Skip to main content

HUMA Committee Meeting

Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication

Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 100
Monday, February 12, 2024, 3:59 p.m. to 6:01 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Robert J. Morrissey, Chair (Liberal)

House of Commons
• Jacques Maziade, Procedural Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Eleni Kachulis, Analyst
• Vanessa Preston, Analyst
Bridges of Love York Region
• Alessandro Casbarro, Co-Founder
Office of the Seniors Advocate of British Columbia
• Isobel Mackenzie, Seniors Advocate
CanAge
• Aiman Malhi, Policy Officer
• Laura Tamblyn Watts, Chief Executive Officer
Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées
• Pierre-Claude Poulin, Responsible for the Income and Taxation Committee for Retirees Without an Employer Pension
Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, October 18, 2023, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-319, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act (amount of full pension).

Pierre-Claude Poulin and Alessandro Casbarro made statements and answered questions.

Motion

Bonita Zarrillo moved, — That the committee write to Minister Freeland to highlight her mandate to convert the Canada Caregiver Credit to a refundable tax-free benefit, and ask that it be part of the upcoming Spring budget so that Canadians who care for their loved ones are also looked after.

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

YEAS: Scott Aitchison, Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Rosemarie Falk, Peter Fragiskatos, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Anna Roberts, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 10;

NAYS: Louise Chabot — 1.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

At 4:56 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:01 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Aiman Malhi, Laura Tamblyn Watts, and Isobel Mackenzie made statements and answered questions.

Motion

Scott Aitchison moved, — That the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study in accordance with Standing Order 108 (2) of no less than 8 meetings, on housing, homelessness, and tent cities in Canada, and that the committee give priority to this study, upon the completion of the Committees work on C-319.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Peter Fragiskatos moved, —

That the motion be amended by replacing the words after “of no less than” with the following: “4 meetings, on the role played by the lack of investments in purpose-built rental, affordable, social, rent-geared-to-income, and co-op housing by successive federal governments in creating the housing and homelessness crisis, as well as tent cities in Canada;

That, with regard to federal housing investments between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015, this study include particular consideration of the following questions:

(a) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of non-profit or community housing and how many units were developed;

(b) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of cooperative housing and how many units were developed; and

(c) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of purpose-built rental housing and how many units were developed;

That the Committee report its findings to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response thereto".


At 5:23 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:25 p.m., the sitting resumed.

A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of the proposed amendment.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible as it introduces a new proposition which should be the subject of a substantive motion.

Whereupon, Chad Collins appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: ‘’Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?’’ Was put and the decision was overturned on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Scott Aitchison, Louise Chabot, Rosemarie Falk, Tracy Gray, Anna Roberts — 5;

NAYS: Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Peter Fragiskatos, Wayne Long, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 6.

Accordingly, the Chair’s decision was overruled.

The debate on the amendment of Peter Fragiskatos continued.

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

YEAS: Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Peter Fragiskatos, Wayne Long, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 6;

NAYS: Scott Aitchison, Louise Chabot, Rosemarie Falk, Tracy Gray, Anna Roberts — 5.

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

YEAS: Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Peter Fragiskatos, Wayne Long, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 6;

NAYS: Scott Aitchison, Louise Chabot, Rosemarie Falk, Tracy Gray, Anna Roberts — 5.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study in accordance with Standing Order 108(2), of no less than 4 meetings, on the role played by the lack of investments in purpose-built rental, affordable, social, rent-geared-to-income, and co-op housing by successive federal governments in creating the housing and homelessness crisis, as well as tent cities in Canada;

That, with regard to federal housing investments between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015, this study include particular consideration of the following questions:

(a) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of non-profit or community housing and how many units were developed;

(b) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of co-operative housing and how many units were developed; and

(c) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of purpose-built rental housing and how many units were developed; That the committee report its findings to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response thereto.

Questioning of Aiman Malhi, Laura Tamblyn Watts, and Isobel Mackenzie resumed.

At 5:59 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Ariane Calvert
Clerk of the committee