Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
National Finance
Issue 1 - Minutes of Proceedings
OTTAWA, Wednesday, March 10, 2010
(1)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 6:45 p.m., in room 705, Victoria Building, for the purpose of organization, pursuant to rule 88.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Callbeck, Day, Dickson, Eggleton, P.C., Finley, Gerstein, Marshall, Neufeld, Poulin, Ringuette and Runciman (11).
In attendance: Lydia Scratch and Sylvain Fleury, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament; Francine Pressault, Communications Officer.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
The Clerk of the Committee presided over the election of the chair.
The Honourable Senator Gerstein moved that the Honourable Senator Day do take the chair of this committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Day took the chair.
The Honourable Senator Ringuette moved that the Honourable Senator Gerstein be deputy chair of this committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Ringuette moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, the 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, to invite witnesses, and to schedule hearings.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved:
That the committee publish its proceedings; and
That the chair be authorized to set the number of printed copies to meet demand.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Neufeld moved that, pursuant to rule 89, the chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the publication 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 Finley moved that the committee adopt the draft first report, prepared in accordance with rule 104(2).
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Dickson moved:
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee;
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 Neufeld 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;
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 Finley 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 Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure 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 an event or meeting related to the work of the committee; or (b) making a presentation related to the work of the committee; and
That the subcommittee report at the earliest opportunity any decisions taken with respect to the designation of members of the committee travelling on committee business.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Marshall moved 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.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Ringuette moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to direct communications officer(s) assigned to the committee in the development of communications plans where appropriate and to request the services of the Senate Communications Directorate for the purposes of their development and implementation; and
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow coverage by electronic media of the committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings at its discretion.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 7:20 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
OTTAWA, Tuesday, March 16, 2010
(2)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 9:32 a.m., in room 9, Victoria Building, the chair, the Honourable Joseph A. Day, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Callbeck, Day, Dickson, Eggleton, P.C., Finley, Gerstein, Marshall, Neufeld, Poulin and Runciman (10).
In attendance: Lydia Scratch and Sylvain Fleury, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament; Francine Pressault, Communications Officer.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, the committee began its examination of the expenditures set out in the Supplementary Estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.
WITNESSES:
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:
Alister Smith, Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector;
Brian Pagan, Executive Director, Expenditure Operations and Estimates Division.
Mr. Smith made a presentation and, together with Mr. Pagan, answered questions.
At 11:30 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
OTTAWA, Wednesday, March 17, 2010
(3)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 6:45 p.m., in room 9, Victoria Building, the chair, the Honourable Joseph A. Day, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Callbeck, Day, Dickson, Eggleton, P.C., Finley, Gerstein, Marshall, Neufeld and Runciman (9).
In attendance: Lydia Scratch and Sylvain Fleury, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament; Francine Pressault, Communications Officer.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, the committee continued its examination of the expenditures set out in the Supplementary Estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.
WITNESSES:
Canadian International Development Agency:
Margaret Biggs, President;
Diane Jacovella, Vice-President, Multilateral and Global Programs Branch;
Jim Quinn, Chief Financial Officer.
National Defence:
Brigadier-General Richard Blanchette, Director General, Operations, Strategic Joint Staff;
Brigadier-General Claude Rochette, Director General, Financial Management.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada:
Kerry Buck, Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs and Departmental Security.
Public Safety Canada:
William Baker, Deputy Minister;
Myles Kirvan, Associate Deputy Minister.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police:
William Sweeney, Senior Deputy Commissioner.
Canada Border Services Agency:
Stephen Rigby, President.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service:
Charles Bisson, Deputy Director, Operations.
Privy Council Office:
Ward Elcock, Coordinator for the 2010 Olympics and G8 Security.
Ms. Buck and Ms. Biggs each made a statement and, together with Ms. Jacovella and Messrs. Blanchette, Rochette and Quinn, answered questions.
At 7:47 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 7:52 p.m., the committee resumed.
Mr. Baker made a statement and, together, with Messrs. Kirvan, Sweeney, Rigby, Bisson and Elcock, answered questions.
At 8:35 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Adam Thompson
Clerk of the Committee