Senator Downe: Just as a clarification, Senator Tannas didn’t indicate he wasn’t voting for the amendments. Senator Tannas wants to do what the rest of us want to do, which is to improve the legislation. The short answer is: Why would we put off improving it when we can do it now?

It’s not our problem that the House of Commons has adjourned. If the House of Commons had the proper respect for the Senate, they would have suspended until we dealt with the bills, even though they have adjourned. It’s easy, particularly in a hybrid session, to call the House of Commons back for one hour to deal with the amendment. If they were to accept our amendment, we would have improved the bill. If they were to reject it, we would have to consider that, as we always do, with the wisdom of the elected members.

For the House of Commons to say, “Oh well, Parliament is over. We’re gone. The Senate’s hands are tied,” is not correct at all. The Senate can amend anything we want, and in this case it is an improvement to the bill. If the House of Commons is serious about the importance of the bill, they can be recalled within an hour, as Senator Tannas said in his remarks. In a hybrid session, it’s even more cost-effective.