Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Banking, Trade and Commerce
Issue 1 - Evidence of February 21, 2001
OTTAWA, Wednesday, February 21, 2001
The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce met this day at 4:30 p.m. to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Mr. Denis Robert, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see a quorum. As clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Tkachuk: I move the nomination of Senator Kolber.
Mr. Robert: Thank you. Are there any other nominations? Not hearing any other nominations, Senator Kolber, you are elected by acclamation. Congratulations.
Senator E. Leo Kolber (Chairman) in the Chair.
The Chairman: The second item is the election of deputy chair. It is my pleasure to move the election of the Honourable Senator David Tkachuk to be deputy chair of this committee.
Senator Oliver: I second the motion.
The Chairman: Is it agreed, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The third matter relates to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. Do I move that?
Mr. Robert: You or another senator.
The Chairman: Do you all have the agenda? I move:
-
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the Chair, the Deputy Chair, and one other member of the committee, to be designated after the usual consultation; and
-
That the subcommittee be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses, and to schedule hearings.
Shall the motion carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Senator Tkachuk, do you want to move the next one?
Senator Tkachuk: I move:
-
That the committee print its proceeding; and
-
That the Chair be authorized to set the number to meet demand.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. Senator Angus, did you want to move No. 5?
Senator Angus: Consider it done. I so move.
The Chairman: That is the authorization to hold meetings and to print evidence when a quorum is not present.
-
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 member of the committee from both the government and the opposition be present.
All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. Senator Oliver, do you want No. 6?
Senator Oliver: I move:
-
That, pursuant to Rule 104, the Chair be authorized to report expenses incurred by the committee during the last session.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Thank you.
Senator Hervieux-Payette, No. 7, please.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: I move:
-
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign research officers to the committee;
[Translation]
-
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.
[English]
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. Senator Kroft, No. 8, please.
Senator Kroft: I move:
-
That, pursuant to section 32 of the Financial Administration Act, authority to commit funds be conferred individually on the Chair, the Deputy Chair, and the Clerk of the Committee; 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 individually on the Chair, the Deputy Chair and the Clerk of the Committee.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. Senator Furey, No. 9.
Senator Furey: I move:
-
That the committee empower the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure 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; and
-
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to:
-
-
1) determine whether any member of the committee is on "official business" for the purposes of paragraph 8(3)(a) of the Senators Attendance Policy, published in the Journals of the Senate on Wednesday, June 3, 1998; and
-
-
-
2) consider any member of the committee to be on "official business" if that member is: (a) attending a function, event or meeting related to the work of the committee; or (b) making a presentation related to the work of the committee.
-
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. Senator Meighen, No. 10, please.
Senator Meighen: I move:
-
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witnesses expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for one witness from any one organization and payment will take place upon application, but that the Chair be authorized to approve expenses for a second witness should there be exceptional circumstances.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. Senator Poulin, No. 11.
[Translation]
Senator Poulin: I move,
-
That the Chair be authorized to seek permission from the Senate to permit coverage by electronic media of its 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: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: For information, of course, the time slot for regular meetings will be 3:30 on Wednesdays and 10:45 on Thursdays, in this room.
Senator Tkachuk: With respect to No. 12, could I ask why 10:45 rather than the usual eleven o'clock?
The Chairman: I do not have the vaguest idea.
Senator Tkachuk: I am asking. I do not want to be picky, but because our caucus is small, and not having enough Tories appointed by the government, we sit on more than one committee. I am a member of the Agriculture Committee, which sits at 9:00 a.m. I am a member of three committees. All our members sit on at least two, probably three committees. The Agriculture Committee usually meets for two hours.
The Chairman: We will change it to eleven o'clock. Consider it done. It is subject to Senate agreement, of course, but pursuant to rule 5 the Senate sits at two o'clock, so eleven o'clock is fine.
Senator Tkachuk: For your side, you need to invite them 15 minutes earlier to get here on time.
The Chairman: Oh, you guys too.
We will now move to the in camera portion of our meeting.
The committee continued in camera.