In this Issue
Senate Business Highlights
It goes without saying that the tragic events in the United States on September 11 had a considerable impact on the agenda in the latter part of this session. For those of us involved in the legislative process, the subject matter of two bills in particular,
C-11 and C-36, took on considerable urgency.
C-11, An Act respecting immigration to Canada and the granting of refugee
protection to persons who are displaced, persecuted or in danger, was already on the order paper when the fall sitting began.
C-36, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Official Secrets
Act, the Canada Evidence Act, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) Act and other Acts, and to enact measures respecting the registration of charities, in order to combat
terrorism, was designed to address concerns arising from the post- September 11 world. Both are among the 18 bills that received Royal Assent over the fall.
Meeting rooms on Parliament Hill as well as in several venues throughout the country
were kept busy with the nation’s business. This is amply demonstrated by statistics on work accomplished in committees this year alone:
Number of meetings held: 499
Number of hours spent in committee: 982.6
Number of hours spent on fact-finding missions: 171.5
Number of witnesses who appeared: 1,681
Number of reports produced: 140
Based on these figures, the volume of work in 2001-2002 is expected to far surpass the previous five-year average. We project that this fiscal year, committees will have:
held 39 per cent more meetings;
produced 26 per cent more reports;
spent 49 per cent more hours in session; and - heard 53 per cent more witnesses.
So, what lies ahead? When the Senate reconvenes on February 5, 2002, Senators will return to the study of some 29 Senate and House of Commons bills that have already been presented. As well, of course, will be new government, public and private bills introduced in the Senate and any legislation from the House of Commons that is sent to the Senate for review and approval.
The Senate thanks you for your continuing interest in the work of this institution and our legislators over this past year. All good wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2002!
Senator’s Forum
Senator Lorna Milne
The Senate must debate every piece of legislation introduced in Parliament, and pass each bill with precisely the
same wording as did the House of Commons, before any new law can receive Royal Assent. Few people realise that individual Senators have a major role in this process.
When a bill is introduced in the House of Commons it is moved, spoken to and steered through all legislative procedures by a Minister of the Crown. In the Senate each bill is sponsored and steered through exactly the same steps by an ordinary back-bench Senator. Sometimes this leads to extraordinary opportunities to influence major legislation.
Several years ago, I was delegated the task of sponsoring a new Controlled Drugs and Substances Act through the Senate. During committee hearings on the subject, we heard testimony urging us to allow industrial, non-narcotic hemp to be grown as a legal crop in Canada. I was able to persuade the committee, the Department and the Minister of Health, to add an amendment that legalised hemp farming in Canada for the first time since it was outlawed in 1939.
Another way a Senator can influence legislation is through a Senate Public Bill. Recently, Senator Jerry Grafstein’s bill establishing the position of Canadian Poet Laureate, was passed into law. In the last Parliament, Senator Donald Oliver introduced a bill to increase the penalties for criminal stalking. It died on the Order Paper, but many of its provisions have been included in the omnibus bill, C-15A, that is before the Senate now. I am presently working on a bill that would allow timely access to the historical Canadian census results.
There are many different ways in which a single Senator can contribute to Canada’s governance and future. I take a great deal of satisfaction in our individual contributions as well as in our vital collective legislative role.
|
