Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Aboriginal Peoples
Issue 1 - Evidence - Meeting of November 14, 2007
OTTAWA, Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples met this day at 6:17 p.m., pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate for the purpose of holding its organization meeting.
[Translation]
Marcy Zlotnick, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see a quorum. As clerk of the committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the Chair.
[English]
I am ready to receive a motion to nominate the chair of the committee. Are there any nominations?
Senator Sibbeston: Pursuant to rule 88, the clerk of the committee presides over the election of the chair.
I move that the Honourable Senator St. Germain do take the chair of this committee.
Ms. Zlotnick: Are there any other nominations? If not, it is moved by the Honourable Senator Sibbeston that the Honourable Senator St. Germain do take the chair of this committee.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Zlotnick: Carried.
I invite the Honourable Senator St. Germain to take the chair.
Senator Gerry St. Germain (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Sibbeston, and thank you colleagues, for entrusting me with the chair of what I think is one of the most interesting committees on Parliament Hill. This committee has completed some tremendous work over the years and the work that you have done since I have been given the privilege of chairing is, I think, coming to fruition. It will be an exciting time.
Ms. Zlotnick is our new clerk. Welcome to the committee. You did a great job. You certainly did not have many candidates for chair. I see we have Jessica Richardson, clerk, and Tonina Simeone and Mary Hurley, analysts, back with us and, of course, the people that do all the work and receive little credit, namely, the people who transcribe what we do here. It is nice to see you again ladies and you, sir, on the right.
I will continue with the election of a deputy chair.
Senator Peterson: I nominate Senator Sibbeston.
The Chair: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Peterson that the Honourable Senator Nick Sibbeston be deputy chair of the committee.
All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. I need a motion that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, 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 and to invite witnesses and to schedule hearings.
This subcommittee is the steering committee. Do we have a motion to that effect?
Senator Peterson: I so move.
The Chair: Do we need a name here?
Senator Sibbeston: It is not unconventional to talk about it and see who it may be.
The Chair: It gives us more flexibility, apparently. We can talk about this. Senator Hubley, I think, has shown some interest.
Senator Hubley: Yes.
The Chair: We will leave it at that and carry on. Are you okay with that?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Agreed?
Senator Hubley: Yes, agreed.
The Chair: Item 4 is the motion to print the committee's proceedings.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Dyck that the committee print its proceedings and that the chair be authorized to set the number to meet the demand.
All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 5 is authorization to hold meetings and to print evidence when quorum is not present.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Gustafson that, pursuant to rule 89, the chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize printings of the evidence when a quorum is not present, provided that a member of the committee from both the government and the opposition be present.
Are we all agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 6 is the financial report.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Hubley that the committee adopt and draft the first report, prepared in accordance with rule 104.
Senator Sibbeston: I need to know what that is. There is a first draft here.
The Chair: This first draft is for the bare minimum expenses that will be incurred by the committee. These expenses were incurred last session?
Senator Sibbeston: That is right.
The Chair: Are there any questions or comments about the document that is before us, the first report?
Senator Peterson: Did we start off with a budget? Did we try to determine how much we might spend, and this is what we did spend? Do we ever do references, budget to actual?
The Chair: There would have been a budget. These expenses are the actual ones. This money was actually spent in the first session.
Senator Peterson: How did we do against budget? Do we have a budget figure for this money?
Senator Sibbeston: This item will be an order of business perhaps at some future meeting when we know the work we are trying to undertake.
Senator Peterson: I know that.
The Chair: We established a budget, and Senator Peterson is wondering how this report reflects with the original budget that was set out. I do not have that information for you at the moment, but I will make it available to you, Senator Peterson, and to the rest of the members of the committee, so that we know whether we operated within budget. I am sure we did, if I recall correctly. In any case, we will make that information available to the members of the committee.
The financial report is moved by Honourable Senator Hubley. Agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 7 is research staff.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Peterson that the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee and that the chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate to engage the services of such counsel, technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary for the purpose of the committee's examination and consideration of such bills, subject matters of bills and estimates as are referred to it; that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to retain the services of such experts as may be required by the work of the committee; and that the chair, on behalf of the committee, direct the research staff in the preparation of studies, analyses, summaries and draft reports.
This item is the requisition. Everyone is in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 8 is the authority to commit funds and certify accounts.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Hubley that, pursuant to section 32 of the Financial Administration Act and section 7, chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority to commit funds be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chair and the clerk of the committee; and that, pursuant to section 34 of the Financial Administration Act and section 8, chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority for certifying accounts payable by the committee be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chair and the clerk of the committee.
Are there any questions or comments? If not, do I have agreement?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Gustafson: My name is spelled with "s-o-n,'' not "t-o-n.''
The Chair: Where did you see that?
Senator Peterson: On the front, organizational meeting.
The Chair: Item 9: it is moved by the Honourable Senator Lovelace Nicholas that the committee empower the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to designate, as required, one or more members of the committee and/or such staff as may be necessary to travel on assignment on behalf of the committee.
Are there questions or comments? All agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 10 is the designation of members travelling on committee business.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Sibbeston that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to determine whether any member of the committee is on official business for the purposes of paragraph 8(3)(a) of the Senators Attendance Policy published in the Journals of the Senate on Wednesday, June 3, 1998; and consider any member of the committee to be on official business if that member is: (a) attending an event or meeting related to the work of the committee; or (b) making a presentation related to the work of the committee.
This item is authorization to travel and be marked as present in the Senate. Are there questions or comments?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 11 is travelling and living expenses of witnesses.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Gustafson that, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for one witness from any one organization and payment will take place upon application, but that the chair be authorized to approve expenses for a second witness should there be exceptional circumstances.
It is fairly straightforward. Are we in agreement?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 12 is electronic media coverage of public meetings.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Hubley that the chair be authorized to seek permission from the Senate to permit coverage by electronic media of the committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings; and that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow such coverage at its discretion.
Are there any other questions? Are we in agreement?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 13 is the time slot for regular meetings. This item is not a motion.
This item is more for information, colleagues. We meet on Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in this room and on Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. until we conclude our business. Are there any questions or comments?
Senator Peterson: Is that time the same as last year?
The Chair: Yes, it is the same time. Did we not start at nine?
Senator Gustafson: The Agriculture Committee is at the same time.
The Chair: That was years ago that we were here at nine. It is 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. until we leave the facility.
Other business is next. Do we have anything else that you would like, Madam Clerk? If not, I would like to talk about future business. Do you want to discuss this item in camera, or would you like it recorded? I think it would be good if we held it in camera and we asked the staff to remain. Are you all right with that?
Senator Sibbeston: There should be a motion and I do not mind making a motion to that effect.
The Chair: So moved by Senator Sibbeston that we move to an in camera session for the discussion of future business and we ask the staff to remain on site. Anyone else must take their leave.
Are we all agreed to that?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The committee continued in camera.