Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Transport and
Communications
Issue 1 - Evidence (afternoon meeting)
OTTAWA, Tuesday, October 26, 1999
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications met this day at 4:30 p.m. to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Mr. Michel Patrice, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, we have a quorum. As clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chairman of this committee, and I am ready to receive motions to that effect.
[Translation]
Senator Poulin: I move that Senator Lise Bacon be elected Chairman of the Committee on Transport and Communications.
[English]
Mr. Patrice: Are there any other motions?
Honourable senators, you have heard the motion. It is moved by Senator Poulin that Senator Bacon be chairman of this committee. Is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Mr. Patrice: Carried.
I invite Senator Bacon to take the Chair.
Hon. Lise Bacon (Chairman) in the Chair.
Senator Forrestall: Madam Chairman, I wholeheartedly support your nomination as chairman of the committee. More than that, I wish to express on behalf of all committee members how pleased we are to have you back not only here but also in the chair as we get on with the plateful of work ahead of us. We are pleased to see you in good health.
The Chairman: Thank you for your confidence in me and in the future work of this committee. I must say, it is good to be back.
Honourable senators, the next item on our agenda is the election of a deputy chairman.
Senator LeBreton: I move that the Honourable Senator Forrestall be named as deputy chairman of this committee.
Senator Kirby: I second the motion.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Congratulations, Senator Forrestall.
As our third agenda item, we require a motion regarding the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
[Translation]
Senator Maheu: Madam Chairman, I move that the Honourable Senators Bacon, Forrestall and Callbeck be elected to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
[English]
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we require a motion regarding the mandate of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
Senator Kirby: Honourable senators, I move:
That the Subcommittee be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the Committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses and schedule hearings.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we require a motion to print the committee's proceedings.
Senator LeBreton: Honourable senators, I move:
That the Committee print 225 copies of its proceedings; and
That the Chair be authorized to adjust this number to meet demand.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we require a motion authorizing the committee to hold meetings and to print evidence when a quorum is not present.
Senator Forrestall: Honourable senators, I move:
That, pursuant to rule 89, the Chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the printing of the evidence when a quorum is not present, provided that a representative of each party is present.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we require a motion regarding a financial report.
Senator Kirby: Honourable senators, I move:
That, pursuant to rule 104, the Chair be authorized to report expenses incurred by the Committee during the last session.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we require a motion regarding research staff.
Senator LeBreton: Honourable senators, I move:
That the Chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate to engage the services of such counsel and technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary for the purpose of the Committee's examination and consideration of such bills, subject matters of bills and estimates as are referred to it;
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to retain the services of such experts as may be required by the work of the Committee; and
That the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, direct the research staff in the preparation of studies, analyses, summaries and draft reports.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we need a motion authorizing the committee to commit funds and certify accounts.
Senator LeBreton: Honourable senators, I move:
That, pursuant to section 32 of the Financial Administration Act, authority to commit funds be conferred on the Chair or, in the Chair's absence, the Deputy Chair; and
That, pursuant to section 34 of the Financial Administration Act, and Guideline 3:05 of Appendix II of the Rules of the Senate, authority for certifying accounts payable by the Committee be conferred on the Chair, or the Deputy Chair, and the Clerk of the Committee.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The next item is a motion regarding travel.
Senator Forrestall: Honourable senators, I move:
That the Committee empower the Chair to designate, as required, one or more members of the Committee and/or such staff as may be necessary to travel on assignment on behalf of the Committee.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The next motion sets out the travel and living expenses of the witnesses.
Senator Kirby: Honourable senators, I move:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witnesses' expenses, the Committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for no more than two witnesses from any one organization, and payment will take place upon application.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we require a motion regarding the budget. We have been provided with a total budget of $19,900, including professional and special services, transportation and communications, and other expenditures.
Senator Kirby: Is this budget just for the airline study?
The Chairman: That is right.
Senator Kirby: Honourable senators, I am happy to move:
That the following budget application for the special study on the airline industry be approved for submission to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next, we need a motion regarding the electronic media coverage of the committee's public meetings.
Senator Johnson: Honourable senators, I move:
That the Chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate to permit coverage by electronic media of the Committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings; and
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow such coverage at its discretion.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The time slot for regular meetings is Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in room 256-S and Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. in room 256-S. Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Kirby: Just so I am clear, given that CPAC will be televising our meetings on the airline issue, the committee will meet in room 505-VB.
The Chairman: Yes, just to hear witnesses on this matter.
Senator Kirby: I think the Wednesday time slot of 5:45 p.m. is worth noting because a number of senators on this committee will also be attending other committee meetings from 3:35 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
The Chairman: Usually, the Senate rises at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays so all senators have an opportunity to attend committee meetings.
Honourable senators, Minister Collenette is scheduled to appear before this committee at 6:00 p.m. this evening, and we have ahead of us a full day's work tomorrow.
Mr. Patrice: Subject to the approval of the steering committee, we plan to start tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in this room with the Consumers Association of Canada, followed by the Air Transport Association of Canada, the Airline Pilots Association, International, Transport 2000, and then the Competition Bureau.
The Chairman: That is why the steering committee is meeting immediately after this meeting adjourns.
The committee adjourned.