Below is a summary of nine selected Bills pending before the Parliament of Canada (either the Commons or Senate). The comprehensive list can be accessed from their website here. I noticed something interesting about how they name their Bills. They use numbers and the prefixes S or C stand for Senate or Commons thus indicating from which House that Bill originated from. I also noticed that in the Parliament of Canada, they tend to prefer use of preambles. Their website layout is commendable and accessing the status of any Bill and any additional information is pretty easy.
Here we go.
#1
S-244
This Bill, sponsored by the Honourable Senator Munson, designates the third week of February in each and every year as “Kindness Week”.
Clause 2 of the Bill provides as follows—
2. Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the third week of February is to be known as “Kindness Week”.
#2
S-247
This Bill is sponsored by the Honourable Senator Jaffer. It seeks to designate the 21st day of February in each and every year as “International Mother Language Day”. However, clause 3 provides that, “For greater certainty, International Mother Language Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.”
The preamble of the Bill gives background information. It provides that—
Preamble
Whereas English and French are Canada’s official languages;
Whereas more than 60 different Aboriginal languages are spoken in Canada;
Whereas Canadians speak a multitude of languages that greatly enrich Canada and its culture;
Whereas, in November 1999, International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;
Whereas, in May 2007, the United Nations General Assembly called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”;
Whereas some Canadian provinces and cities already recognize International Mother Language Day;
And whereas the Parliament of Canada wishes to recognize the value of linguistic and cultural diversity;
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
#3
S-252
This Bill is sponsored by the Honourable Senator Wallin. It seeks to amend the Canada’s Blood Regulations to provide that an establishment, other than Canadian Blood Services, must not collect allogeneic blood for remuneration or benefit for the donor unless the blood collected is of a rare phenotype.
Clause 1 of the Bill provides as follows—
1 Section 4 of the Blood Regulations is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):
No remuneration or benefit
(1.1) An establishment, other than Canadian Blood Services, must not collect allogeneic blood for remuneration or benefit for the donor unless the blood collected is of a rare phenotype.
# 4
S-202
This Bill is sponsored Honourable Senator Cools. It seeks to amend the Divorce Act to provide for parenting plans that set out the responsibilities and authority of each spouse with respect to the care, development and upbringing of a child of the marriage. A parenting plan may be included in an application for a custody or access order brought by one or both spouses under the Act.
The new provisions also set out the fundamental principles of shared parenting that are to be included in a parenting plan, although the court may approve a plan that does not include all the listed principles if satisfied that doing so is in the best interests of the child.
The enactment also requires a court to satisfy itself that reasonable arrangements have been made for the parenting of any children of a marriage before granting a divorce under the Act.
#5
S-239
This Bill is sponsored by the Honourable Senator Frum. It seeks to amend the Canada Elections Act to broaden the prohibition on inducements of electors by non-residents and to clarify the meaning of “induce”. It also makes it an offence for a third party to accept a foreign contribution for any purposes related to an election and expands the list of foreign contributors in section 358.
#6
C-337
This is a Private Member’s Bill is sponsored by Rona Ambrose (Sturgeon River—Parkland). The Bill seeks to amend the Judges Act to restrict eligibility for judicial appointment to individuals who have completed comprehensive education in respect of matters related to sexual assault law and social context. It also requires the Canadian Judicial Council to report on continuing education seminars in matters related to sexual assault law. Furthermore, it seeks to amend the Criminal Code to require that reasons provided by a judge in sexual assault decisions be entered in the record of the proceedings or be in writing.
#7
S-203
This Bill is sponsored by Honourable Senator Wilfred P. Moore. Loosely, the Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts (ending the captivity of whales and dolphins). In technical language, the Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code to create offences respecting cetaceans in captivity. It also amends the Fisheries Act to prohibit the taking of a cetacean into captivity and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act to prohibit the import of a cetacean into Canada and the export of a cetacean from Canada.
#8
S-213
This Bill, sponsored by the Honourable Senator Terry M. Mercer, seeks to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 to provide for the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Senate. It further seeks to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 to provide for a voting procedure in the Senate similar to the one used in the House of Commons, where the elected Speaker of that House may not vote except when the votes on a question are equally divided. The Bill also makes related amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act.
#9
S-240
This Bill is sponsored by Honourable Senator Salma Ataulahjan. This Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code to create new offences in relation to trafficking in human organs and tissue. It also seeks to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada if the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is of the opinion that they have engaged in any activities relating to trafficking in human organs or tissue.
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Image credit: Parliament of Canada
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ayes & nays
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