Senate Business - Page 29 of 31

Question to Minister Brison: What’s next for name-blind recruitment in the public service?

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada March 20, 2018 Diversity, name-based discrimination, Name-Blind Recruitment, Question Period

"Minister, your office has acknowledged these issues. I am wondering what your next step will be. Will more work be done on this issue? The pilot project, I would submit, was not adequate."

Senate Study Approved – Time to Take Advantage of the Opportunity

Bill Schaper Imagine Canada February 28, 2018 charities, Imagine Canada, non-profits

The Senate recently passed a motion to establish a special committee to carry out an in-depth study of the charitable and nonprofit sector. If you are questioning the importance of this study and the influence of the Senate to enact change, let us bring you up to speed.

Speech: Amendments to Bill C-25, An Act to Amend the Canada Business Corporations Act and Other Acts

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada February 8, 2018 Bill C-25, Chamber Speeches, corporate governance, Diversity, employment equity

As I have said repeatedly, I think of Bill C-25 as a soft tap on the shoulder. This amendment that Senator Massicotte has proposed is a nudge in the right direction. It’s an intentional nudge, so that we can get beyond aspiration — and I commend the aspiration and the intention in this bill — and take it to concrete action.

Question to Minister Chagger: How is this government supporting newcomer entrepreneurs?

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada December 7, 2017 entrepreneurship, immigration, Minister Bardish Chagger, Question Period

In November 28, 2017 Senator Ratna Omidvar asked the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, about the state of newcomer entrepreneurship in Canada. The question was inspired by Ryerson University's Diversity Institute's latest report, which concluded that immigrant entrepreneurs are not starting off on the same footing as other entrepreneurs in Canada.

Question to Minister Duclos: What can Canadians expect from a national social finance strategy?

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada December 5, 2017 charities, Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Question Period, Social Finance, social innovation

On December 5, 2017 Senator Ratna Omidvar rose in the Senate Chamber to ask the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, about the development of Canada's social finance strategy. This strategy was named as a key priority in the Minister's mandate letter.

Speech: S-219 – Non-Nuclear Sanctions Against Iran

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada November 30, 2017 Bill S-219, Chamber Speeches, Iran

"We have a lever. That lever is persuasion, advocacy and engagement, loudly when we need to, softly and with diplomacy when called upon, because diplomacy and engagement go hand in hand. Engagement leads to conversation, even when you disagree. Engagement may lead to university or cultural exchanges, which are often a soft entry using soft power as a tool for change."

Senators’ Statements: Immigrant Employment Councils – Mentorship as Key to Social Cohesion

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada November 30, 2017 immigration, mentorship, Statements

On November 30th, Senator Omidvar welcomed Margaret Eaton of the Toronto Immigrant Employment Council and Jennifer Hollis of Immploy to the Senate. Her statement celebrates Canada's immigrant employment councils. Through employment mentorship programs, thousands of newcomers to this country have been able to find champions of their skills and success, both on and off the job.

Speech: S-239 – An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada November 2, 2017 Bill S-239, Chamber Speeches, charities, Democracy, digital governance, Elections, Senator Frum, social media

The big picture tells us that foreign influence is more pervasive than any money attached to third parties. It tells us that we must strike a balance between allowing participation in a digital and global age while protecting Canada’s democracy. This is indeed the brave new world that we must learn to navigate, negotiate and regulate.

Speech: C-25 – An Act to Amend the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Canada Cooperatives Act, the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, and the Competition Act

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada October 25, 2017 Bill C-25, Chamber Speeches, corporate governance, Diversity, employment equity

I believe that setting and changing regulations happen in a vacuum, with very little oversight from Parliament. Once we approve legislation and it is given Royal Assent, it leaves our influence. It is open to change, reinterpretation, redefinition, as the government of the day likes.

Question: Regulations Governing Charitable Organizations

Ratna Omidvar Senate of Canada October 18, 2017 Canada Revenue Agency, charities, public policy advocacy, Question Period

A minister’s advisory panel tabled a report earlier this year in which they recommended that the government should proceed as soon as possible to modernize the rules governing the charitable sector through the development of a new legislative framework. We have heard nothing since then. Can you shed some light on what the government is thinking and planning to do?