Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
National Finance
Issue 26 - Evidence - June 28, 2005
OTTAWA, Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, to which was referred Bill C-43, to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2005, met this day at 9:33 a.m. to give clause-by-clause consideration to the bill.
Senator Donald H. Oliver (Chairman) in the chair.
[English]
The Chairman: Honourable senators, I call this thirty-seventh meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance to order.
As honourable senators know, this committee's field of interest is government spending, either directly through estimates or indirectly through bills. Last week, this committee heard from the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, and other witnesses on Bill C-43, to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2005.
At the end of that meeting, I undertook to follow up on a number of items with the steering committee, and I wish to report to you on our discussions and decisions that took place in my office yesterday with Senator Day and Senator Downe.
First, everyone has been given a copy of the supplementary documentation and answers provided by the Minister of Finance in response to a few outstanding questions raised by honourable senators at last Wednesday's meeting. This documentation was circulated last night by the clerk to your offices by email and hard copies are before you this morning.
Second, the steering committee met and consulted on the issue of inviting other witnesses; namely, the Minister of Social Development and the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. After our fairly lengthy discussions regarding those ministers, I am pleased to report that the steering committee is satisfied with the appearance of the Minister of Finance and his officials on Bill C-43 and has decided that it is more appropriate to invite these ministers as part of our ongoing mandate to examine the estimates.
Honourable senators will know that we retain our mandate and can study the estimates at any time. We can call any minister at any time to appear before this committee to respond to questions about their estimates.
Therefore, if there is no other business before the committee, is it agreed that we proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-43, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2005?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: With your consent, honourable senators, I propose that we deal with the 143 clauses of the bill by grouping them as they are contained in the 23 parts of the bill. Is it agreed that we deal with the clauses in groupings?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: That is agreed.
Shall the title stand postponed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clause 1, the short title, stand postponed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 2 to 19 contained in Part 1 of the bill on pages 1 to 14 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 20 to 30 contained in Parts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the bill on pages 14 to 32 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 31 to 51 contained in Part 7 of the bill on pages 32 to 40 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 52 to 59 contained in Part 8 of the bill on pages 40 to 42 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 60 to 81 contained in Part 9 of the bill from pages 43 to 52 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 82 to 84 contained in Parts 10 and 11 of the bill on pages 52 and 53 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 85 to 97 contained in Parts 12, 13 and 14 of the bill found on pages 53 to 79 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 98 to 109 contained in Part 15 of the bill on pages 79 to 82 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 110 to 119 contained in Parts 16 and 17 of the bill on pages 82 to 86 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 120 to 129 found in Parts 18 and 19 of the bill on pages 87 to 92 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 130 to 137 contained in Parts 20, 21 and 22 of the bill on pages 92 to 101 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clauses 138 to 143 contained in Part 23 of the bill on pages 101 to 102 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clause 1, the short title, carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall the title carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall the bill carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Honourable senators, shall I report this bill without amendment to the Senate?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Honourable senators, as you know, this committee has two scheduled meeting slots each week. One is Tuesday morning at the time we are meeting now, and the other is Wednesday evening. Tomorrow is Wednesday and at present we have nothing on our schedule for that time. However, if, by chance, a bill that will get first reading in the Senate today should be referred to this committee by then, we will meet tomorrow night. Failing that, our next regular scheduled times are next Tuesday and Wednesday, and the steering committee has decided that the principal business of this committee will be Bill C-48, when it arrives.
Is there any other business to come before the committee?
Senator Day: Assuming we are not meeting tomorrow, we can use the time on our own to prepare ourselves for Bill C-48.
Senator Eggleton: If Bill C-48 is introduced at first reading today, is it not possible to have second reading tomorrow?
The Chairman: It normally requires two days. It could be done with unanimous consent.
Senator Stratton: That is called ``wishful thinking.''
Senator Eggleton: The other place is anxious to get out.
Senator Stratton: We do not have a rule; we can sit in July.
Senator Ringuette: Is a list of witnesses being prepared for the other bill when it comes?
The Chairman: Not yet. After we attend our respective caucus meetings and discuss these matters, the steering committee of this committee will meet with the clerk and the researchers to prepare a list of witnesses.
If honourable senators would like to hear particular witnesses, please let any member of the steering committee, which is comprised of Senator Downe, Senator Day and myself, know, and we will give that consideration at our meeting this afternoon.
Senator Harb: The less the better.
The committee adjourned.