Day 2: Request for Shawn Buckley to appear at the Senate Committee as the voice of concerned citizens across Canada, tabled and denied.
READ NOVEMBER 25 2010 SENATE COMMITTEE MEETING TRANSCRIPT
Senator Callbeck: I want to say again that I support this bill and I think everyone around this table does; we all want safety of consumer products. However, we also want to be sure that this legislation is brought in in the right way. For example, this morning the Constitution was talked about. I think it is important that we hear from a constitutional expert. Certainly we have hundreds of emails from the public requesting that we hear from Mr. Shawn Buckley, who is a distinguished constitutional lawyer.
I brought this up yesterday; obviously, the committee is against that, so I would like personally to have an opportunity to try to contact him and talk to him before we go ahead with this, to get his views on whether or not there are any constitutional problems.
We are the chamber of sober second thought. It is important that we have the time to review submissions and to talk to people. Certainly there are many people who have an interest in this and have wanted to appear. Obviously, we will not hear from them. I think we need time to study this evidence and digest it.
The Deputy Chair: I have had your input. Obviously, as chair, I operate on the basis of the decisions of the committee. Right now I am operating on the basis of a decision of the committee to move to clause?by?clause consideration. That is the authority I am operating under and I would now like to move to clause?by?clause consideration.
Senator Day: I obviously respect your ruling, Mr. Chair. I am very disappointed.
NOVEMBER 25 2010
[BILL C-36] STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE MEETING
