CIIT 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.
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Minutes of Proceedings
The committee commenced consideration of a draft report.
It was agreed, — That the committee proceed to sit in public.
At 5:42 p.m., the meeting was suspended.
At 5:49 p.m., the meeting resumed in public.
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay moved, — Given that:
- in its budget presented in March 2023, the government had announced its intention to introduce legislation by 2024 to eliminate forced labour from Canadian supply chains and to strengthen the ban on the importation of goods produced by forced labour (page 195 of the French version and page 171 of the English version);
- in its budget presented in March 2024, the government had announced that it would accomplish such a measure during the year 2024 (page 369 of the French version and page 320 of the English version);
- to date, the government has still not acted, and no bill has yet been tabled;
- following a unanimous motion adopted on November 28, 2023, the committee had sent a letter to the government, reminding it of its commitment and requesting a response to the committee's attention and explaining the reasons for this inaction, but that despite this nothing has yet been done by the government;
That the committee report back to the House to express that recourse to these practices, which undermine the fundamental rights of workers, vulnerable people and children, is totally inadmissible, and that it finds the government's inaction deplorable and unacceptable.
Debate arose thereon.
Mona Fortier moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “has still not acted,” the following: “we are still waiting for a government response in accordance with Standing Order 109,”.
After debate, the question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced:
YEAS: Chandra Arya, Mona Fortier, Wilson Miao, Terry Sheehan, Maninder Sidhu — 5;
NAYS: Tony Baldinelli, Blake Desjarlais, Matt Jeneroux, Richard Martel, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — 5.
Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.
Accordingly, the motion was negatived.
Tony Baldinelli moved, — That the motion be amended by, replacing the word “inadmissible” with “unacceptable” and by deleting “and unacceptable” after “deplorable”.
Debate arose thereon.
Maninder Sidhu moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing “’and unacceptable’ after ‘deplorable’” with “‘deplorable and’ before ‘unacceptable’”.
After debate, the question was put on the subamendment and the result of the vote was announced:
YEAS: Chandra Arya, Mona Fortier, Wilson Miao, Terry Sheehan, Maninder Sidhu — 5;
NAYS: Tony Baldinelli, Blake Desjarlais, Matt Jeneroux, Richard Martel, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — 5.
Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.
Accordingly, the subamendment was negatived.
The question was put on the amendment and the result of the vote was announced:
YEAS: Tony Baldinelli, Blake Desjarlais, Matt Jeneroux, Richard Martel, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — 5;
NAYS: Chandra Arya, Mona Fortier, Wilson Miao, Terry Sheehan, Maninder Sidhu — 5.
Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.
Accordingly, the amendment was agreed to.
The motion as amended, read as follows:
Given that:
- in its budget presented in March 2023, the government had announced its intention to introduce legislation by 2024 to eliminate forced labour from Canadian supply chains and to strengthen the ban on the importation of goods produced by forced labour (page 195 of the French version and page 171 of the English version);
- in its budget presented in March 2024, the government had announced that it would accomplish such a measure during the year 2024 (page 369 of the French version and page 320 of the English version);
- to date, the government has still not acted, and no bill has yet been tabled;
- following a unanimous motion adopted on November 28, 2023, the committee had sent a letter to the government, reminding it of its commitment and requesting a response to the committee's attention and explaining the reasons for this inaction, but that despite this nothing has yet been done by the government;
That the committee report back to the House to express that recourse to these practices, which undermine the fundamental rights of workers, vulnerable people and children, is totally unacceptable, and that it finds the government's inaction deplorable.
The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced:
YEAS: Tony Baldinelli, Blake Desjarlais, Matt Jeneroux, Richard Martel, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — 5;
NAYS: Chandra Arya, Mona Fortier, Wilson Miao, Terry Sheehan, Maninder Sidhu — 5.
Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.
Accordingly, the motion was agreed to.
ORDERED, — That the Chair present the report to the House.
At 6:12 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.