Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Canada's Bill C-389 Update II

While we anxiously await the closing of polling stations across the US and the results of our midterm elections, our trans cousins in the Great White North are anxious for another reason.

Bill C-389, which updates the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination, and the Criminal Code of Canada to include gender identity and gender expression in the hate crime and sentencing provisions is still in committee.

Looks like legislative action is finally stirring on it.   Here's the note from NDP MP Bill Siksay, the sponsor of it.:

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The Canadian Press Newswire is reporting that Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is appearing before the Justice Committee on C-389. This is not the case.

The Committee is going to go through the bill clause by clause for a short period of time at the end of their meeting this afternoon. They will not be hearing witnesses on it.

It is expected that the Committee will send the bill back to the House of Commons for Report Stage and Third Reading. As soon as any further information is available, I will send out another update.

Regards

Bill Siksay, MP
Burnaby-Douglas