Indeed, one wonders if the Canadian government has any clue
how pervasive and devastating child sex abuse really is
Rona Ambrose's sex assault bill is dead
John Paul Tasker · CBC News 
Former federal Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose speaks to reporters in Red Deer, Alta. Ambrose's bill to give mandatory sexual assault training to federally appointed judges is dead, thanks to some procedural manoeuvring in the Senate. (Dean Bennett/Canadian Press)
Former Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose's bill to give mandatory sexual assault training to federally appointed judges is dead, thanks to some procedural manoeuvring in the Senate.
Two other consequential pieces of legislation — one that would implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and another to ban "unhealthy" food and beverage marketing directed at children — also are headed for almost certain defeat.
The sexual assault training bill, which passed unanimously in the House of Commons more than two years ago, will not be passed despite a robust lobbying campaign by Ambrose and her supporters — a campaign largely designed to put pressure on her former Conservative caucus colleagues in the Red Chamber (Senate).
The bill, which would mandate sexual assault sensitivity training for lawyers seeking to be judges on federal courts, was to be Ambrose's last significant piece of work in the Commons after years as a parliamentarian and cabinet minister.
A last-ditch effort by Quebec Independent Sen. Pierre Dalphond to hold early Thursday morning debates on the bill was blocked by Conservative senators. But even if the Senate were to pass the legislation, the bill has been amended already at committee. That means the House of Commons would have to be recalled to accept changes made by the upper house — a very unlikely scenario.
The House of Commons rose Thursday for what is likely to be the last time before October's federal election. The Senate is expected to do the same today, but only once virtually all of the government's agenda has been passed. All other bills, including Ambrose's legislation, are expected to die on the order paper because an election wipes the parliamentary slate clean.
While some Independent and Liberal senators initially opposed the Ambrose bill as a symbolic gesture (90 per cent of sexual assault cases are heard by provincial judges) that would interfere with the constitutional principle of judicial independence, some Senate amendments at the legal affairs committee satisfied those concerns.
Ambrose maintains the training would prevent another scandal like the one involving Robin Camp, a former Federal Court judge who once asked a sexual assault complainant why she didn't keep her knees together. (Camp stepped down from Federal Court in March 2018 after the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) recommended that he be removed from the bench.)
Ambrose has described the actions of senators on the bill — including her former colleagues — as "shameful."
"It's shameful that powerful senators lack the will
to stand up for victims of sexual crimes"
Rona Ambrose
"Canadians rightfully expect more from Parliament. Victims of sexual assault deserve representatives who will stand up for them, especially when they don't have a voice in the fight. It's shameful that powerful senators lack the will to stand up for victims of sexual crimes," Ambrose said.
"We're heading into an election this fall where women's issues will be front and centre. 90 per cent of sexual crimes are against women. All senators and political parties will (bear) the burden of letting C-337 die. They all share the responsibility to do the right thing."
Federal Liberals have said they will re-introduce Ambrose's bill if their government is re-elected in the fall.
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