Some Common Sense at Bill C-32 Committee Hearings

Sarah Schmidt is reporting that the C-32 Legislative Committee will meet only for four hours a week, not the 16 hours suggested by the Government members. This means that that the Bill cannot get through the House of Commons until well into next year.

The reports that the Government intended to wrap this up in the House of Commons Committee by Christmas were quite disconcerting. There is no way that the dozens of interested parties who have essential viewpoints to contribute could have been heard and been fully and fairly considered in less than a month. Even the first Bill C-32, which was a bad (though much less complex and controversial) bill and which was made worse in Committee under a strong majority government received far more lengthy attention in 1996-1997. Ramming the current Bill C-32 through Committee in less than one month would have been seen to lack any credibility or even legitimacy.

HK