reserve a bill for the signification of the Queen's pleasure [ reserve a bill for the further consideration and approval of the Crown ]

The Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, to which was referred Bill C-29, to establish the Parks Canada Agency and to amend other Acts as a consequence; and Bill C-38, to amend the National Parks Act (creation of Tuktut Nogait National Park), met this day at 8:35 a.m. to give consideration to the bills.

8. Stresses the need to improve public confidence in the electoral system and democratic structures and calls on the Parliament to speed up the electoral reform by amending the set of laws regulating elections and political party financing, including the draft law on a single voter list and the draft amendments to the law on personal identity cards; underlines the need for the single voter registry to be fully transparent and accountable; insists that these reforms need to be undertaken in line with the long-standing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and in full transparency, involving civil society; supports the ...[+++]Commission’s call for a clear, broadly accepted delineation between public and party interests to be established; calls on the Government to publish proactively information on state aid for individuals and companies, employment in the public service sector and other expenditures that might affect voting behaviour; notes that the perception of corruption can be as damaging as corruption itself;

8. Stresses the need to improve public confidence in the electoral system and democratic structures and calls on the Parliament to speed up the electoral reform by amending the set of laws regulating elections and political party financing, including the draft law on a single voter list and the draft amendments to the law on personal identity cards; underlines the need for the single voter registry to be fully transparent and accountable; insists that these reforms need to be undertaken in line with the long-standing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and in full transparency, involving civil society; supports the ...[+++]Commission’s call for a clear, broadly accepted delineation between public and party interests to be established; calls on the Government to publish proactively information on state aid for individuals and companies, employment in the public service sector and other expenditures that might affect voting behaviour; notes that the perception of corruption can be as damaging as corruption itself;

J. whereas Egyptian civil society and international NGOs face mounting pressure and major difficulties in operating in Egypt; whereas the draft law on Civil Associations and Foundations has caused significant concern amongst civil society activists and organisations as the draft law in its present form would hand considerable discretionary power to the government over the activities and funding of civil society groups; whereas the draft law also imposes restrictions on civil society groups’ access to foreign funding, proving a discr ...[+++]etionary right to block access to such funds on adoption of a justified decision by the newly formed Coordination Committee;