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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 100
Thursday, April 18, 2024, 11:05 a.m. to 12:53 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Kody Blois, Chair (Liberal)

House of Commons
• Philippe Méla, Legislative Clerk
• Émilie Thivierge, Legislative Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Corentin Bialais, Analyst
• Daniel Farrelly, Analyst
Canada Border Services Agency
• Graeme Hamilton, Acting Director General, Traveller, Commercial and Trade Policy Directorate, Strategic Policy Branch
• Cathy Toxopeus, Director General, Commercial Programs, Commercial and Trade Branch
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, Executive Director, Animal Health Directorate, Chief Veterinary Officer for Canada
Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Marie-Noëlle Desrochers, Executive Director, Supply Management and Livestock Policy Division
Department of Justice
• Guilton Pierre-Jean, Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Shela Larmour, Counsel, Legal Services, Canada Border Services Agency
Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, January 31, 2024, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-355, An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts.

The witnesses 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) and of the Preamble was postponed.

The Chair called Clause 2.

Clause 2 carried on division.

Clause 3 carried on division.

On Clause 4,

John Barlow moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing lines 5 to 27 on page 2 with the following:

“4 (1) It is prohibited for a person to export a live horse from Canada by air unless a veterinary inspector designated under section 32 of the Health of Animals Act has certified under that Act that all the requirements prescribed under that Act respecting the health, protection and transportation of the horse have been complied with.”

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

Whereupon, John Barlow 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: Ben Carr, Francis Drouin, Tim Louis, Alistair MacGregor, Ken McDonald, Leah Taylor Roy — 6;

NAYS: John Barlow, Richard Lehoux, Yves Perron, Lianne Rood, Warren Steinley — 5.

Yves Perron moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing lines 5 to 12 on page 2 with the following:

“4 (1) It is prohibited to export a horse from Canada by air unless the exporter has, in the form and manner specified by the Minister, provided the Minister with a written declaration that, as the case may be,

(a) attests that, to the best of their knowledge, the horse is not being exported for the purpose of being slaughtered or fattened for slaughter; or

(b) if the horse is being exported for the purpose of being slaughtered or fattened for slaughter,

(i) attests that the horse will be accompanied on board the aircraft by a person who is trained to, among other things, feed, water and provide care to it during transport, and

(ii) includes a detailed plan for the care to be provided to the horse during transport.

(1.1) In addition to the declaration, the exporter must provide the Minister with any other documentation that the Minister may require.”

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

Tim Louis moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing line 10 on page 2 with the following:

“pose of being slaughtered or fattened for slaughter, or any other document that is satisfactory to the Minister, as”

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

YEAS: Ben Carr, Francis Drouin, Tim Louis, Alistair MacGregor, Ken McDonald, Yves Perron, Leah Taylor Roy — 7;

NAYS: John Barlow, Richard Lehoux, Lianne Rood, Warren Steinley — 4.

Tim Louis moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 4, be amended by deleting lines 13 to 27 on page 2.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Tim Louis and it was agreed to on division.

Yves Perron moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 4, be amended by adding after line 27 on page 2 the following:

“(5) A pilot in command of an aircraft with a horse on board in respect of which the chief officer of customs did not receive a copy of the declaration is not liable if they were authorized to take the aircraft on its flight.”

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

Clause 4, as amended, carried on division.

On Clause 5,

John Barlow moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 5, be amended

(a) by replacing, in the English version, lines 28 and 29 on page 2 with the following:

“5 It is prohibited for a person to provide false or misleading”

(b) by replacing lines 2 and 3 on page 3 with the following:

“respect of any matter related to the export by air of a live horse.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of John Barlow and it was negatived on division.

Clause 5 carried on division.

On Clause 6,

John Barlow moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 6, be amended

(a) by replacing line 7 on page 3 with the following:

“than $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not”

(b) by replacing lines 10 and 11 on page 3 with the following:

“than $25,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than three months, or to both.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of John Barlow and it was negatived on division.

Clause 6 carried on division.

Clause 7 carried on division.

Clause 8 was negatived.

Clause 9 carried on division.

Clause 10 carried on division.

On Clause 11,

Warren Steinley moved, — That Bill C-355, in Clause 11, be amended by replacing line 24 on page 4 with the following:

“11 This Act comes into force on the fifth anniversary of the”

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

YEAS: John Barlow, Richard Lehoux, Lianne Rood, Warren Steinley — 4;

NAYS: Ben Carr, Francis Drouin, Tim Louis, Alistair MacGregor, Ken McDonald, Leah Taylor Roy — 6.

Clause 11 carried on division.

Clause 1, Short Title, carried on division.

The Preamble carried on division.

The Title carried on division.

The Bill, as amended, was adopted on division.

ORDERED, — That the Chair report the Bill, as amended, to the House on division.

ORDERED, — That Bill C-355, as amended, be reprinted for the use of the House of Commons at report stage, on division.

Motion

John Barlow moved, — That the clerk and analysts be instructed to prepare a brief report outlining the material facts of the potential breach of privilege related to the reports of threats, harassment and intimidation against, and efforts to deter the appearances of potential witnesses and witnesses in relation to the committee’s study of Bill C-355, An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts, and that the Chair be instructed to present this report to the House forthwith.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Alistair MacGregor moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “That the clerk and analysts be instructed to prepare a brief report” the following: “for the committee” and by deleting the following: “and that the Chair be instructed to present this report to the House forthwith”.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment of Alistair MacGregor and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: John Barlow, Ben Carr, Francis Drouin, Richard Lehoux, Tim Louis, Alistair MacGregor, Ken McDonald, Yves Perron, Lianne Rood, Warren Steinley, Leah Taylor Roy — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: John Barlow, Ben Carr, Francis Drouin, Richard Lehoux, Tim Louis, Alistair MacGregor, Ken McDonald, Yves Perron, Lianne Rood, Warren Steinley — 10;

NAYS: Leah Taylor Roy — 1.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the clerk and analysts be instructed to prepare a brief report for the committee outlining the material facts of the potential breach of privilege related to the reports of threats, harassment and intimidation against, and efforts to deter the appearances of potential witnesses and witnesses in relation to the committee’s study of Bill C-355, An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts.

The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

Motion

Tim Louis moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study on the protection of prime agricultural areas for their long-term agricultural use; the use and/or development of agricultural land as defined by Canada Land Inventory for non-agricultural development; that no fewer than four meetings are set aside to hear from witnesses, that the committee report its findings to the House and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response to the report.

Debate arose thereon.

It was agreed, — That the debate be now adjourned.

At 12:53 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Stéphanie De Rome
Clerk of the committee