Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
National Finance
Issue 1 - Evidence - Meeting of November 13, 2007
OTTAWA, Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 9:34 a.m., pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate of Canada, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Lynn Gordon, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see a quorum. As the clerk of the committee, it is my duty to proceed to the election of a chair. Is there a motion to that effect?
Senator Di Nino: It is my pleasure to nominate the Honourable Senator Joseph Day as chair of this committee because I know that he will see the ``light of day'' in appropriately tweaking the opposition in future meetings of this committee.
Ms. Gordon: Thank you. Are there any other nominations? There being none, the question is on the motion of the Honourable Senator Di Nino that the Honourable Senator Day take the chair of the committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Gordon: I declare the motion carried. I invite Senator Day to take the chair.
Senator Day: Thank you, honourable senators. With that vote of confidence and admonition, I accept your directions and look forward to serving you on this committee as we continue the good work of the committee.
The clerk, Lynn Gordon, has provided to me the agenda of this organizational meeting. I am now on the second item, the election of deputy chair. With your indulgence, I nominate Senator Terry Stratton as deputy chair of this committee.
Senator Ringuette: I second that proposal.
The Chair: We do not need seconders, but you can move that nominations cease.
Senator Ringuette: I do so.
The Chair: It has been moved by Senator Ringuette that nominations cease. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Motion is carried. There being one person nominated for this important position, I declare Senator Stratton as the deputy chair of this committee for the coming term.
The next item deals with the steering committee or Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. You can read the motion. We normally have the chair, deputy chair and one other member. The chair and deputy chair will consult with the whips. With your permission, we will name that third person at the next meeting of our committee. Could I have someone move same?
Senator Eggleton: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: The third item is agenda and procedure. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: If Senator Cools was here, she would say ``yea'' and ``nay.'' The fourth item is in respect to a motion to print the committee's proceedings.
Senator Mitchell: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Item 5, authorization to hold meetings and to print evidence when quorum is not present.
Senator Di Nino: So moved.
The Chair: This motion of course is pursuant to rule 89. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried.
The next item deals with the financial report. This report is the first of this new committee that reports on what the previous committee had done. We spent $19,000 last term primarily on working meals and witness expenses. There was no travel. It is low compared to others you might have seen.
Are there any further questions with respect to this report? We have our clerk here to answer any questions.
Senator Stratton: I move adoption of the report.
The Chair: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Motion carried. The next item is with respect to research staff.
Senator Eggleton: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried.
The next item is authority to commit funds and certify accounts. This item, of course, is pursuant to the Financial Administration Act and whatever this committee determines, as well as the Senate as a whole. The Senate has administrative rules with respect to the committal of, and the authority to commit, funds.
Senator Di Nino: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried.
With respect to travel, there is a motion in that regard. Will anyone move that motion?
Senator Di Nino: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried.
Item 10 is with respect to the designation of members travelling on committee business.
Senator Biron: So moved.
The Chair: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried. The next item is travelling and living expenses of witnesses. This item again is pursuant to our rules.
Senator Di Nino: So moved.
The Chair: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried.
We are onto item 12, electronic media coverage of public meetings.
Senator Mitchell: So moved.
The Chair: All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contrary minded, if any? Motion carried. The next item is a regular time slot for meetings. The regular time slot is 9:30 to 11:30, as you see here. We try to finish a little before 11:30 and will often meet, if the chair and co- chair agree, for those that can make it at 9, to have a briefing, if necessary, to know what we are doing at 9:30 to be ready to ask those penetrating and probing questions.
We do not need a motion as it is designated by the Senate and the whips.
Is everyone in agreement that from time to time, if it is important for us to be briefed on the witness, to meet a bit before 9:30?
Senator Stratton: From time to time.
The Chair: That briefing will be in consultation with the deputy chair.
Senator Stratton: I do not want it to become a regular thing.
Senator Eggleton: Some of us are on an early flight Tuesday morning.
The Chair: We will never conduct any business at that time, but it is nice to arrive at 9:30 with the subject matter clear in our minds.
Senator Eggleton: Okay.
Senator Di Nino: I agree with that, Mr. Chairman. I like the idea, particularly on Tuesdays, to finish by 11:00. Most of us, I think from both sides, have full and committed days when we are here.
Senator Stratton: The normal slot is 11:30.
Senator Di Nino: I would like to make that a —
The Chair: That gives us only an hour and a half, and that is usually our business day.
Senator Di Nino: It depends on how many witnesses we have. Sometimes we stretch it for the sake of stretching it.
The Chair: Is there anything possible in order of reference?
Senators, we have finished the organization of our committee. There are a couple of other matters to discuss. Can we agree that we will move in camera now? That is the normal process. We will go in camera.
The committee continued in camera.