COMMITTEE OF SELECTION OF THE SENATE
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Wednesday November 3, 1999
The Committee of Selection of the Senate met this day at 12:30 p.m. to nominate a Senator to preside as Speaker pro tempore and to nominate the senators to serve on several select committees during the present session, pursuant to Rule 85(1)(a) and Rule 85(1)(b) of the Rules of the Senate.
Senator Léonce Mercier (Chairman) presiding.
[Translation]
The Chairman: Thank you for coming and for your excellent cooperation. Would you care to begin, Senator Hays?
[English]
Senator Hays: I will start by moving to include on committees, in the order in which they appear on the agenda of this meeting, the names of senators from the government side.
Starting with the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament, I propose that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be members of the committee: Senator Finnerty, Senator Grafstein, Senator Poy, Senator Louis Robichaud and Senator Ruck.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I move to nominate two senators from the opposition, namely Senator Atkins and Senator Grimard.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate sit on the Standing Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons for the Scrutiny of Regulations: Senator Furey, Senator Hervieux-Payette, Senator Moore, Senator Perry and Senator Finestone.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Grimard, Cochrane and Rivest.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages: Senator Fraser, Senator Gauthier, Senator Losier-Cool, Senator Pépin and Senator Louis Robichaud.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Rivest, Beaudoin and Meighen.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Committee on Privileges, Standing Rules and Orders: Senator Austin, Senator Bacon, Senator Gauthier, Senator Grafstein, Senator Joyal, Senator Kroft, Senator Maheu, Senator Pépin and Senator Louis Robichaud.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Kelly, Rossiter, DeWare, Grimard, Beaudoin and Ghitter.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration: Senator Fernand Robichaud, Senator De Bané, Senator Kenny, Senator Kroft, Senator Maheu, Senator Milne, Senator Poulin, Senator Rompkey and Senator Stollery.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators DeWare, Nolin, Forrestall, Cohen, Kelly and Rossiter.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance: Senator Mahovlich, Senator Cools, Senator Finnerty, Senator Ferretti Barth, Senator Moore, Senator Finestone and Senator Perry Poirier.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Doody, Murray, Stratton and Bolduc.
[English]
Senator DeWare: I would propose that Senator Kinsella also sit on that committee.
[Translation]
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Senator Joyal, Senator Cools, Senator Fraser, Senator Milne, Senator Moore, Senator Pearson and Senator Poy.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I move to nominate Senators Beaudoin, Nolin, Andreychuk, Ghitter and Kelleher.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce: Senators Fitzpatrick, Furey, Hervieux-Payette, Joyal, Kenny, Kolber and Kroft.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Angus, Kelleher, Meighen, Oliver and Tkachuk.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology: Senator Callbeck, Senator Carstairs, Senator Cook, Senator Fairbairn, Senator Gill, Senator Kirby and Senator Pépin.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Cohen, LeBreton, Robertson, Lavoie-Roux and Di Nino.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry: Senator Chalifoux, Senator Fairbairn, Senator Fitzpatrick, Senator Ferretti Barth, Senator Gill, Senator Fernand Robichaud and Senator Sparrow.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators Gustafson, Spivak, St. Germain, Stratton and Oliver.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries: Senator Cook, Senator Furey, Senator Mahovlich, Senator Perrault, Senator Perry Poirier, Senator Fernand Robichaud and Senator Watt.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I would like to nominate as well Senators Comeau, Doody, Meighen, Carney and Murray.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources: Senator Adams, Senator Chalifoux, Senator Christensen, Senator Furey, Senator Kenny, Senator Sibbeston and Senator Taylor.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I nominate Senators St. Germain, Buchanan, Eyton, Cochrane and Spivak.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the following senators from the government side in the Senate be nominated to serve on the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples: Senator Austin, Senator Christensen, Senator Chalifoux, Senator Gill, Senator Pearson, Senator Sibbeston and Senator Watt.
[Translation]
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I wish to nominate Senators Andreychuk, Comeau, Johnson and Beaudoin.
The Chairman: Is everyone agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that the chairman report to the Senate the nominations agreed to at this day's meeting.
[Translation]
Senator Prud'homme: I have no problem with your reporting to the Senate, but I did not comment on any of the committee nominations made when you asked if we were agreed.
I do not have the right to vote, but I will advise the Senate that I gave my consent without prejudice. I see that the Conservatives and Liberals have mutually agreed to keep things as they were.
It is unfortunate that after six years in my particular case, and after twenty years in the case of others, a decision could not be reached during the last session of Parliament as to how independent senators should be dealt with.
I am not saying that I agree with everything, but rather that I agree without prejudice. I am still not entitled to vote.
[English]
Again, I do not have the right to vote, so I say they are all reserved. However, to be frank, I do not care any more.
[Translation]
The Chairman: I wish that you had told me that before.
Senator Prud'homme: Why?
The Chairman: Because it would have been nice to know.
Senator Prud'homme: Yes, but it does not change anything.
The Chairman: Or so you claim. That is easy for you to say, but in future, kindly let me know in advance. On the contrary, I do not have a problem with this.
Senator Prud'homme: I apologize.
Senator Kinsella: Mr. Chairman, I made a small mistake when I moved to nominate the members of the Aboriginal Peoples committee representing our side. I neglected to nominate my colleague Senator DeWare.
The Chairman: Is that alright with you, Senator Prud'homme?
Senator Prud'homme: On which page is that?
[English]
Senator Fairbairn: Could I ask you to repeat the opposition’s nominations for membership on the Library of Parliament Committee?
Senator Kinsella: They are Senator Atkins and Senator Grimard.
Senator Hays: Mr. Chairman, I move that a message be sent to the House of Commons informing that House of the names of the honourable senators appointed to serve on the part of the Senate on joint committees.
Senator Murray: That is putting the cart before the horse, is it not? Our nominations must be approved by the Senate first, do they not, before we advise the other house?
Senator Hays: Perhaps we could seek the advice of the clerk on the specific provision of the rules on this matter?
Mr. Gary O'Brien, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, your report today would recommend that a message be sent, and if that report is concurred in, the message would then be sent.
Senator Prud'homme: You said today. It could be tomorrow, or the next day, or some other day.
Senator Kinsella: The motion made by Senator Hays, which I shall read, says:
…that a message be sent to the House of Commons informing that House of the names of the honourable senators appointed to serve on the part of the Senate on joint committees.
That is the motion on which we have been asked to vote. It is not limited to time. No day is mentioned. Whenever the Senate adopts whatever it wishes to adopt, we have a recommendation from this committee to send the message.
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The committee adjourned.