RNNR Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Natural Resources met at 3:32 p.m. this day, in Room 371, West Block, the Chair, Leon Benoit, presiding.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

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

On new Clause 26.1,

“26.1 Three months after the end of every calendar year after this Act comes into force, the Minister shall cause a report to be laid before each House of Parliament specifying the total liabilities assumed under this Act in that year by Her Majesty in right of Canada.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Nathan Cullen and it was negatived on the following recorded division: YEAS: Nathan Cullen — 1; NAYS: Mike Allen, David Anderson, Navdeep Bains, Paule Brunelle, Claude Guimond, Geoff Regan, Devinder Shory, Alan Tonks, Brad Trost — 9.

At 4:43 p.m., the sitting resumed.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 30 previously stood.

On Clause 30,

“(2) No action or claim may be brought after 10 years from the day on which occurred the nuclear incident to which the action or claim relates, unless the action or claim is in relation to bodily injury.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Nathan Cullen and it was negatived on the following recorded division: YEAS: Nathan Cullen — 1; NAYS: Mike Allen, David Anderson, Navdeep Bains, Paule Brunelle, Claude Guimond, Russ Hiebert, Geoff Regan, Devinder Shory, Alan Tonks, Brad Trost — 10.

Clause 30 carried on the following recorded division: YEAS: Mike Allen, David Anderson, Navdeep Bains, Paule Brunelle, Claude Guimond, Russ Hiebert, Geoff Regan, Devinder Shory, Alan Tonks, Brad Trost — 10; NAYS: Nathan Cullen — 1.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 34 previously stood.

On Clause 34,

“section (1) may not exceed 40 per cent of the”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it infringed on the financial initiative of the Crown, as provided on pages 767-768 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition, 2009.

Clause 34 carried on division.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 37 previously stood.

On Clause 37,

“Canada Gazette and in one or more newspapers in general circulation throughout all of Canada.”

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

Clause 37, as amended, carried.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 38 previously stood.

On Clause 38,

“who shall select from among themselves a person who shall act as the”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Nathan Cullen and it was negatived on division.

Clause 38 carried on division.

On new Clause 44.1,

“44.1 The Tribunal shall hold its hearings in public unless the Tribunal is of the opinion that the claimant's privacy interest outweighs the principle that hearings be open to the public, and in that case the Tribunal shall hold a hearing in private and disclose the reasons why the hearing cannot be held in public as well as the items discussed at that hearing.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Nathan Cullen and it was negatived on the following recorded division: YEAS: Paule Brunelle, Nathan Cullen, Claude Guimond — 3; NAYS: Mike Allen, David Anderson, Navdeep Bains, Russ Hiebert, Geoff Regan, Devinder Shory, Alan Tonks, Brad Trost — 8.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 48 previously stood.

On Clause 48,

“48. The Tribunal shall submit to the Minister a report on its”

The question was put on the amendment of Nathan Cullen and it was negatived on division.

Clause 48 carried on division.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to Clause 66 previously stood.

Clause 66 carried on division.

On new Clause 68.1,

“68.1 (1) The Governor in Council may not make a regulation under section 66 unless the Minister has first laid the proposed regulation before the House of Commons.

(2) A proposed regulation that is laid before the House of Commons is deemed to be automatically referred to the appropriate committee of the House, as determined by the rules of the House, and the committee may conduct inquiries or public hearings with respect to the proposed regulation and report its findings to the House.

(3) The Governor in Council may make a regulation under section 66 only if

(a) the House of Commons has not concurred in any report from a committee respecting the proposed regulation within the thirty sitting days following the day on which the proposed regulation was laid before the House, in which case the regulation may only be made in the form laid; or

(b) the House of Commons has concurred in a report from a committee approving the proposed regulation or an amended version of it, in which case regulation may only be made in the form concurred in.

(4) For the purposes of this section, "sitting day" means a day on which the House of Commons sits.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Paule Brunelle and it was negatived on the following recorded division: YEAS: Paule Brunelle, Nathan Cullen, Claude Guimond — 3; NAYS: Mike Allen, David Anderson, Navdeep Bains, Russ Hiebert, Geoff Regan, Devinder Shory, Alan Tonks, Brad Trost — 8.

By unanimous consent, the Committee reverted to the Short Title previously stood.

The Short Title carried.

The Title carried.

The Bill, as amended, carried following recorded division: YEAS: Mike Allen, David Anderson, Navdeep Bains, Paule Brunelle, Claude Guimond, Russ Hiebert, Geoff Regan, Devinder Shory, Alan Tonks, Brad Trost — 10; NAYS: Nathan Cullen — 1.

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

It was agreed, — That Bill C-20, as amended, be reprinted for the use of the House at report stage.

At 5:15 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.