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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 65
Friday, April 28, 2023, 8:45 a.m. to 10:48 a.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Robert J. Morrissey, Chair (Liberal)

• Sylvie Bérubé for Louise Chabot (Bloc Québécois)
• Joël Godin for Scott Aitchison (Conservative)
House of Commons
• Marie-Hélène Sauvé, Legislative Clerk
• Émilie Thivierge, Legislative Clerk
 
Library of Parliament
• Eleni Kachulis, Analyst
• Mayra Perez-Leclerc, Analyst
• Vanessa Preston, Analyst
Department of Employment and Social Development
• Michelle Lattimore, Director General, Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
• Cheri Reddin, Director General, Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat
• Jill Henry, Director, Policy, Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat
• Kelly Nares, Director, Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
• Christian Paradis, Director, Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, February 1, 2023, the committee resumed consideration of Bill C-35, An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada.

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

On Clause 9,

Michelle Ferreri moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 9, be amended by adding after line 4 on page 6 the following:

“(2) The members of the Council must be representative of all parts of the early learning and child care system, including private and home-based child care providers and public and not for profit child care providers.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Michelle Ferreri and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5;

NAYS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6.

Clause 9 carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 7;

NAYS: Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 4.

Clause 10 carried.

On Clause 11,

Joël Godin moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 11, be amended by replacing line 14 on page 6 with the following:

“representative of the diversity of Canadian society, in particular Indigenous peoples and official language minority communities — to”

Debate arose thereon.

Ya'ara Saks moved, — That the amendment proposing to amend Clause 11 of Bill C-35 be amended by substituting the following for the word “in particular” in the text proposed in the motion:

“including”

At 9:03 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:06 a.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Ya'ara Saks and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The question was put on the amendment of Joël Godin, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

Clause 11, as amended, carried.

Clause 12 carried.

Clause 13 carried.

On Clause 14,

Michelle Ferreri moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 14, be amended

(a) by replacing lines 21 and 22 on page 7 with the following:

“grams and services, funding and activities that support early learning and child care, as well as strategies to support recruitment and retention of a well-qualified workforce;”

(b) by replacing line 23 on page 7 with the following:

“(b) regularly conduct engagement activities on matters relating”

(c) by replacing line 25 on page 7 with the following:

“tem, including the availability of child care services, the number of families on waitlists for child care places and any progress made in reducing the number of families on waitlists;”

(d) by adding after line 28 on page 7 the following:

“(d) prepare and make public an annual progress report.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Michelle Ferreri and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 4;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 7.

Leah Gazan moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 14, be amended by replacing line 23 on page 7 with the following:

“(b) consult broadly with individuals and organizations that have an interest in early learning and child care, including parents, the early childhood education workforce, child care providers, advocates and policy and research specialists, on matters relating”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Leah Gazan and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 10;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé — 1.

Clause 14, as amended, carried on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 7;

NAYS: — 0.

On new Clause 14.1,

Leah Gazan moved, — That Bill C-35 be amended by adding after line 28 on page 7 the following new clause:

“14.1 The Minister must, on request of the Council, provide the Council with any information related to the Canada-wide early learning and child care system that is in the Minister's possession and that the Minister is authorized to share.”

Debate arose thereon.

Ya'ara Saks moved, — That the amendment proposing to add Clause 14.1 to Bill C-35 be amended by substituting the following for that Clause:

“14.1 The Minister may, on request of the Council, provide the Council with any information respecting the Canada-wide early learning and child care system that is related to the Council’s functions and that is in the Minister’s possession, if it is within the Minister’s authority to share the information.”

At 9:31 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:34 a.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Ya'ara Saks and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5.

At 9:44 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:45 a.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Leah Gazan, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 6;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 5.

Sylvie Bérubé moved, — That Bill C-35 be amended by adding after line 28 on page 7 the following new clause:

“14.1 Quebec retains sole responsibility for implementing, evaluating and adapting its early learning and child care policies and programs in Quebec, and therefore the Council's functions do not extend to early learning and child care, or any other related activity, in Quebec.”

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible because it was contrary to the principle of the Bill, as provided on page 770 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Third Edition.

Whereupon, Sylvie Bérubé appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Leah Gazan, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 10;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé — 1.

Clause 15 carried.

On Clause 16,

Michelle Ferreri moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 16, be amended

(a) by replacing line 31 on page 7 with the following:

“16 The Minister and the Minister of Labour must prepare and make public an annu‐”

(b) by replacing line 35 on page 7 with the following:

“system, and respecting a national labour strategy to recruit and retain a qualified early childhood education workforce.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Michelle Ferreri and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Joël Godin, Tracy Gray — 4;

NAYS: Sylvie Bérubé, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Leah Gazan, Wayne Long, Ya'ara Saks, Tony Van Bynen — 7.

Leah Gazan moved, — That Bill C-35, in Clause 16, be amended by replacing lines 31 to 35 on page 7 with the following:

“16 (1) At the end of the fiscal year, the Minister must prepare a report that contains

(a) a summary of information in the Minister's possession relating to the federal investments made in respect of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system during the fiscal year;

(b) an assessment of the progress being made respecting that system, including information on the quality, availability, affordability, accessibility and inclusiveness of early learning and child care programs and services; and

(c) a summary of the advice provided by the Council under paragraph 14(a) and the work of the Council during the reporting period.

(2) The Minister must cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.”

Debate arose thereon.

Ya'ara Saks moved, — That the amendment proposing to amend Clause 16 of Bill C-35 be amended by substituting the following for the paragraphs 16(1)(a) and (b) proposed by the motion:

“(a) a summary of the information in the Minister’s possession and within the Minister’s authority to disclose relating to the federal investments made in respect of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system during the fiscal year;

(b) a summary of the progress being made respecting that system, including information relating to the quality, affordability and inclusiveness of early learning and child care programs and services and to the access to those programs and services; and”

At 10:11 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:20 a.m., the sitting resumed.

The debate continued

A point of order was raised regarding the procedural admissibility of the proposed subamendement.

At 10:20 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:20 a.m., the sitting resumed.

The Chair ruled the subamendment admissible as it is within the scope of the Bill.

The debate continued

At 10:25 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:30 a.m., the sitting resumed.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the subamendment be amended by:

(a) adding after the word “quality,” the following:

“availability,”

(b) by adding after the word “affordability” the following:

“, accessibility,”.

At 10:40 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:45 a.m., the sitting resumed.

At 10:48 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



David Chandonnet
Clerk of the committee