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44 th Parliament, 1 st Session

(November 22, 2021 - January 6, 2025)

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THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

EVIDENCE

OTTAWA, Thursday, October 31, 2024

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day at 11:30 a.m. [ET], partially in camera, to study Bill C-284,

An Act to establish a national strategy for eye care.

Senator Ratna Omidvar ( Chair ) in the chair.

[ English ]

Senator Omidvar: My name is Ratna Omidvar. I am the chair of this committee and I welcome you all to the clause-by-clause review of Bill C-284. Before we get to the matter at hand, perhaps we can do a round of introductions for the public of my colleagues, starting with Senator Osler.

Senator Osler: Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler, senator from Manitoba.

Senator Burey: Good morning. Sharon Burey, senator for Ontario.

[ Translation ]

Senator Cormier: Good morning. René Cormier from New Brunswick.

[ English ]

Senator Bernard: Wanda Thomas Bernard, senator from Mi’kmaq territory, Nova Scotia.

Senator Dasko: Donna Dasko, senator from Ontario.

[ Translation ]

Senator Mégie: Marie-Françoise Mégie from Quebec.

Senator Boudreau: Victor Boudreau from New Brunswick.

[ English ]

The Chair: Today we are proceeding to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-284,

An Act to establish a national strategy for eye care.

I’d like to welcome back Elizabeth Toller, Director General, Health Care Strategies Directorate, Health Policy Branch from Health Canada, who is with us in the room today should my colleagues have any questions they wish to pose to her.

Before we begin, I would like to remind senators of a number of points. One, if at any point a senator is not clear where we are in the proceedings, please ask for clarification. I would like to ensure that at all times we all have the same understanding of where we are in the process.

Second, in terms of the mechanics, when more than one amendment is proposed to be moved in a clause, amendments should be proposed in the order of the lines of the clause.

Three, if a senator is opposed to an entire clause, the proper process is not to move a motion to delete the entire clause, but rather to vote against the clause as standing as part of the bill.

Some amendments that are moved may have consequential impact on other parts of the bill. It is, therefore, useful to this process if a senator moving an amendment identifies to the committee other clauses in the bill where this impact could have an effect. Otherwise, it becomes rather difficult for the members of the committee to remain consistent in their decision making.

Because no notice is required to move amendments, there can, of course, been no preliminary analysis of the amendments to establish which one or ones may be of consequence to others and which may be contradictory. If committee members ever have any questions about the process or about the propriety of anything occurring, they can certainly raise a point of order. As chair, I will listen to the argument, decide when there has been sufficient discussion of a matter or order and make a ruling.

The committee is ultimately the master of its business within the bounds established by the Senate and a ruling can be appealed to the full committee by asking whether the ruling shall be sustained. I wish to remind senators if there is any uncertainty as to the results of a voice vote or a show of hands, the most effective route is to request a roll call vote which obviously provides unambiguous results.

Finally, senators are aware that any tied vote negates the motion in question. Are there any questions on this so far? No. Thank you.

Is it agreed that the committee proceeds to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-284,

An Act to establish a national strategy for eye care?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the title stand postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the

preamble stand postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 1, which carries the

short title, be postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 2 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 3 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 4 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: We will get to observations after we go through the clauses. Observations we will make after we have gone through clause-by-clause.

Shall clause 4 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 5 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 1, which contains the

short title, carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the

preamble carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the title carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the bill carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Does the committee wish to consider appending observations to the report?

(The committee continued in camera.)

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