bodies and respond to the varying needs of children and families while respecting the jurisdiction and unique needs of the provinces and Indigenous peoples;”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Michelle Ferreri and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5;

NAYS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6.

Leah Gazan moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 7, be amended

(a) by replacing line 4 on page 5 with the following:

“(a) increase the provision of, and facilitate equitable access to, high-quality early learning and child care”

(b) by replacing line 8 on page 5 with the following:

“ernments or Indigenous governing bodies, that are reflective of other evidence-based best practices in high-quality service provision and that re‐”

(c) by replacing line 10 on page 5 with the following:

“(b) enable families of all income levels, including low incomes, to benefit from”

(d) by replacing lines 13 and 14 on page 5 with the following:

“(c) support the provision, including in rural and remote communities, of early learning and child care programs and services that are inclusive of children from systematically marginalized groups, including children with disabilities, and of children from English and French linguistic minority communities, that”

(e) by replacing, in the English version, line 16 on page 5 with the following:

“ilies and that respond to their varying needs; and”

(f) by replacing lines 21 and 22 on page 5 with the following:

“qualified early childhood education workforce that is well-supported by good working conditions, livable wages and benefits, opportunities to obtain experience and ongoing training, and other measures necessary for the recruitment and retention of staff.”

Debate arose thereon.

Ya'ara Saks moved, — That the amendment proposing to amend Clause 7 of Bill C-35 be amended by substituting the following for the word “increase” in the text proposed by paragraph (a) of the motion:

“support”

At 5:07 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:10 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Ya'ara Saks and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 7;

NAYS: Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 4.

The debate continued

Ya'ara Saks moved, — That the amendment proposing to amend Clause 7 Bill C-35 be amended by substituting the following for paragraph (f) of the motion:

(f) by replacing lines 20 to 22 on page 5 with the following:

“ment of young children, including through the recruitment and retention of a qualified and well-supported early childhood education workforce, recognizing that working conditions affect the provision of those programs and services.”

At 5:17 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:20 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Ya'ara Saks and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Leah Gazan, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Robert J. Morrissey, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5.

Sylvie Bérubé moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 7, be amended by adding after line 29 on page 5 the following:

“(3) Having regard to the special and unique nature of the jurisdiction of the Government of Quebec relating to early learning and child care in Quebec society and despite any other provision of this Act, the Government of Quebec may choose to exempt itself from the application of this Act by giving the Minister written notice to that effect, in which case that province may still receive the funding under section 8.”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it was contrary to the principle of the Bill and because it infringed on the financial initiative of the Crown, as provided on pages 770 and 772 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Third Edition.

Whereupon, Sylvie Bérubé appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 9;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Leah Gazan — 2.

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 7, be amended by adding after line 29 on page 5 the following:

“(3) Federal investments in respect of early learning and child care programs and services subject to an agreement entered into with a province must be guided by the commitments set out in the Official Languages Act, in addition to the principles set out in subsection (1).”

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That, in the French instructions of the amendment, the amendment be amended by replacing the word “avant” with the word “after”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joël Godin, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

Clause 7, as amended, carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

Clause 8 carried.

At 5:40 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



David Chandonnet
Clerk of the committee