SECU Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security met at 3:35 p.m. this day, in Room 362, East Block, the Chair, Garry Breitkreuz, presiding.

The Committee resumed consideration of the motion of Mark Holland, — moved during the meeting of April 22, 2010:

That on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, on Bill C-391, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (repeal of long-gun registry), the Committee hear from Candice Hoeppner for half an hour and from Charles Momy of the Canadian Police Association, William Sweeney and Marty Cheliak of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Bill Blair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Jennifer Lanzon of the Canadian Association of Police Boards, for the remaining period;

That on Thursday, May 6, 2010, on Bill C-391, the Committee hear from Jim Newman of the Canadian Firearms Institute, Blair Hagen of the National Firearms Association, Tony Bernardo of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association and Canadian Institute for Legislative Action, Ed Hudson of the Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association, Wendy Cukier of the Coalition for Gun Control, Heidi Rathjen of the Association des étudiants de Polytechnique, the Fédération des Femmes du Québec, the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale and the Dawson Committee for Gun Control;

That on Thursday, May 13, 2010, on Bill C-391, the Committee hear from the Canadian Paediatric Society, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Institut Nationale de Santé Publique du Québec, the Association Québécoise de prévention du suicide, Deborah Magill of the Madill Equipment Ltd., Priscilla DeVilliers of Canadians Against Violence Everywhere Advocating its Termination, Mary Simons of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Bob Valcov of the Safari Club International and;

That the Committee hold an additional three hour meeting on Bill C-391 on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, and that it hear Chris Bentley, Attorney General and Jacques Dupuis, Minister of Public Safety, during the first hour; and that it hear the Barreau du Quebec and the Canadian Bar Association for the second hour, and that it hear Barb Byers of the Canadian labour Congres; Sheila Fraser of the Auditor General of Canada, John Edmunds of the Union of Solicitor General Employees; the National Union of Public and General Employee and Patti Ducharme of Public Service Alliance of Canada during the third hour.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division: YEAS: Joe Comartin, Mark Holland, Andrew Kania, Borys Wrzesnewskyj — 4; NAYS: Shelly Glover, Dave MacKenzie, Phil McColeman, Maria Mourani, Rick Norlock, Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Brent Rathgeber — 7.

Maria Mourani moved, — That, as part of the examination of Bill C-391, each party submit to the clerk a list of witnesses not exceeding a ratio of three witnesses for each of its members, excluding the Chair, by 12:00 p.m., on Thursday, April 29, 2010, and that the Committee devote six meetings to hearing those witnesses and that the various points of view be presented in a balanced manner at each meeting.

Mark Holland moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “at each meeting” the following: “and that the sponsor of the Bill be heard for half an hour at the beginning of the first session and that she be considered as one of the government witnesses”.

The question was put on the amendment of Mark Holland and it was agreed to on the following recorded division: YEAS: Joe Comartin, Mark Holland, Andrew Kania, Maria Mourani, Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Borys Wrzesnewskyj — 6; NAYS: Shelly Glover, Dave MacKenzie, Phil McColeman, Rick Norlock, Brent Rathgeber — 5.

It was agreed, — That the motion be amended by adding the following after the words “devote six meetings” the following: “and that these meetings be on May 4, 6, 13, 25, 26 and 27, 2010”.

Mark Holland moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “at each meeting“ the following: “and that the first half hour of the first session be reserved for the author of the Bill and that the Committee hear the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Canadian Police Association, Deputy Chief William Sweeney from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Chief Superintendant Marty Cheliak during the remaining hour and a half.

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment out of order.

Whereupon, Mark Holland 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: Shelly Glover, Dave MacKenzie, Phil McColeman, Maria Mourani, Rick Norlock, Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Brent Rathgeber — 7; NAYS: Joe Comartin, Mark Holland, Andrew Kania, Borys Wrzesnewskyj — 4.

After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, as part of the examination of Bill C-391, each party submit to the clerk a list of witnesses not exceeding a ratio of three witnesses for each of its members, excluding the Chair, by 12:00 p.m., on Thursday, April 29, 2010, and that the Committee devote six meetings and that these meetings be on May 4, 6, 13, 25, 26 and 27, 2010, and that the sponsor of the bill be heard for half an hour at the beginning of the first session and that she be considered as one of the government witnesses.

It was agreed, — That a maximum of two persons be allowed to represent a group and that each witness or group be allowed 10 minutes for an opening statement.

It was agreed, — That the Committee consider a draft report on its study on Federal Correction : Mental Health and Addiction on Tuesday, June 8 and Thursday, June 10, 2010.

At 5:02 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.