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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 68

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities met at 3:34 p.m. this day, in Room 308, West Block, the Chair, Dean Allison, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Dean Allison, Josée Beaudin, Dona Cadman, Ron Cannan, Raymonde Folco, Ed Komarnicki, Yves Lessard, Ben Lobb and Michael John Savage.

Acting Members present: Russ Hiebert for Maurice Vellacott, Brian Jean for Dona Cadman, Gerard Kennedy for Hon. Maria Minna, Megan Anissa Leslie for Tony Martin, Christian Ouellet for Josée Beaudin and Glen Douglas Pearson for Hon. Maria Minna.

Associate Members present: Libby Davies.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Hilary Jensen, Analyst ; André Léonard, Analyst . House of Commons: Lucie Tardif-Carpentier, Legislative Clerk ; Wayne Cole, Legislative Clerk.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Wednesday, September 30, 2009, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-304, An Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians.

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

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of the Preamble and Clause 1 is postponed. The Chair called Clause 2.

By unanimous consent, Clauses 2 and 3 were stood.

On new Clause 3.1,

Megan Anissa Leslie moved, — That Bill C-304 be amended by adding after line 17 on page 4 the following new clause:

“3.1 Recognizing the unique nature of the jurisdiction of the Government of Quebec with regard to social housing in Quebec, and despite any other provision of this Act, the Government of Quebec may choose to be exempted from the application of this Act. Whether or not the Government of Quebec chooses to do so, if the implementation of this Act results in payments being made by the Government of Canada to provincial or territorial governments, the Government of Quebec will receive its full share of any such payments.”

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

Yves Lessard moved, — That Bill C-304 be amended by adding after line 17 on page 4 the following new clause:

“3.1 The Government of Quebec may choose to be exempted from the application of this Act and may, if it chooses to do so, receive an unconditional payment equal to the total of the amounts that would otherwise be paid within its territory under this Act.”

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

Whereupon, Yves Lessard 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: Ron Cannan, Russ Hiebert, Brian Jean, Ed Komarnicki, Ben Lobb — 5; NAYS: Josée Beaudin, Raymonde Folco, Megan Anissa Leslie, Yves Lessard, Glen Douglas Pearson, Michael John Savage — 6.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Yves Lessard and it was agreed to on the following recorded division: YEAS: Josée Beaudin, Raymonde Folco, Megan Anissa Leslie, Yves Lessard, Glen Douglas Pearson, Michael John Savage — 6; NAYS: Dona Cadman, Ron Cannan, Russ Hiebert, Ed Komarnicki — 4.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 3 previously stood.

On Clause 3,

Megan Anissa Leslie moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 2 on page 3 with the following:

“with the provincial and territorial ministers of the Crown”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Megan Anissa Leslie and it was agreed to.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the result of the vote on the previous amendment be applied to the following four (4) amendments which are therefore also adopted:

That Bill C-304, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing line 19 on page 4 with the following:

“provincial and territorial ministers of the Crown responsible”

That Bill C-304, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing line 29 on page 4 with the following:

“provincial and territorial ministers of the Crown responsible”

That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing line 37 on page 4 with the following:

“convene a conference of the provincial and territorial ministers”

That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing line 4 on page 5 with the following:

“between the federal, provincial and territorial govern-”

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing lines 4 and 5 on page 3 with the following:

“and with representatives of municipalities, Aboriginal communities, non-profit and private sector housing providers and civil society organizations, including those that represent groups in need of adequate housing, establish a national”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing lines 6 to 10 on page 3 with the following:

“housing strategy designed to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the right to adequate housing as guaranteed under international human rights treaties ratified by Canada.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 11 on page 3 with the following:

“(2) The national housing strategy shall ensure that the cost of housing in Canada does not compromise an individual’s ability to meet other basic needs, including food, clothing and access to health care services, education and recreational activities, and shall pro-”

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

Megan Anissa Leslie moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 15 on page 3 with the following:

“(3) The national housing strategy shall include incentives for affordable rental housing and shall”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Megan Anissa Leslie and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 17 on page 3 with the following:

“(a) is safe, secure, adequate, affordable, accessi-”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing lines 24 and 25 on page 3 with the following:

“tion, access for the elderly and the disabled that allows for independent living as a result of housing adaptations;”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing lines 29 and 30 on page 3 with the following:

“(e) uses designs with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification;”

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

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing lines 6 to 9 on page 4 with the following:

“(4) The national housing strategy shall give priority to ensuring the availability of secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing to those without housing and to members of groups particularly vulnerable to homelessness, including”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 16 on page 4 with the following:

“(c) members of groups denied housing as a”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 3, be amended by adding after line 17 on page 4 the following:

“(d) those who are experiencing violence or who are at risk of experiencing violence.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Clause 3, as amended, carried on division.

On Clause 4,

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing line 22 on page 4 with the following:

“communities, shall develop a”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Clause 4, as amended, carried.

On Clause 5,

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing lines 39 and 40 on page 4 with the following:

“and housing and of representatives of municipalities, Aboriginal communities, non-profit and private sector housing providers and civil society organizations, including those that represent groups in need of adequate housing, in order to”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing lines 41 to 43 on page 4 with the following:

“(a) develop standards and set objectives and targets for the national housing strategy referred to in subsection 3(1) — including targets to end homelessness — with clear timelines and accountability mechanisms, and develop programs to carry out the strategy;”

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

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing line 6 on page 5 with the following:

“ipalities, Aboriginal communities, non-profit and private sector housing providers and civil society organizations, including those that represent groups in need of adequate housing, for the”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by replacing line 7 on page 5 with the following:

“development, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the programs”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Gerard Kennedy and it was agreed to.

Gerard Kennedy moved, — That Bill C-304, in Clause 5, be amended by adding after line 8 on page 5 the following:

“(d) develop a process by which an independent body will review, address and report on complaints about possible violations of any housing rights recognized by this Act.”

Debate arose thereon.

At 5:19 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Georges Etoka
Clerk of the Committee

2010/02/02 10:50 a.m.