Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Issue 1 - Evidence for June 11, 2009
OTTAWA, Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:32 a.m. to consider administrative matters; and in camera to consider other matters.
Senator George J. Furey (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Our first item on the agenda is the report of the Subcommittee on the Review of Committee Budgets. I ask Senator Robichaud if he would please give us his most recent presentation.
Senator Robichaud: Honourable senators, I have the honour to present the sixth report of the Subcommittee on the Review of Committee Budgets. The report recommends the release of $176,100 to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources for its special study on emerging issues. This release includes funds for three sole-source consulting contracts, as well as for a fact-finding trip to Washington, D.C., and attendance at conferences.
The report also recommends the release of $38,560 to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence for promotion of reports, meetings and other matters related to its mandate.
[Translation]
The subcommittee has received assurances from the chair and deputy chair of the committee that the funds will be divided between the two parties, and it is on that basis that allocation of the funds is recommended.
It should be noted that the amount recommended for release is $4,280 less than the amount requested. This reduction is because $2,780 in miscellaneous expenses has been deducted because the committee already received $2,000 in this category in a previous budget request.
[English]
In addition, the miscellaneous expenses for the activity "promotion of reports" was reduced from $3,500 to $2,000, to ensure fairness and consistency with other committees.
I move the adoption of the sixth report.
The Chair: Questions, honourable senators?
[Translation]
Senator Comeau: Senator Robichaud, I have two questions. In the energy budget, which are the "sole source" contracts?
Senator Robichaud: In energy, two $10,000 contracts were awarded to do specific research in preparation for their trip. The task seems to be quite difficult. They are looking for specialists in the energy field and want the right person to provide them with the information.
The other contract is for $35,000. It too deals with finding a person with unusual qualifications and the best expertise to provide them with advice.
Senator Comeau: The other question is about security and national defence. Did you say that this allocation is for travel?
Senator Robichaud: The travel is for the promotion of reports. We have been assured that the funds will be shared between the two parties with seats on that committee. Our report is clear on the condition that the funds must be spent in that way.
The explanation for the reduction is as follows: we had previously approved $2,000 for miscellaneous expenses. We received a request for other expenses and so we reduced the amount in order to be fair to the other committees whose requests had been submitted prior.
[English]
Senator Tkachuk: He asked my question, so I am good.
The Chair: Are there any other questions, colleagues? We have a motion by Senator Robichaud to adopt the report. All those in favour? Contra minded?
Carried.
Thank you, Senator Robichaud. The next item on the agenda is a motion for financial rules adjustment. I am sorry, Senator Robichaud, do you have another report?
Senator Robichaud: If you want to do it later.
[Translation]
I have the honour to present the seventh report of the Subcommittee on the Review of Committee Budgets. This is the first report of the subcommittee under its new mandate to review requests from senators for international travel.
We received a request from Senator St. Germain, who wants to use his travel points to go to Montana in August in order to take part in a series of meetings with Aboriginal chiefs. In his request, and during his appearance before the subcommittee, the senator emphasized that the topics for discussion were directly related to his work on the Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, of which he is the chair.
After examining the guidelines for international travel, and the report from the advisory working group on the review of international travel, which this committee adopted on May 7, 2009, it seems clear to us that travel points are not supposed to be used for committee-related travel.
[English]
Rather, committee-related travel should be funded out of committee budgets. Therefore, your subcommittee recommends in its report that the Honourable Senator St. Germain submit a request to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples so that the proposed travel be funded from the conference budget of the said committee for its special study on matters generally relating to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada; and that if a motion authorizing the use of the conference budget for this purpose is adopted by the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, approval is granted.
In addition, your committee recommends that the subcommittee's name be changed to the Subcommittee on the Review of Committee Budgets and International Travel, to reflect its expanded mandate.
Honourable senators, I move the adoption of this report.
Senator Massicotte: I want to thank Senator Robichaud for this report. I fully support it — I am glad to see he is assuming his full responsibilities. I endorse it and also second the motion for adoption.
Senator Munson: Just a point of clarification on this. I understand the rationale behind this, but I am a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. Currently, we are allowed to travel to New York as individual senators. If I wanted to see someone at the United Nations on matters of children's rights because as a senator I feel it is important, would the same criteria apply so that funds for travel would come out of the Human Rights Committee budget, even though it is an individual senator's initiative?
Senator St. Germain is Chair of the Human Rights Committee and was attending a conference because he wanted to learn about this on an individual basis. I understand the rationale behind this, but I am curious whether this would apply to other visits.
The Chair: Senator Munson, under the four points that have been allocated for Washington or New York for UN business, senators do not need to apply for international travel status. That has been approved, so it would be entirely up to the individual senator.
Senator Munson: Thank you for the clarification.
The Chair: Are there other questions, colleagues? Hearing none, I have a motion by Senator Robichaud to adopt the seventh report. All those in favour? Contra minded?
Carried.
Thank you.
The second item on the agenda is the motion for financial rules change. Colleagues will remember that we discussed the requirement on an annual basis to make a presentation in the chamber to change the financial rules when routine housekeeping changes have been made through Treasury Board for increases in ordinary day-to-day matters. We asked legal counsel to draft a motion that we could adopt to make the routine housekeeping changes automatic. I will ask the Clerk of the Senate to speak to it briefly and then take questions.
Paul C. Bélisle, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments: A motion is before senators, as the chair has explained, with respect to the financial rules of the Senate Administrative Rules, chapter 6. From time to time, Treasury Board will dictate the rates. It was the issue of coming here and having them adopted by the Senate. The proposal in the motion is that the Internal Economy Committee be authorized to make the changes when Treasury Board dictates that the rates have gone up without having to go through that long process, which creates delays to information for senators.
The Chair: Are there questions, colleagues?
Senator Fox: Could we add an "s" to "rate?"
The Chair: Yes, it will be "rates."
May I have a motion to adopt, as amended by Senator Fox? It is moved by Senator Tkachuk. All those in favour? Contra minded?
Carried.
Thank you.
(The committee continued in camera.)