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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 31

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities met at 11:06 a.m. this day, in Room 253-D, Centre Block, the Chair, Merv Tweed, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Dennis Bevington, Lois Brown, Sukh Dhaliwal, Roger Gaudet, Michel Guimond, Brian Jean, Colin Mayes, Brad Trost, Merv Tweed and Jeff Watson.

Acting Members present: Hon. Larry Bagnell for Hon. John McCallum, Richard Nadeau for Roger Gaudet, Marcel Proulx for Hon. Gerry Byrne and Michelle Simson for Sukh Dhaliwal.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: John Christopher, Analyst ; Ardiana Hallaci, Analyst . House of Commons: Lucie Tardif-Carpentier, Legislative Clerk ; Wayne Cole, Legislative Clerk.

Witnesses: Department of Transport: Simon Dubé, Director, Portfolio Management, Crown Corporation Governance.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Tuesday, May 25, 2010, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-20, An Act to amend the National Capital Act and other Acts.

The witness answered questions.

The Committee resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

By unanimous consent, Clause 3 was allowed to stand.

By unanimous consent, Clauses 4 to 7 carried severally.

On Clause 8,

Marcel Proulx moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 8, be amended by adding after line 15 on page 4 the following:

“8.1 There shall be an Executive Committee of the Commission consisting of the Chairperson, the Chief Executive Officer and three other members to be appointed by the Commission, at least one of whom shall be from the Province of Quebec and at least one of whom shall be from the Province of Ontario.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Marcel Proulx and it was negatived.

Clause 8 carried.

By unanimous consent, Clauses 9 to 11 inclusive were stood.

Clause 12 carried.

By unanimous consent, Clause 13 was allowed to stand.

Clause 14 carried.

By unanimous consent, Clause 15 was allowed to stand.

Clauses 16 to 18 carried severally.

By unanimous consent, Clause 19 was allowed to stand.

Clause 20 carried.

By unanimous consent, Clauses 21 to 26 carried severally.

At 11:28 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:40 a.m., the sitting resumed.

The Committee reverted to Clause 3 previously stood.

The Committee resumed consideration of the amendment of Richard Nadeau, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 3, be amended by adding after line 13 on page 3 the following:

“(2.1) Paragraphs 3(4)(b) and (c) of the Act are replaced by the following:

(b) three, ordinarily resident in the National Capital Region, from local municipalities in Quebec, at least one of whom shall be from the section of the city of Gatineau that is west of the Gatineau River; and

(c) eight from Canada generally, other than from a city or municipality referred to in either of paragraphs (a) or (b), at least two of whom shall be from Quebec.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Richard Nadeau and it was agreed to.

Clause 3, as amended, carried.

On Clause 9,

Richard Nadeau moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 9, be amended by deleting lines 27 to 35 on page 4.

The question was put on the amendment of Richard Nadeau and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 2; NAYS: 8.

Marcel Proulx moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 9, be amended by adding after line 35 on page 4 the following:

“(a.1) maintain any existing bridge for the movement of persons and vehicles over the Ottawa River, in the National Capital Region, and construct or renovate any bridge for that purpose;”

The question was put on the amendment of Marcel Proulx and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 7.

Clause 9 carried.

On Clause 10,

Richard Nadeau moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by adding after line 10 and before the heading “MASTER PLAN” on page 5 the following:

“GATINEAU PARK

10.01 (1) Gatineau Park, the boundaries of which are set out in Schedule 2, is hereby established.

(2) Gatineau Park is dedicated to the people of Canada and Quebec for their benefit, education and enjoyment and shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave it unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Richard Nadeau and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 2; NAYS: 6.

Marcel Proulx moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by replacing lines 13 and 14 on page 5 with the following:

“force, the Commission shall lay before each House of Parliament, for approval, a master plan”

Debate arose thereon.

Richard Nadeau moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding after the word “Commission” the following words:

“, after consultation with the public and governments of the provinces concerned,”

The question was put on the subamendment of Richard Nadeau and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 6.

The question was put on the amendment of Marcel Proulx and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 6.

Richard Nadeau moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by replacing lines 13 and 14 on page 5 with the following:

“force, the Commission, after consultation with the public and governments of the provinces concerned, shall lay before the House of Commons for approval, a master plan”

The question was put on the amendment of Richard Nadeau and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 6.

Brian Jean moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by replacing line 16 on page 5 with the following:

“years. The plan must contain principles and objectives, including in respect of Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Brian Jean and it was agreed to.

Richard Nadeau moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by adding after line 16 on page 5 the following:

“(1.1) The master plan shall provide that at least 25% of the Commission's investments be made in Quebec.”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it was beyond the scope of the Bill, as provided on page 766 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition.

Whereupon, Richard Nadeau 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: Dennis Bevington, Lois Brown, Brian Jean, Colin Mayes, Brad Trost, Jeff Watson — 6; NAYS: Larry Bagnell, Sukh Dhaliwal, Michel Guimond, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx — 5.

Brian Jean moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by

(a) replacing line 17 on page 5 with the following:

“(2) In the development of a master plan, the Commission shall provide opportunities for public comments at the national and regional levels.

(3) Before a master plan is approved by the Governor in Council, it shall be laid before each House of Parliament.

(4) The Governor in Council may not approve a master plan before the earlier of

(a) 30 sitting days after the master plan is laid before each House of Parliament, and

(b) 160 calendar days after the master plan is laid before each House of Parliament.

(5) A master plan that has been laid before each House of Parliament need not be laid before each House again before the master plan is approved, regardless of whether it has been altered.

(6) The Minister shall cause a copy of a”

(b) adding after line 5 on page 6 the following:

“MANAGEMENT OF GATINEAU PARK

10.31 The Commission shall manage any property of the Commission that is an immovable located in Gatineau Park for the enjoyment of the people of Canada, including allowing for the pursuit of recreational activities.”

Debate arose thereon.

Michel Guimond moved, — That the amendment be amended by deleting all the words after “(6) The Minister shall cause a copy of a”

The question was put on the subamendment of Michel Guimond and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 6.

The question was put on the amendment of Brian Jean and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 5.

Marcel Proulx moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by adding after line 20 on page 5 the following:

“(3) The master plan shall respect the distribution of all the jobs in all the federal public agencies in the National Capital Region, that is, 75% in Ontario and 25% in Quebec, by establishing the employment nodes in each of these provinces.”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it was beyond the scope of the Bill, as provided on page 766 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition.

Whereupon, Marcel Proulx appealed the decision of the Chair.

Richard Nadeau moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by deleting line 21 on page 5 to line 5 on page 6.

The question was put on the amendment of Richard Nadeau and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 2; NAYS: 9.

Brian Jean moved, — That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by replacing lines 11 to 15 on page 6 with the following:

“(2) In the management of any property of the Commission that is an immovable located in Gatineau Park, the Commission shall consider as one of its priorities the maintenance or restoration of the ecological integrity of that property through the protection of natural resources and processes.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Brian Jean and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 5.

Clause 10, as amended, carried.

At 12:52 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Bonnie Charron
Clerk of the Committee

2010/11/22 1:15 p.m.