Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Transport and Communications
Issue 1 - Evidence for October 7, 2004
OTTAWA, Thursday, October 7, 2004
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications met this day at 10:34 a.m., pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Mr. Till Heyde, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, a quorum of the committee is present.
As clerk of the committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair.
Would there be a motion on this item of business?
Senator Tkachuk: I move the nomination of Senator Fraser.
Mr. Heyde: Are there any other nominations?
The question is on the motion of the Honourable Senator Tkachuk that the Honourable Senator Fraser do take the chair of the committee.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Joan Fraser (Chairman) in the chair.
The Chairman: Thank you all very much indeed. This is a lovely committee, one that is a great privilege to be part of. Thank you to the clerk.
The next item of business would, therefore, be the election of a deputy chair. Do I have a nomination for deputy chair?
Senator Phalen: I nominate Senator Tkachuk.
The Chairman: It is moved by Senator Phalen that Senator Tkachuk be elected deputy chair. Are there any other nominations?
Is it then agreed that the deputy chair be Senator Tkachuk?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried and congratulations. That is terrific.
Agenda Item No. 3, therefore, would be for the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
I would now ask a motion that the subcommittee 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.
Senator Tkachuk: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 4 is a motion to print the committee's proceedings and that the chair be authorized to set the number to meet demand.
Senator Trenholme Counsell: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 5 is an authorization to hold meetings and to print evidence when quorum is not present, provided that a member of the committee from both the government and opposition is present. Is there a motion to that effect?
Senator Phalen: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Does everybody have a copy of the financial report?
Mr. Heyde: It was distributed.
The Chairman: Fine. Can we have, therefore, a motion that we adopt the draft first report, which has been prepared in accordance with rule 104? This is about our expenses in the last session of Parliament, the third session of the 37th Parliament.
Senator Merchant has so moved. Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 7, research staff. Can we have a motion that we ask the Library of Parliament to assign research analysts to the committee?
Senator Tkachuk: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 8, authority to commit funds and certify accounts. You have that motion in front of you. Would somebody care to move it?
Senator Merchant: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 9, travel. Again you have the motion in front of you. Would somebody care to move it?
Senator Tkachuk: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 10, designation of members travelling on committee business. Would somebody care to move this motion?
Senator Phalen: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 11, travelling and living expenses of witnesses. These are all standard motions.
Senator LeBreton: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Item No. 12, electronic media coverage of public meetings. Would somebody care to move that motion?
Senator Gill: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The time slot for regular meetings.
I think all senators — certainly I know Liberal senators and possibly opposition senators as well — received a notice suggesting that our regular time slot would actually be late Wednesday afternoon. The whips apparently had agreed that our time slots would be as they were in the last Parliament, which is to say Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 10:45 a.m. If that is agreeable to the members of the committee, and we do not have conflicts with other committees, it worked quite well the last time. However, since at least on our side of the chamber a misleading notice was sent out, I just wanted to be sure that this would be agreeable to all.
Senator Gill: It will be very difficult for me to be here.
The Chairman: On Tuesday mornings?
Senator Gill: All the time, because of my flight. I have to leave —
The Chairman: Senators, I will ask to go in camera in a minute for a quick discussion of future business, but Senator Tkachuk?
Senator Tkachuk: On the time slot for Thursday morning, I have a Banking Committee at 11 o'clock. Was that the agreed upon time?
The Chairman: That time has not changed in many years, so far as I know.
Senator Tkachuk: The Thursday morning, 10:45.
The Chairman: What I will suggest to honourable senators is that we take this subject under advisement, that with the assistance of the clerk we consult everybody and then I can have, if necessary, chats with the whips to see how this will all work out to the best advantage of all senators. We will get back to you on that. It often happens in the Senate that there are conflicts, but obviously we like to minimize them if we possibly can.
Senator Gill: I think energy is also at 9 o'clock or something like that.
The Chairman: We will prepare a chart of who has to be where and when and then see how it all works out.
Senators, with your approval I should like now for this meeting to go in camera for a very brief discussion of future business.
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The committee continued in camera.