Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Issue 1 - Minutes of Proceedings
OTTAWA, Wednesday, February 11, 2009
(1)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day at 4:27 p.m., in room 705, Victoria Building, for the purpose of holding its organizational meeting, pursuant to rule 88.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Callbeck, Champagne, P.C., Cordy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, P.C., Keon and Pépin (8).
In attendance: Havi Echenberg, Analyst, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
The clerk of the committee presided over the election of the chair.
The Honourable Senator Keon moved that the Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., do take the chair of this committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Eggleton, P.C., took the chair.
The Honourable Senator Pépin moved that the Honourable Senator Keon be deputy chair of this committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, deputy chair and the Honourable Senator Pépin; and
That the subcommittee be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses and schedule hearings.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Cordy moved:
That the committee print its proceedings and that the chair be authorized to set this number to meet demand.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved:
That, pursuant to rule 89, the chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the printing 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.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Keon moved:
That the committee adopt the draft first report prepared in accordance with rule 104.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved:
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee;
That the chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate to engage the services of such counsel and 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.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Keon moved:
That, pursuant to 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 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; and
That, notwithstanding the foregoing, in cases related to consultants and personnel services, the authority to commit funds and certify accounts be conferred jointly on the chair and deputy chair.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Pépin moved:
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.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved:
That the chair and deputy chair be authorized to:
1) 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
2) consider any member of the committee to be on "official business'' if that member is: (a) attending a function, event or meeting related to the work of the committee; or (b) making a presentation related to the work of the committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Cordy moved:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witnesses 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.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Dyck moved:
That the chair be authorized to seek authority 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.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The chair noted that the time slot for regular meetings were Wednesdays (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and Thursdays (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.).
At 4:37 p.m., pursuant to rule 92(2)(e), the committee continued in camera to consider a draft agenda.
It was agreed that each member of the committee be allowed to have staff present at in camera meetings, unless there is a decision for a particular meeting to exclude all staff.
It was agreed that the chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate for the following three orders of reference:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine and report on current social issues pertaining to Canada's largest cities. In particular, the committee shall be authorized to examine:
(a) poverty, housing and homelessness;
(b) social inclusion and cohesion;
(d) urban economies;
(e) models for collaboration and co-operation among governments;
That the study be national in scope, and include a focus on the largest urban community in each of the provinces;
That the study report include proposed solutions, with an emphasis on collaborative strategies involving, federal, provincial and municipal governments;
That the papers and evidence received and taken and work accomplished by the committee on this subject since the beginning of the First Session of the Thirty-Ninth Parliament be referred to the committee; and
That the committee submit its final report no later than October 30, 2011, and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.
That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine the state of early learning and child care in Canada in view of the OECD report Starting Strong II, released on September 21-22, 2006 and rating Canada last among 14 countries on spending on early learning and child care programs, which stated ". . . national and provincial policy for the early education and care of young children in Canada is still in its initial stages. . . . and coverage is low compared to other OECD countries'';
That the committee study and report on the OECD challenge that ". . . significant energies and funding will need to be invested in the field to create a universal system in tune with the needs of a full employment economy, with gender equity and with new understandings of how young children develop and learn'';
That the papers and evidence received and taken and work accomplished by the committee on this subject since the beginning of the First Session of the Thirty-Ninth Parliament be referred to the committee; and
That the committee submit its final report no later than June 30, 2009, and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.
That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be authorized to examine and report on the impact of the multiple factors and conditions that contribute to the health of Canada's population — known collectively as the determinants of health — including the effects of these determinants on the disparities and inequities in health outcomes that continue to be experienced by identifiable groups or categories of people within the Canadian population;
That the committee examine government policies, programs and practices that regulate or influence the impact of the determinants of health on health outcomes across the different segments of the Canadian population, and that the committee investigate ways in which governments could better coordinate their activities in order to improve these health outcomes, whether these activities involve the different levels of government or various departments and agencies within a single level of government;
That the committee be authorized to study international examples of population health initiatives undertaken either by individual countries, or by multilateral international bodies such as (but not limited to) the World Health Organization;
That the papers and evidence received and taken and work accomplished by the committee on this subject since the beginning of the First Session of the Thirty-Ninth Parliament be referred to the committee; and
That the committee submit its final report no later than June 30, 2009, and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.
At 4:52 p.m., it was agreed that the committee adjourn to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
OTTAWA, Wednesday, February 25, 2009
(2)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day at 4:03 p.m., in room 705, Victoria Building, the chair, the Honourable Art Eggleton, P.C., presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Callbeck, Champagne, P.C., Cook, Cordy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, P.C., Fairbairn, P.C., Martin and Segal (10).
In attendance: Havi Echenberg, Analyst and Odette Madore, Acting Chief, Social, Health and Cultural Section, Social Affairs Division Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
The chair made an opening statement.
It was agreed:
That the Subcommittee on Population Health be established to study matters which may be referred to it by the committee;
That the membership of the subcommittee be as follows: the Honourable Senators Callbeck, Champagne, P.C., Cook, Eaton, Fairbairn, P.C., Keon, and Pépin, three of whom shall constitute a quorum;
That, pursuant to rule 89, the committee's authority to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the printing of the evidence when a quorum is not present be conferred on the subcommittee;
That, pursuant to rule 90, the committee's authority to send for persons, papers and records, whenever required, and to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, be conferred on the subcommittee;
That the committee's authority to engage the services of such counsel and 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, be conferred on the subcommittee;
That, pursuant to section 7, Chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, the committee's authority to commit funds be conferred on the subcommittee;
That, pursuant to section 8, Chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, the committee's authority for certifying accounts payable be conferred on to the subcommittee;
That the committee's authority, pursuant to paragraph 8(3)(a) of the Senators Attendance Policy, be conferred on the subcommittee;
That the committee's power to permit coverage by electronic media of its public meetings be conferred on the subcommittee; and
That pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the authority of the committee to reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for witnesses, be conferred on the subcommittee.
It was agreed that the order of reference regarding the study on impact of the multiple factors and conditions that contribute to the health of Canada's population, adopted by the Senate on February 24, 2009, be delegated to the Subcommittee on Population Health.
It was agreed:
That the Subcommittee on Cities be established to study matters which may be referred to it by the committee;
That the membership of the subcommittee be as follows: the Honourable Senators Cordy, Dyck, Eggleton, P.C., Martin, and Segal, three of whom shall constitute a quorum;
That, pursuant to rule 89, the committee's authority to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the printing of the evidence when a quorum is not present be conferred on the subcommittee;
That, pursuant to rule 90, the committee's authority to send for persons, papers and records, whenever required, and to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, be conferred on the subcommittee;
That the committee's authority to engage the services of such counsel and 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, be conferred on the subcommittee;
That, pursuant to section 7, Chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, the committee's authority to commit funds be conferred on the subcommittee;
That, pursuant to section 8, Chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, the committee's authority for certifying accounts payable be conferred on to the subcommittee;
That the committee's authority, pursuant to paragraph 8(3)(a) of the Senators Attendance Policy, be conferred on the subcommittee;
That the committee's power to permit coverage by electronic media of its public meetings be conferred on the subcommittee; and
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the authority of the committee to reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for witnesses, be conferred on the subcommittee.
It was agreed that the order of reference regarding the study on current social issues pertaining to Canada's largest cities, adopted by the Senate on February 24, 2009, be delegated to the Subcommittee on Cities.
It was agreed that following the adjournment of this meeting, the Subcommittee on Cities and the Subcommittee on Population Health meet for the purpose of holding an organisation meeting.
It was agreed that the committee adopt the draft proposed work plan.
At 4:37 p.m., it was agreed that the committee adjourn to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
OTTAWA, Wednesday, March 4, 2009
(3)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met in camera, this day, at 4:13 p.m., in room 705, Victoria Building, the chair, the Honourable Art Eggleton, P.C., presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Callbeck, Champagne, P.C., Cook, Cordy, Dyck, Eaton, Eggleton, P.C., Fairbairn, P.C., Keon, Martin, Pépin and Segal (12).
In attendance: Havi Echenberg, Analyst, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, the committee began its study in the state of early learning and child care in Canada.
Pursuant to rule 92(2)(f), the committee considered a draft report.
It was agreed that the Honourable Marilyn Trenholme Counsell be permitted to attend the in camera meeting scheduled for March 11, 2009.
At 5:16 p.m., it was agreed that the committee adjourn to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Keli Hogan
Clerk of the Committee