THE SENATE COMMITTEE OF SELECTION
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Thursday, April 6, 2006
The Senate Committee of Selection met this day at 11 a.m., pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate, to hold an organizational meeting; and, pursuant to rule 85(1)(a) of the Rules of the Senate, to nominate (a) a senator to preside as Speaker pro tempore and (b) the senators to serve on select committees during the present Session.
[English]
Ms. Heather Lank, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see a quorum. It is my duty to oversee the election of a chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect, please.
Senator Cook: I move that the Honourable Senator Terry Stratton be the chair of this committee.
Ms. Lank: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Cook that the Honourable Senator Stratton be chair of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Lank: I invite Senator Stratton to take the chair.
The Chairman: Thank you, honourable senators.
The first item of business is the election of a deputy chair.
Senator Tkachuk: I move that the Honourable Senator Cook be deputy chair of the committee.
The Chairman: I see no other nominations. Is it your pleasure , honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Welcome, Senator Cook.
I would ask for the nomination of a senator to preside as Speaker pro tempore.
Senator Cook: I move that Senator Losier-Cool be Speaker pro tempore.
The Chairman: I hear no other nominations. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Carstairs: I move that the Chair of the Senate Committee of Selection report to the Senate the nomination agreed to at this day’s meeting on the Speaker pro tempore.
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: I will now receive nominations of senators to serve on committees. For the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, on our side I nominate Senators St. Germain, Gustafson, Segal and Dyck.
Senator Austin: On our side, I nominate Senators Sibbeston, Campbell, Lovelace Nicholas, Gill, Watt, Hubley, Peterson and Zimmer.
I move adoption of the 12 names to serve as members of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: We will move on to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
Senator Tkachuk: I nominate Senators Gustafson, Oliver, Segal and Senator Tkachuk.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Fairbairn, Mercer, Callbeck, Peterson, Mahovlich, Mitchell, Pépin and Christensen.
The Chairman: Senator Tkachuk, would you move adoption of those names?
Senator Tkachuk: I so move.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Next, we have the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. I would ask Senator Oliver to nominate the names for the Conservative side.
Senator Oliver: I nominate Senators Angus, Meighen, Eyton and Tkachuk.
Senator Cook: On the Liberal side, I nominate Senators Grafstein, Massicotte, Harb, Hervieux-Payette, Fitzpatrick, Goldstein, Biron and Moore.
Senator Oliver: I move adoption of the 12 names to serve as members of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Next we have the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. Senator Champagne, would you list the four Conservative names, please?
Senator Champagne: I nominate Senators Cochrane, Angus, Carney and Spivak.
The Chairman: For the Liberal side?
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Banks, Lavigne, Peterson, Fox, Milne, Sibbeston, Tardif and Hervieux-Payette.
I move adoption of the 12 names to serve as members of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: We will move to the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. I nominate Senators Comeau, Johnson, Meighen and Forrestall.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Rompkey, Watt, Adams, Gill, Hubley, Baker, Cowan and Campbell.
The Chairman: I move adoption of the 12 names to serve as members of the Fisheries Committee.
All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Next, we have the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Senator Tkachuk: I nominate Senators Andreychuk, Di Nino, Segal and St. Germain.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Dawson, Stollery, Downe, Mahovlich, Merchant, De Bané, Corbin and Smith.
The Chairman: Could we go a little slower to allow the Clerk of the Committee to record the names?
Senator Cook: I could provide her with a copy.
The Chairman: Thank you.
Senator Cook, would you move adoption of the 12 names?
Senator Cook: I move adoption of the 12 names to serve as members of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Senator Carstairs: Are there four Conservatives on the list? I have only three names.
The Chairman: There are four names: Andreychuk, Di Nino, Segal and St. Germain.
We will go now to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. Senator Oliver, would you provide the names for the Conservative side?
Senator Oliver: I nominate Senators Andreychuk, Kinsella and Nancy Ruth.
The Chairman: For the Liberal side, there are six.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Munson, Dallaire, Poy, Carstairs, Pépin and Lovelace Nicholas.
Senator Oliver: I move the adoption of the members of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: There will be a slight difference today in the fact that the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has a subcommittee that is now in progress. It is holding hearings today, tomorrow and Saturday. If we reconstituted that committee today, that subcommittee would disappear. With your agreement, we will not do the Standing Committee on Internal Economy today. Rather, we will do it upon our return, which will allow the subcommittee to continue its work.
Senator Carstairs: Could we not select the members of that committee but fail to report it? Could we report all the other committees and delay the report of this one so that we would not have to meet again?
Senator Austin: No. That is a bit dangerous. It actually exists as a committee, correct?
Senator Tkachuk: We do not have to name any names. It would take us five minutes in someone's office.
The Chairman: Just do not say anything.
Senator Austin: We agree to deal with this at a further date.
The Chairman: Because it is a delicate issue, I suggest that we leave it by omission, agreeing that if someone asks, then we will have to respond. I would rather leave it by not saying anything.
We then go to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. There are 12 members. Senator Champagne, will you name the four Conservative members, please?
Senator Champagne: I nominate Senators Oliver, Nolin, Cools and Andreychuk.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Joyal, Milne, Baker, Bryden, Furey, Jaffer, Ringuette and Rivest.
Senator Oliver: Would you read that one more time? I have Senators Joyal and Milne.
Senator Cook: Senators Joyal, Milne, Baker, Bryden, Furey, Jaffer, Ringuette and Rivest.
I move the adoption of these nominations.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The Library of Parliament is a joint committee. I will name our two members: Senator Oliver and Senator Johnson.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Trenholme Counsell, Lapointe and Poy.
The Chairman: I move the adoption of nominations for this joint committee. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Senator Tkachuk, would you name the Conservative members on the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, please?
Senator Tkachuk: Senators Cools, Nancy Ruth, Stratton and Murray.
The Chairman: For the Liberal side?
Senator Cook: Senators Day, Rompkey, Fox, Cowan, Ringuette and Mitchell. Did you say Senator Murray?
The Chairman: Yes, I did.
Senator Cook: It is Senator Eggleton.
Senator Austin: You forgot Biron.
Senator Cook: I am sorry. Shall I read it one more time?
The Chairman: Please read it, Senator Cook, a little more slowly because we are trying to record and write it down.
Senator Cook: Senators Day, Rompkey, Fox, Cowan, Ringuette, Mitchell, Biron and Eggleton.
I move the adoption of the nominations for this committee.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Next is the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence.
Senator Oliver: I nominate Senators Forrestall, Meighen and Atkins.
The Chairman: For the Liberal side?
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Kenny, Banks, Campbell, Poulin and Watt.
Senator Bacon: You forgot Senator Day.
Senator Cook: Yes, Senator Day.
The Chairman: Senators Kenny, Banks, Campbell, Poulin, Watt and Day.
Senator Cook: Yes.
Senator Oliver: I move adoption of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: We then go to the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages. Senator Champagne, would you name the three Conservative members?
Senator Champagne: Senators Champagne, Comeau and Plamondon.
The Chairman: Who is an independent.
For the Liberal side, Senator Cook?
Senator Cook: Senators Chaput, Losier-Cool, Tardif, Robichaud, Jaffer and Trenholme Counsell.
The Chairman: Senator Cook, would you move adoption of that committee?
Senator Cook: I so move.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: I will now put forth the names for the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament, a 15-member committee. For the Conservatives, they are Senators Andreychuk, Cools, Di Nino, Stratton and independent McCoy. For the Liberal side?
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Smith, Robichaud, Joyal, Losier-Cool, Corbin, Bryden, Tardif, Carstairs, Cordy and Mitchell.
The Chairman: Would you go through that list again, please?
Senator Cook: Senators Smith, Robichaud, Joyal, Losier-Cool, Corbin, Bryden, Tardif, Carstairs, Cordy and Mitchell.
I move the adoption of the nominations for this committee.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The next committee is Standing Joint Committee of the Senate of the House of Commons for the Scrutiny of Regulations.
Senator Tkachuk: From our side, I nominate Senators Nolin, St. Germain and Eyton.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Bryden, Moore, Biron, De Bané and Harb.
Senator Tkachuk: I move the adoption of the nominations for this committee.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next is the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
Senator Oliver: Senators Keon, Champagne, Cochrane and Forrestall.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Kirby, Trenholme Counsell, Callbeck, Cordy, Eggleton, Pépin, Cook and Fairbairn.
Senator Cook: I move adoption of the nominations for this committees.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
Next is the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.
Senator Champagne: I nominate Senators Carney, Eyton, Johnson and Tkachuk.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senators Phalen, Mercer, Munson, Adams, Dawson, Merchant, Bacon and Zimmer.
Senator Champagne: I move the adoption of the membership of this committee.
The Chairman: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
We require one more motion, namely, that the chair report the nominations agreed to at this day's meeting.
Senator Carstairs: I so move.
The committee adjourned.