Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Issue 2 - Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Reports
Thursday, October 24, 2002
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to table its
SECOND REPORT
Your Committee reports, pursuant to Rule 104, that the expenses incurred by the Committee during the First Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament are as follows:
| Professional and Other Services | $ 1,227 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 0 |
| All Other Expenditures | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 1,227 |
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, October 24, 2002
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
THIRD REPORT
Your Committee recommends that an increase of 2.3percent to the salary ranges of the Senate senior management employees (Senior Executive Group level 1-3 and Middle Management Group level 2) be awarded effective April 1, 2002.
Respectfully submitted,
Tuesday, December 3, 2002
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FOURTH REPORT
Your Committee wishes to inform the Senate that on November 19, 2002, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission released its Decision concerning CPAC's licence renewal application. (Decision CRTC 2002-377)
The Decision is the result of a public hearing held before the Commission earlier this year in which the Senate intervened to express concerns about CPAC's television coverage of Senate committee programming and related matters.
The Commission concluded that:
1.It considers it important that CPAC's programming reflect ``the bicameral nature of Canada's Parliament by providing coverage of both the upper and the lower houses.''
2. The Commission announced that it was amending the ``House of Commons and Provincial or Territorial Legislature Proceedings Exemption Order'' pursuant to which CPAC has until now been broadcasting Parliamentary proceedings. Previously, that Order did not include any reference to the Senate. As noted by the Commission in the Public Notice announcing the amendment:
``In the context of its consideration of CPAC's renewal applications, the Commission determined that the programming service provided pursuant to the House of Commons and Provincial or Territorial Exemption Order should reflect the bicameral nature of Canada's Parliament by providing coverage of both the House of Commons and the Senate. Accordingly, the Commission amends this Exemption Order to describe the programming service provided by an exempt undertaking as including coverage of the Senate and its various committees, as provided by the Speaker or appropriate committee responsible for broadcasting matters.''
3. The Commission's amendment also changes the title of the Order to ``Parliamentary and Provincial or Territorial Legislature Proceedings Exemption Order''. Pursuant to the Amended Order, CPAC and any other broadcasting undertaking purporting to broadcast parliamentary proceedings are required to meet, among others, the following criteria:
(h) Except as permitted under sections (i) and (j) below the programming service provided by the undertaking covers the proceedings of the House of Commons, the Senate or the legislature involved from beginning to end and does not offer selected excerpts of the proceedings, i.e. the coverage is ``gavel to gavel''.
(i) The programming service provided by the undertaking may include coverage of Parliamentary committee meetings on a selective basis, where the appropriate Speaker or committee responsible for broadcasting matters is satisfied that such coverage is equitable.
(j) The programming service provided by the undertaking may include a repeat broadcast of the relevant question period.
(k)Control over the programming provided by the undertaking is retained by the appropriate Speaker or committee responsible for broadcasting matters.
4. As well, the Commission stated in its Decision that it expects CPAC to:
(a) schedule Senate Committee proceedings equitably in relation to its televised proceedings of the House of Commons; and
(b) work with the Senate to find a mutually satisfactory solution to the scheduling of such programming.
5. The Commission noted CPAC's commitment to discuss with the Senate specific proposals the Senate may wish to put forward regarding the presentation of programs that would profile the work of the Senate. The Commission also encouraged CPAC to give implementation of the above commitments ``its highest priority.''
6. The Commission modified the programming principles to which CPAC has traditionally been required to abide, by making an express reference to the Senate. On the assumption that CPAC will proceed to negotiate an agreement with the Senate, as referred to above, CPAC's programming principles now include the following: ``CPAC must respect its agreements with the House of Commons and the Senate''.
7. Finally, the Commission agreed with the Senate and other participants who objected to CPAC's request for ``dual distribution status'', which could have potentially limited the scope of CPAC's distribution to cable operators and other distribution undertakings. As a result of the Commission's decision, all of CPAC's programming, including its Parliamentary proceedings, must be distributed by virtually all distribution undertakings in the country on the basic tier in order to ensure access by Canadians.
Your Committee has authorized its Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure (Steering Committee) to continue negotiations with CPAC for a renewed Broadcasting Agreement. We believe that the CRTC decision is important for the Senate. The Chamber's concerns have been recognized as legitimate and the Commission has created a solid foundation upon which to better assess CPAC's broadcasts of Senate programming in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, December 5, 2002
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FIFTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends that the following funds be released for fiscal year 2002-2003.
Aboriginal Peoples (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 4,000 |
| Transport and Communications | $ 300 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 700 |
| Total | $ 5,000 |
Banking, Trade and Commerce (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 11,500 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 1,000 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 2,500 |
| Total | $ 15,000 |
Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 10,000 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 500 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 1,000 |
| Total | $ 11,500 |
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
| Professional and Other Services | $ 3,000 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 0 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 3,000 |
National Finance (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 3,000 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 0 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 3,000 |
Rules, Procedure and the Rights of Parliament
| Professional and Other Services | $ 7,400 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 0 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 7,400 |
Social Affairs, Science and Technology (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 2,500 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 0 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 2,500 |
Transport and Communications (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 10,000 |
| Transportation and Communications | $ 0 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 10,000 |
Respectfully submitted,
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
SIXTH REPORT
Your Committee has approved the Senate Estimates for the fiscal year 2003-2004 and recommends their adoption.
Your Committee notes that the proposed total budget is $67,032,050.
An overview of the 2003-2004 budget will be forwarded to every Senator's office.
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, December 12, 2002
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
SEVENTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends that the following funds be released for fiscal year 2002-2003.
Legal and Constitutional Affairs (Legislation)
| Professional and Other Services | $ 11,600 |
| Transport and Communications | $ 3,270 |
| Other Expenditures | $ 1,000 |
| Total | $ 15,870 |
Respectfully submitted,
LISE BACON
Chair