Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance

Issue 1 - Evidence, February 21, 2001

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 5:06 p.m. to organize the activities of the committee.

[English]

Mr. Tõnu Onu, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see a quorum. As clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over nomination for a chair of a committee. Are there any nominations?

Senator Banks: I have the honour to nominate Senator Murray.

Mr. Onu: It is proposed by Senator Banks that the Honourable Senator Murray be Chair of the committee. Is it agreed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

Mr. Onu: Carried. I declare the Honourable Senator Murray to be Chair of the committee.

Senator Cools: That is unanimous.

Mr. Onu: The motion is carried unanimously. I invite Senator Murray to take the Chair.

Senator Lowell Murray (Chairman) in the Chair.

The Chairman: Thank you, Senator Banks, for proposing my name.

Thank you, colleagues, for your confidence. It is a great honour to be given responsibility for the chairmanship of this committee. I am delighted to see so many of you back, having chosen or having been chosen to serve again on this committee. I think continuity is very important on a committee of this kind. I am sure you have found, as I have, that this committee, more than most, gives its members an opportunity for an overview of the activities of the government and an opportunity also to focus, from time to time, on particular policies or aspects of government operations. So while we can contribute a great deal, I hope, it is also quite a learning experience for most of us.

My first duty is to call for nominations for the position of deputy chair of this committee.

Senator Kinsella: Honourable senators, I nominate Senator Finnerty.

The Chairman: Thank you. It is moved by Senator Kinsella that Senator Finnerty be deputy chairman of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the said motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Senator Finnerty, I look forward very much to working with you.

Senator Finnerty is a relatively new senator but certainly not new to politics and political life in this country. She has been a member of this committee and is already well familiar with its work. She is well regarded and well respected in her own caucus and in the rest of the Senate, so I dare say that you have made a very wise choice.

Congratulations again, senator.

Let me take the occasion also to thank Senator Cools who served as deputy chair of this committee during the previous session of Parliament for her collaboration and cheerful cooperation at all times.

It was a great pleasure working with you, senator, and on behalf all members of the committee I want to thank you for your contribution to our work. I am delighted to see you back and to know that you will be taking a full part in the deliberations of the committee.

Senator Cools: Thank you very much.

The Chairman: Honourable senators, before we proceed, there are several routine motions, motions that are virtually identical to the motions we passed at the organizational meeting of this committee in the previous session. These motions are being made in organization meetings of other committees, so I bespeak your understanding and cooperation as we go through them.

When we have finished with that, I would like to convene the meeting in camera very briefly to discuss future business. I assure you that, as far as I am concerned, that will be a brief meeting.

In the meantime, however, the Chair would entertain a motion:

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 recommendations to the Committee with respect to agenda, inviting witnesses, and scheduling of meetings.

Senator Bolduc: I so move.

The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Now there is a motion to print the committee's proceedings.

[Translation]

The Chair will accept a motion that the committee print its proceedings; and that the Chair be authorized to set the number to meet demand.

Senator Finnerty: So moved.

The Chairman: Honourable senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Senators: Yes.

The Chairman: The motion carries.

[English]

The Chairman: Carried. The Chair will entertain a motion:

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.

Senator Banks: I so move.

The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried.

[Translation]

The next motion deals with the financial report. That, pursuant to rule 104, the Chairman be authorized to report expenses incurred by the Committee during the last session. You have in front of you a copy of the committee's first report for the parliamentary session that has just ended.

Senator Banks: So moved.

The Chairman: Honourable senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Senators: Yes.

The Chairman: The motion carries.

[English]

The Chairman will entertain a motion:

That the Committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign research officers to the Committee;

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 presentation of studies, analyses, summaries, and draft reports.

Senator Mahovlich: I so move.

The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried. The next motion would provide authority to allow the Chair and the Deputy Chair and the Clerk of the committee individually to sign off on the allocation of funds:

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.

Senator Cools: I so move.

The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried.

[Translation]

The following motion enables the committee to authorize 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.

Senator Ferretti Barth: So moved.

The Chairman: Honourable senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Senators: Yes.

The Chairman: The motion carries.

[English]

Next is the designation of a member on committee business. We had a big discussion on this the last time, but I think you understand why we have to pass this motion. It has to do with the senators' attendance policy:

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.

Senator Doody: I so move.

The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried.

[Translation]

The following motion pertains to the travelling and living expenses of witnesses and reads 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.

Senator Bolduc: So moved.

The Chairman: Honourable senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?

Some Hon. Senators: Yes.

The Chairman: The motion carries.

[English]

The Chair will entertain a motion from Senator Stratton:

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.

Senator Stratton: I so move.

The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chairman: Carried. I remind you that our time slot is Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in room 705 of the Victoria Building. Our second time slot, when necessary, at the moment, will be Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m. in room 705 of the Victoria Building. We will discuss some of these matters at our in camera meeting.

If there is no further business, colleagues, thank you very much. We will adjourn this meeting and proceed to an in camera discussion.

The committee continued in camera.