Prime Minister Shuts Down Parliament - Kills Bill C-15 In a political maneuver designed to shield his embattled Conservative government from criticism during the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper on December 30th "prorogued," or shut down, Parliament until a new session begins in March. The move kills all pending legislation, including a Tory "tough on crime" bill, C-15, that included mandatory minimum nine-month prison sentences for growing as much as a single marijuana plant.
Dec 9, 2009
Senate Accepts Bill C-15 Amendments The Senate has voted to amend Bill C-15. The bill will now go to Third Reading in the Senate, and then will be forwarded back to the House of Commons.
The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, to which was referred Bill C-15, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other acts, met this day at 5 p.m. to give consideration to the bill.
Senator Pierre Claude Nolin (Deputy Chair) in the chair.
The Deputy Chair: Welcome, everyone. We will have two things to start with today. First, I have a declaration to report to you. Colleagues, I would like to indicate that Senator Campbell has made a written declaration of private interest regarding Bill S-226. In accordance with rule 32.1, the declaration shall be recorded in the minutes of proceedings of this committee.
Oct 6, 2009
Senate C-15 Hearings start Thusday @ 10:45 am Eastern Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Thursday, October 8, 2009 10:45 am
Location: Room 257, East Block
(Televised live on PTN)
(Webcast)
Clerk: Jessica Richardson (613-990-6087)
Agenda for the meeting - Senate
Bill C-15, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?
(On motion of Senator Wallace, bill referred to Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, on division.)
Jun 25, 2009
Senate stalls passage of mandatory minimum sentencing legislation "Conservative Justice Minister Rob Nicholson held a press conference today to protest the slow pace of the passage his so-called 'law and order' agenda in the Senate. Nicholson specifically cited Bill C-15, which proposes mandatory jail terms for growing even a few marijuana plants, and implored the Senate to pass the bill in less than 24 hours."
Jun 10, 2009
Bill C-15 has first reading in Senate Controlled Drugs and Substances Act -> Bill to Amend - First Reading
The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that a message had been
received from the House of Commons with Bill C-15, An Act to amend the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and
consequential amendments to other Acts.
Second reading: June 12, 2009.
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act -> Bill to Amend - First Reading
The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that a message had been
received from the House of Commons with Bill C-15, An Act to amend the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and
consequential amendments to other Acts.
Second reading: June 12, 2009.
See Mandatory Minimum Sentences
Bill C-15 could fill Canadian prisons with drug offenders If passed into law, Bill C-15 would, among its other provisions, throw people caught with one marijuana plant into the slammer for a minimum of six months. If growing a single plant is done on a property that belongs to another person or in an area where it may present a hazard to children, minimum jail time is nine months.
Worse, the bill seeks to increase the maximum penalty for this particular offence to 14 years.
