It is no secret that the agenda of the Government of Canada generally dominates the legislative agenda in both the Senate and House of Commons. Government business is given nearly total priority in both chambers, and the powers of ministers and government leaders to reorganize the legislative agenda to suit the needs of the Government are not unsubstantial.
However, that doesn't stop individual senators and members of the House of Commons from introducing private member's bills, in an attempt to legislate based on their individual agendas, and the agendas of their constituents. It is a bit tougher for these bills to make it all the way through the legislative process, but it does sometimes happen.
So, here's what individual legislators have been up to.
Here's an executive summary of private member's bills in the Commons:
Here's an executive summary of private member's bills in the Senate:
House of Commons
Senate
Source: Parliament of Canada
However, that doesn't stop individual senators and members of the House of Commons from introducing private member's bills, in an attempt to legislate based on their individual agendas, and the agendas of their constituents. It is a bit tougher for these bills to make it all the way through the legislative process, but it does sometimes happen.
So, here's what individual legislators have been up to.
Here's an executive summary of private member's bills in the Commons:
- allowing independent third-party assessments of the taxable value of national historic sites (NDP)
- creating a comprehensive Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights (NDP)
- requiring all Supreme Court appointments to be completely bilingual (NDP)
- prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression (NDP)
- designating June as ALS Month (Conservative)
- creating harsher penalties for abusing seniors and disabled adults in care (Conservative)
- creating National Appreciation Day for Canadian Forces and emergency workers (Conservative)
- requiring courts to interpret numerical dates as the year/month/day (Conservative)
- requiring high-profile offenders' release details to be publicized (Conservative)
Here's an executive summary of private member's bills in the Senate:
- prohibiting discrimination on the basis of genetic characteristics (Senate Liberal)
- prohibiting divorce before a parenting plan has been established (independent)
- prohibiting the captivity of whales and dolphins (independent)
- creating a Canadian "debt ceiling" and restricting Government's borrowing (independent)
- creating an Inspector General of the Canada Border Services Agency (independent)
- prohibiting corrective violence against children (Senate Liberal)
- requiring federal boards of directors to be gender-balanced (Senate Liberal)
House of Commons
- Bill C-201, An Act to amend the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act (independent assessment)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Matthew Dubé MP (Beloeil—Chambly) (New Democratic Party)
This bill proposes to amend the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Act to permit a department to get an independent assessment from a third party of the taxable rate and value of a federal national historic site, in the event that the department disagrees with the assessment of a tax authority.
- Bill C-202, Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Linda Duncan MP (Edmonton Strathcona) (New Democratic Party)
This bill proposes to introduce a right for every Canadian resident to "a healthy and ecologically balanced environment," and would bind the Government to protect that right in all areas of federal jurisdiction; the enactment also clarifies that the Government is the public trustee of the environment, and introduces environmental justice principles to be applied by the Courts.
- Bill C-203, An Act to amend the Supreme Court Act (understanding the official languages)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by François Choquette MP (Drummond) (New Democratic Party)
This bill proposes to amend the Supreme Court Act so that only judges who can understand both official languages without the assistance of an interpreter are eligible for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Bill C-204, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Randall Garrison MP (Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke) (New Democratic Party)
This bill proposes to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or gender expression; it also amends the Criminal Code so that gender identity and gender expression are considered distinguishing characteristics for the purposes of hate propaganda laws, and that they are aggravating factors during sentencing.
- Bill C-205, ALS Month Act
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by David Tilson MP (Dufferin—Caledon) (Conservative Party)
This bill proposes to make June a month designated and known throughout Canada as "ALS Month," referring to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
- Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (abuse of vulnerable persons)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Jim Eglinski MP (Yellowhead) (Conservative Party)
This bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code such that it would be an aggravating factor during sentencing if there is evidence that the offender physically, sexually, or emotionally abused a person 65 or older, or exploited them for financial gain (or a person 18 or older if, due to a disability, they depend upon others for care).
- Bill C-207, National Appreciation Day Act
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Todd Doherty MP (Cariboo—Prince George) (Conservative Party)
This bill proposes to make March 3 of each year "National Appreciation Day," for Canadians to appreciate and recognize the contribution made by members of the Canadian Forces and emergency response personnel such as police, firefighters, and paramedics.
- Bill C-208, An Act to amend the Canada Evidence Act (interpretation of numerical dates)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Todd Doherty MP (Cariboo—Prince George) (Conservative Party)
This bill proposes to amend the Canada Evidence Act such that wherever there is confusion about a date expressed in numerical terms, and unless there is evidence to the contrary, the courts would be required to interpret the date as the year first, then the month, then the day.
- Bill C-209, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (high-profile offenders)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Todd Doherty MP (Cariboo—Prince George) (Conservative Party)
This bill proposes to require the Correctional Service in Canada, in some circumstances, to publicize the release of a high-profile offender on its website, to provide that information to the victim(s), and to conduct a consultation with members of the affected community before the release.
Senate
- Bill S-201, Genetic Non-Discrimination Act
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by the Hon. Senator James Cowan QC (Nova Scotia) (Senate Liberal)
This bill proposes to prohibit genetic testing as a condition for the exchange of goods or services, or for entering into a contract; it also prohibits employers within federal jurisdictions from requiring genetic tests of their employees; it also forbids discrimination on the basis of genetic characteristics.
- Bill S-202, Shared Parenting Act
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by the Hon. Senator Anne Cools (Toronto Centre—York) (independent)
This bill proposes to amend the Divorce Act to require that before a divorce is granted under the Act, the court must satisfy itself that reasonable arrangements have been made with regard to the care of any children; the bill also sets out certain principles that should be considered in the establishment of a shared parenting plan.
- Bill S-203, Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by the Hon. Senator Wilfred Moore (Stanhope St. / South Shore) (independent)
This bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code to make it an offence to own a cetacean, to breed them, or to have possession of eggs or sperm of a cetacean; however, it does contain a "grandfather" clause for existing ownerships, and it excludes rehabilitative centres; the bill also prohibits performances or exhibitions of cetaceans, unless the performance has been licensed.
- Bill S-204, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act (borrowing of money)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by the Hon. Senator Wilfred Moore (Stanhope St. / South Shore) (independent)
This bill proposes to restrict the circumstances under which the Government of Canada can borrow money without additional legislative approval; essentially, it creates a "debt ceiling" of the kind used in the United States; the Government would have independent authority to borrow for up to six months, only where payments are about to default because of an insufficient balance in the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- Bill S-205, An Act to amend the Canada Border Services Agency Act (Inspector General of the Canada Border Services Agency) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by the Hon. Senator Wilfred Moore (Stanhope St. / South Shore) (independent)
This bill proposes to create an Inspector General of the Canada Border Services Agency, an officer appointed by the Governor-in-Council with the approval of the Senate and Commons; the Inspector General would make recommendations on the activities of the CBSA, and on its capacity to address complaints against it.
- Bill S-206, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (protection of children against standard child-rearing violence)
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Senator the Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette PC (Bedford) (Senate Liberal)
This bill proposes to delete s. 43 of the Criminal Code, which currently protects parents (or others in a position of authority over children) from being charged under the Criminal Code, provided that the violence that they use against children is reasonable in the circumstances, and corrective in nature.
- Bill S-207, Board of Directors Modernization Act
Click here to read the legislation
Proposed by Senator the Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette PC (Bedford) (Senate Liberal)
This bill proposes to ensure that any boards of directors for federally-regulated organizations (such as for banks, credit unions, insurance companies, Crown corporations, and any other publicly-traded federal companies) be gender-balanced, with at least 40% each women and men.
Source: Parliament of Canada
