ACVA 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

Meeting No. 24

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs met at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Chair, Gary Ralph Schellenberger, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Guy André, Kirsty Duncan, Greg Kerr, Ben Lobb, Colin Mayes, Phil McColeman, Gary Ralph Schellenberger, Hon. Judy Sgro, Brian Storseth, Robert Vincent and Lise Zarac.

Acting Members present: Wayne Marston for Peter Stoffer and David Sweet for Gary Ralph Schellenberger.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Analyst . House of Commons: Lucie Tardif-Carpentier, Legislative Clerk.

Witnesses: Department of Canadian Heritage: Lyn Elliot Sherwood, Executive Director, Heritage Group. Department of National Defence: André M. Lévesque, Director, Honours and Recognition. Department of Canadian Heritage: Tom Scrimger, Assistant Deputy Minister, Citizenship and Heritage; Kathryn Zedde, Senior Policy Analyst, Heritage Policy Development.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — that David Sweet do assume the Chair of the Committee for today's sitting, to study Bill C-473.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — that the Committee do request a 30 sitting day extension from the House, for the completion of Bill C-473, if at the end of today's sitting, the study of the Bill is not completed.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Thursday, April 15, 2010, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generations.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

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

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of Clause 1 is postponed.

The Chair calls Clause 2.

By unanimous consent, Clause 2 was allowed to stand.

On Clause 3,

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing the heading before line 10 and lines 10 to 29 on page 2 with the following:

“EXPORT OF INSIGNIA

3. (1) It is prohibited for any person to export or attempt to export an insignia of cultural significance unless that person has first submitted an offer to sell the insignia to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which includes its affiliated museum the Canadian War Museum, the Department of Canadian Heritage or the Canadian Forces, and that person

(a) has received a refusal of his or her offer in writing; or

(b) has not received an acceptance of his or her offer within 120 days after the offer was received.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to the export of the insignia to a spouse or common-law partner, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, child, child of the spouse or common-law partner, grandchild, brother, sister or heir of the owner of the insignia. ”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473, in Clause 3, be amended by adding after line 29 on page 2 the following:

“(3) In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this section and the provisions of any letters patent, constitution, regulation or other instrument governing an insignia or the provisions of the Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces, the provisions of the letters patent, constitution, regulation or other instrument or Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

Clause 3, as amended, carried.

On Clause 4,

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473, in Clause 4, be amended by replacing lines 30 to 34 on page 2 with the following:

“4. Every person who contravenes section 3 is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine of not more than $5,000.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

Clause 4, as amended, carried.

Clause 5 carried.

By unanimous consent, Clause 6 was allowed to stand.

Clause 7 carried.

The Committee reverted to Clause 2 previously stood.

On Clause 2,

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing lines 9 to 23 on page 1 with the following:

““common-law partner”, in relation to an individual, means a person who is cohabiting with the individual in a conjugal relationship, having so cohabited for a period of at least one year.

“insignia”means an insignia of a military order or a military decoration or medal that is awarded by Her Majesty in right of Canada and that is less than 50 years old.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

Clause 2, as amended, carried.

On Clause 1,

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 5 on page 1 with the following:

“Insignia of Military Orders and Military Decorations and”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

Clause 1, as amended, carried.

The Committee reverted to Clause 6 previously stood.

On Clause 6,

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing lines 6 to 10 on page 3 with the following:

“20.1 The Review Board shall, on request of the Minister, determine the amount of a fair cash offer to purchase in respect of an insignia that is offered for sale as required under subsection 3(1) of the Protection of Insignia of Military Orders and Military Decorations and”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

Clause 6, as amended, carried.

On the Title,

Greg Kerr moved, — That Bill C-473 be amended by replacing the long title on page 1 with the following:

“An Act to protect insignia of military orders and military decorations and medals that are of cultural significance for future generations”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Greg Kerr and it was agreed to.

The Title, as amended, carried.

After debate, the Bill, as amended, carried, by a show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 5.

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

ORDERED, — That Bill C-473, as amended, be reprinted for the use of the House at report stage.

At 5:11 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Julie-Anne Macdonald
Clerk of the Committee

2010-10-28 4:28 p.m.