Question to Minister Anandasangaree on Haida Nation Legislation

Thank you to Minister Anandasangaree for answering my question in the House of Commons on the Senate legislation recognizing the self-determination of the Haida Nation.

✔︎ Bill S-205 (interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders)

Bill

Bill S-205, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another Act

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

Bill S-205 proposes additional targeted criminal law reforms would help to reinforce the ability of the criminal law to address IPV and improve victim confidence in the criminal justice system. Accordingly, the Government supports Bill S-205 with amendments to ensure coherence with existing criminal law and to address the legal, operational and policy concerns with the Bill.

Passed.

Bill Status

At report stage in the House of Commons

✘ Bill S-210, Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act

Bill

Bill S-210, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material

Vote

Nay.

Rationale

I voted against Bill S-210 because I believe it to be fundamentally flawed, as it mixes criminal law with administrative enforcement and penalties – criminal law is enforced by police and courts, not monetary penalties and administrative enforcement and penalties. Furthermore, the legislation does not focus on priority issues and additional concerns such as cyberbullying, incitement to self-harm, and child sexual abuse materials.

Passed.

Bill Status

In consideration in committee in the House of Commons

✘ Bill S-242 (radiocommunications)

Bill

Bill S-242, An Act to amend the Radiocommunication Act

Vote

Nay.

Rationale

S-242 claims to support the Minister’s mandate to take a “use it or lose it” approach to spectrum management but its’ one-size-fits-all approach runs counter to the objective of better connectivity. It fails to consider existing infrastructure, geography, and the variety of uses spectrum supports.

Failed.

Bill Status

Bill defeated

✔︎ Bill S-222 (use of wood)

Bill

Bill S-222, An Act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act (use of wood)

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

The government stands in support of environmental goals and sustainable infrastructure. Our government supported Bill C-354 in 2019 , which was a similar Bill. Given that C-354 was passed by the House of Commons, it is anticipated that S-222 would pass Parliamentary review. This Bill supports the government mandate of greening and reducing GHGs, as well as building a sustainable environmental future.

Passed.

Bill Status

Received Royal Assent

✔︎ Bill S-12 (SOIRA and publication bans)

Bill

Bill S-12, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

Bill S-12 amends the Criminal Code and the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) to enact reforms in three categories: 1) response to a Supreme Court decision regarding the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR), 2) strengthening of the NSOR, and 3) empowering victims of crime. S-12 was created after extensive consultation with victims and survivors of sexual assault, women’s groups, law enforcement agencies, and others. The Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime is extremely supportive of this Bill.

Passed.

Bill Status

Received Royal Assent

✔︎ Bill S-224 (Trafficking in Persons)

Bill

Bill S-224, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons)

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

The current definition of exploitation focuses on the impact of the trafficker’s conduct on a reasonable person in the victim’s circumstances. As this definition has been interpreted broadly, including by appellate courts, and has secured convictions, we cannot support Bill S-224’s proposal to remove it from the Criminal Code. We propose amending Bill S-224 to add its proposed definition of exploitation as an additional definition that could be used in appropriate cases, providing prosecutors with an additional tool to ensure traffickers are held to account.

Passed.

Bill Status

At report stage in the House of Commons

✔︎ Bill S-8 (Denying Entry to Sanctioned Individuals and Entities)

Bill

Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

Bill S-8 aligns Canada’s sanctions and inadmissibility frameworks to ensure that Russian individuals are entities who have been recently sanctioned due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Iranian individuals and entities who have been sanctioned for their support of terrorism and systemic and gross human rights violations are inadmissible to Canada. These changes will allow the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to deny entry to, and remove, sanctioned individuals, and will allow Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officials to deny visas.

Passed.

Bill Status

Royal Assent received

✔︎ Bill S-5, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act

Bill

Bill S-5, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

The Act amends the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to promote alignment with the growing number of jurisdictions seeking to replace, reduce, or refine animal testing; protect subpopulations that may be more susceptible or highly exposed to harmful substances and take cumulative effects into account.

Passed.

Bill Status

Royal Assent received

✔︎ Bill S-245 (Granting Citizenship to Certain Canadians)

Bill

Bill S-245, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (granting citizenship to certain Canadians)

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

The Act addresses the issue of “lost Canadians” and provides a clear process to renounce citizenship by those affected if they so desire.

Passed.

Bill Status

At report stage in the House of Commons