STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMITÉ PERMANENT DE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE L'ADMINISTRATION DE LA JUSTICE
CONTENTS
Monday 29 September 1997
Victims of Violent Crime Commemoration Week Act, 1997, Bill 155, Mr Baird /
Loi de 1997 sur la Semaine de commémoration des victimes de crimes
de violence, Projet de loi 155, M. Baird
STANDING COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
CHAIR / PRÉSIDENT
MR GERRY MARTINIUK (CAMBRIDGE PC)
VICE-CHAIR / VICE-PRÉSIDENT
MR E.J. DOUGLAS ROLLINS (QUINTE PC)
MR DAVE BOUSHY (SARNIA PC)
MR BRUCE CROZIER (ESSEX SOUTH / -SUD L)
MR JIM FLAHERTY (DURHAM CENTRE / -CENTRE PC)
MR GARRY J. GUZZO (OTTAWA-RIDEAU PC)
MR PETER KORMOS (WELLAND-THOROLD ND)
MR GERRY MARTINIUK (CAMBRIDGE PC)
MR DAVID RAMSAY (TIMISKAMING L)
MR E.J. DOUGLAS ROLLINS (QUINTE PC)
MR BOB WOOD (LONDON SOUTH / -SUD PC)
SUBSTITUTIONS / MEMBRES REMPLAÇANTS
MR JOHN R. BAIRD (NEPEAN PC)
MR RICK BARTOLUCCI (SUDBURY L)
MR WAYNE LESSARD (WINDSOR-RIVERSIDE ND)
CLERK PRO TEM / GREFFIER PAR INTÉRIM
MR TOM PRINS
STAFF / PERSONNEL
MR MICHAEL WOOD, LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMITÉ PERMANENT DE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE L'ADMINISTRATION DE LA JUSTICE
Monday 29 September 1997 Lundi 29 septembre 1997
The committee met at 1536 in room 228.
VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME COMMEMORATION WEEK ACT, 1997 LOI DE 1997 SUR LA SEMAINE DE COMMÉMORATION DES VICTIMES DE CRIMES DE VIOLENCE
Consideration of Bill 155, An Act proclaiming Victims of Violent Crime Commemoration Week / Projet de loi 155, Loi proclamant la Semaine de commémoration des victimes de crimes de violence.
The Chair (Mr Gerry Martiniuk): I call the meeting to order. This is a meeting of the standing committee on administration of justice, clause-by-clause consideration of Bill 155. This is a private member's bill proposed by Mr John Baird. It has first and second reading.
First, I have a preliminary motion of the subcommittee that I'd ask be moved.
Mr Dave Boushy (Sarnia): I move that the subcommittee on committee business be composed of the following members: the Chair of the committee, Mr Flaherty, Mr Ramsay and Mr Kormos.
The Chair: Is there any discussion regarding the reconstituted subcommittee? If not, all those in favour? The report is adopted.
Mr Baird, sorry for the interruption.
Mr John R. Baird (Nepean): Thank you to the members of the committee. I appreciate each of you taking time out of your schedules to come before the committee to speak to this bill, particularly the member for Sudbury, who showed the House last week that you can pass a private member's bill. We appreciate you coming. I know there are a lot of demands on all our time.
I'll just speak for maybe one or two minutes, to give an outline of what the bill is. What the bill seeks to do is declare and proclaim the third week of April as Victims of Violent Crime Commemoration Week. Through the act I seek to do a number of things.
First, it's to commemorate the victims of violent crime and the tremendous lost potential, not just to their family and friends, but to our community and society as a whole.
Second, it's to commemorate the family and friends who struggle with the aftermath of that violent crime, not just with the personal issues, but many struggle, long after their case is dealt with and long after the aftermath of their case, to seek change not just for other victims but for broader criminal justice reform.
Third, it's another vehicle for the victims' rights community to communicate with the general public and to focus attention on issues of concern to them.
Finally, it's a mechanism for those groups that are involved in victims' issues and indeed the general public to hold the government of the day accountable, not just exclusively to victims' issues, but as well to criminal justice issues. This annual week would give that accountability on a regular basis, which I think would be a positive change.
I will later on be proposing three amendments, which maybe I could speak to now.
The Chair: You can speak to them at the time they come up, Mr Baird. You'll just confuse me.
We have to have a motion adopting the subcommittee report.
Mr Jim Flaherty (Durham Centre): The report of the subcommittee is: "Your subcommittee met on Monday 22 September 1997 to consider the method of proceeding on Bill 155, An Act proclaiming Victims of Violent Crime Commemoration Week, and has agreed to recommend that the committee meet to consider Bill 155 clause by clause on Monday 29 September 1997."
The Chair: Is there any discussion in regard to the motion adopting the subcommittee report? If not, all those in favour? Carried.
We are proceeding to the bill itself. We are dealing first with section 1. There are no proposed amendments at this moment to section 1. Is there any discussion in regard to section 1?
Mr Baird: Mr Chair, in moving an amendment to the long title, where would I do that?
The Chair: That's at the end.
There's no discussion? Shall section 1 carry? Section 1 carries.
Mr Wayne Lessard (Windsor-Riverside): I have a point of order, Mr Chair, with respect to the preamble. Is that something that gets considered before --
The Chair: We do that at the end too. My clerk advises me it's traditional that the preamble is done at the end. It doesn't seem logical to me, Mr Lessard, but that is --
Mr Bruce Crozier (Essex South): Let's break with tradition.
The Chair: Some of our older members started this tradition. Mr Crozier can no doubt tell us about the logic of it.
Mr Crozier: Longer-serving members, not older.
Mr Lessard: You're talking more experience; seniority, not age.
The Chair: Yes, quite right. Thank you for pointing that out.
We are now dealing with a proposed amendment by Mr Baird to section 2.
Mr Baird: I move that section 2 of the bill be amended by striking out "Commemoration" in the fourth line.
I'll be presenting three amendments, this being the first. What they seek to do is to strike out the word "Commemoration" from the title. It was thought, in consultation with some of the victims' rights advocates who came to Queen's Park on the day of second reading, that the word "Commemoration" in the short and long titles of the act would perhaps give a more narrow focus, that this would exclusively be some sort of church service or service of commemoration, when in fact the four purposes I outlined earlier are much broader than that. So they recommended, and I certainly accepted, to just delete the word "Commemoration" from the title of the act.
The Chair: Is there any further discussion in regard to the amendment? Shall the amendment carry? All those in favour? It is carried.
I shall now put the question: Shall section 2, as amended, carry? Carried.
We are moving to section 3. Is there any discussion in regard to section 3? I call the question: Shall section 3 carry? It is carried.
We're moving to a proposed amendment to section 4.
Mr Baird: I move that section 4 of the bill be amended by striking out "Commemoration" in the second line.
The Chair: Is there any further discussion in regard to the amendment? If not, all those in favour of the amendment? Carried.
All those in favour of section 4, as amended? It is carried.
We are now moving to the preamble. Is there any discussion in regard to the preamble? That is prior to section 1. Mr Lessard, did you have some questions or comments?
Mr Lessard: Not at this time, no.
The Chair: The preamble consists of the four paragraphs prior to section 1 on page 1. Is there any comment or discussion in regard to the preamble? If not, shall the preamble carry? All those in favour? It is carried.
We are now dealing with the long title. Mr Baird has an amendment.
Mr Baird: I move that the long title of the bill be struck out and the following substituted: "An Act proclaiming Victims of Violent Crime Week."
The Chair: Is there any discussion in regard to the proposed amendment to the long title of the bill? If not, shall the amendment carry? All those in favour? It is carried.
Shall the long title, as amended, carry? It is carried.
We are now proceeding to the bill in total. Is there any discussion on the total bill? If not, I put the question: Shall the bill, as amended, carry? All those in favour? It is carried.
Lastly, I ask your instructions: Shall I report the bill to the House? All those in favour? It is carried.
I'm sorry we kept you waiting today, Mr Baird, but that's about as fast as we can go. Is there anything else you wish to add at this time?
Mr Baird: I would just again thank all members of all three parties for taking time and for their support of the bill. It's greatly appreciated.
Mr Rick Bartolucci (Sudbury): Just another example of what happens when something good is brought before the House. I think there are many private members' bills that are very good. Without playing partisan politics, I really encourage the government members to encourage the powers that be. There is lots of talent in all three parties and lots of members bring excellent ideas.
Mr Baird and I were just a little bit lucky. Ours came because they not only stood on their own, but they were of a great deal of importance to the specific people involved. In reviewing private members' hour and some of the private members' bills that are still waiting, there are excellent ideas that I would suggest we encourage -- and you people on the government side can encourage more than we can -- be brought forth as quickly as possible.
Mr Baird: I was just going to say I agree with the member for Sudbury and I certainly commit to take that back not just to my caucus colleagues, but to the House leader as well.
The Chair: Thank you very much, gentlemen. We are adjourning at the pleasure of the Chair.
The committee adjourned at 1546.