Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Issue 32 - Evidence

OTTAWA, Wednesday, April 14, 1999

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day at 3:52 p.m. to give consideration to a draft budget for fiscal year 1999-2000.

Senator Lowell Murray (Chairman) in the Chair.

[English]

The Chairman: Honourable senators, the purpose of this meeting is to ask you to consider a proposed budget for this committee for the fiscal year that began on April 1, 1999. I should tell you that when I have approval for this budget, as your chairman, I must go first to the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy to seek their approval and then to the Senate as a whole.

By way of background, let me tell you that although we do a good deal of work on legislation and other matters, this standing committee has never been a big spending committee. The spending record of the committee over the past four years is as follows: In 1995-96 we spent no money; in 1996-97 we spent $39,464; in 1997-98 we spent no money; and in 1998-99, on legislation, we spent $13,175.

In 1998-99 we also began a study of social cohesion, which required rather more by way of financial resources so that we could engage professional staff and do research and so forth. Therefore, on that item, last year we spent $38,900.

The budget before you is in two parts. First, on legislation, we are asking for approval of a budget that totals $10,000. You have the budget before you in some detail, and it would be in order and the chair would be glad to receive a motion that the committee concur in the following budget application for the purpose of its consideration of such bills, subject matter of bills and estimates referred to it, and that the chair submit the said budget to the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration for approval: Professional and special services $5,500, transportation and communications $4,000, other expenditures $500, total $10,000.

May I have a motion to that effect?

Senator Johnstone moves, Senator LeBreton seconds the motion. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the said motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried.

Senator Lavoie-Roux: Do you know why this committee does not generally spend much money? It is not a travelling committee. Committees spend the most money on transportation. For example, one committee went to Europe twice with personnel. That is where they spend the money.

The Chairman: Travel is expensive.

Senator Lavoie-Roux: Particularly if you take two trips to Europe.

The Chairman: The second part of this budget is for our social cohesion study, and I remind you that in the fiscal year that just ended we had budgeted $91,200. We spent only $38,900. We lapsed, therefore, $64,100. For the fiscal year that has just begun, we are budgeting $51,700, and I may say for the record that that may be a bit on the generous side; however, I am trying to take into account the possibility of a lengthy drafting process. Actually, I expect that we will spend rather less than what we are budgeting but, to be on the safe side, I am proposing a budget of $51,700 for the special study on social cohesion.

There was a clerical error under "miscellaneous." There should have been a $500 item under "miscellaneous"; thus, it is $51,700 for the social cohesion special study. It will therefore be in order to have a motion that the committee concur in the following budget application for the purpose of its special study on social cohesion and that the chair submit the said budget to the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration for approval: Professional and special services $51,200, transportation and communications nil, other expenditures $500, for a total of $51,700.

Senator Lavoie-Roux: I so move.

[Translation]

The Chairman: Senator Lavoie-Roux moves that the committee approve the draft budget. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried.

[English]

Thank you very much, colleagues. I will be in touch with you as soon as I have the briefing notes that will help us to give further drafting instructions to the drafters. As I undertook to do, you will get the statutory notice of the meeting, but I will also try to have the documents in your hands a day or two before the meeting.

Senator LeBreton: When will we know about the possible two additional witnesses on social cohesion?

The Chairman: It is not a matter of knowing. I will not make that decision myself. I will consult you about it once we get into the drafting process, because we must also look at what demands there are on our time with regard to legislation.

Is that satisfactory, colleagues?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Thank you very much. The committee is adjourned to the call of the chair.

The committee adjourned.