Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Banking, Trade and Commerce
Issue 9 - Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Reports of the Committee
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce has the honour to present its
SEVENTH REPORT
Pursuant to Appendix IV of the Rules of the Senate, your Committee is pleased to report as follows on the question of privilege raised by the Honourable Senator Kolber.
On Thursday, December 12, 2002, Senator Kolber gave written notice pursuant to Rule 43 and subsequently raised a question of privilege in the Senate. It related to the premature disclosure of the report on the public interest implications of large bank mergers of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. He referred to three articles — the first was distributed the day before by the Reuters News Agency and the others were published in the Globe and Mail and National Post the morning of the day the report was tabled. Following interventions by Senators John Lynch-Staunton, Noël A. Kinsella, Richard H. Kroft, Anne C. Cools, Lowell Murray and Jack Austin, the Speaker ruled that a prima facie case of privilege existed.
Your Committee met on Wednesday, February 5, 2003, to consider the question of privilege raised by Senator Kolber. The Committee debated the alleged leak and the question of privilege and subsequently decided that it was unnecessary to hear any witnesses.
Furthermore, your Committee is of the opinion that no further action is required, except to raise the awareness of Senators and staff as to the need for and requirement of confidentiality and to establish security procedures to avoid a repeat of this breach of privilege. We need to balance our desire for openness and transparency with the right of Senators to be able to discuss freely issues without the fear of their comments being reported the following day. Senators should take great care when discussing the work of Committees with the media that they do not inadvertently release information that the Senate is entitled to hear first or to compromise possible recommendations the Committee may be considering.
Respectfully submitted,
E. LEO KOLBER
Chairman
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce has the honour to present its
EIGHTH REPORT
Your Committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Wednesday, October 23, 2002, to examine and report upon the present state of the domestic and international financial system, now, respectfully requests approval of funds for 2003-2004.
Pursuant to section 2:07 of the Procedural Guidelines for the Financial Operation of Senate Committees, the budget submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that Committee are appended to this report.
Respectfully submitted,
E. LEO KOLBER
Chairman
STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON BANKING, TRADE AND COMMERCE
SPECIAL STUDY — FINANCIAL SYSTEM
APPLICATION FOR BUDGET AUTHORIZATION
FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JUNE 19, 2003
Extract from the of Journals of the Senate of October 23, 2002:
The Honourable Senator Kolber moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Maheu:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce be authorized to examine and report upon the present state of the domestic and international financial system;
That the papers and evidence received and taken on the subject during the First Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament and any other relevant Parliamentary papers and evidence on the said subject be referred to the Committee;
That the Committee be empowered to permit coverage by electronic media of its public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings;
That, notwithstanding usual practices, the Committee be permitted to deposit an interim report on the said subject with the Clerk of the Senate, if the Senate is not sitting, and that the said report shall thereupon be deemed to have been tabled in the Chamber; and
That the Committee submit its final report no later than June 19, 2003.
After debate,
With leave of the Senate and pursuant to Rule 30, the motion was modified to read as follows:That the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce be authorized to examine and report upon the present state of the domestic and international financial system;
That the papers and evidence received and taken on the subject during the First Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament and any other relevant Parliamentary papers and evidence on the said subject be referred to the Committee;
That the Committee be empowered to permit coverage by electronic media of its public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings; and
That the Committee submit its final report no later than June 19, 2003.
The question being put on the motion, as modified, it was adopted.
Paul C. Bélisle
Clerk of the Senate
Summary of expenditures
|
Professional & Other Services |
$ 48,000 |
|
Transportation and communications |
$ 27,000 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 3,000 |
|
TOTAL |
$ 78,000 |
The Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce approved the above budget on ______________
The undersigned or an alternate will be in attendance on the date that this Budget is considered.
___________
___________________________________________________________________
Date
Chair, Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce
___________
___________________________________________________________________
Date
Chairman, Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy,
Budgets and Administration
EXPLANATION OF BUDGET ITEMS
PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES
|
1. Expert consultants |
$ 15,000 |
|
2. Communication consultants |
$ 30,000 |
|
3. Working Meals (0415) |
$ 3,000 |
|
Subtotal |
$ 48,000 |
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Travel Expenses (0203)
A. New York- Washington
April 1-2, 2003
12 participants (10 Senators, 2 staff)
Ground transportation:
|
Train from New York to Washington |
$ 4,500 |
|
Mini bus |
$ 2,000 |
|
2 taxis x $50 x 12 participants |
$ 1,200 |
Per diem & incidentals:
|
2 days x $100 x 12 participants |
$ 2,400 |
Interpretation:
|
2 days at $1,250 |
$ 2,500 |
Hotel accommodation:
|
1 nights at $450/night x 12 participants |
$ 5,400 |
|
Contingencies |
$ 2,000 |
Subtotal $ 20,000
2. Work on behalf of the Committee
(Participation at conferences, special study relating to this order of reference, etc)
|
Air transportation |
$ 5,000 |
|
Ground transportation |
$ 500 |
|
Hotel |
$ 1,200 |
|
Per diem |
$ 300 |
|
Subtotal |
$ 7,000 |
ALL OTHER EXPENDITURES
|
1. Miscellaneous expenses (0799) |
$ 1,000 |
|
2. Hospitality |
$ 2,000 |
|
Subtotal |
$ 3,000 |
TOTAL $ 78,000
The Senate Administration has reviewed this budget application.
____________________________________________________________
__________________
Heather Lank
Date
Director of Committees and Private Legislation
____________________________________________________________
__________________
Richard Ranger
Date
Director of Finance
APPENDIX (B) TO THE REPORT
Thursday, March 20, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has examined the budget submitted to it by the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce for the proposed expenditures of the said Committee for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004 for the purpose of its Special Study on financial systems, as authorized by the Senate on Wednesday, October 23, 2002. The approved budget is as follows:
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 0 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 20,000 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 20,000 |
Respectfully submitted,
LISE BACON
Chair
Thursday, March 27, 2003
The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce has the honour to present its
NINTH REPORT
Your Committee, to which was referred Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act, has, in obedience to the Order of Reference of Tuesday, March 25, 2003, examined the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment.
Respectfully submitted,
E. LEO KOLBER
Chairman