Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Issue 1 - Evidence - Meeting of June 15, 2011
OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade met this day at 4:15 p.m., pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Line Gravel, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, seeing that we have a quorum, pursuant to rule 88, it is my privilege to preside over the election of the chair. May I have a nomination to that effect?
Senator Downe: I wish to nominate Senator Andreychuk as Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Ms. Gravel: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Downe that the Honourable Senator Andreychuk do take the chair of the committee. Are there any other nominations?
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: No. She is elected.
Senator D. Smith: I move that nominations close.
Ms. Gravel: Thank you very much. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Gravel: Senator Andreychuk, I invite you to take the chair.
Senator A. Raynell Andreychuk (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you. I think that was the swiftest election I have participated in, and I accept, with pleasure.
I am pleased to see so many of the members back and a few new ones. Hopefully, we will work in the same collegial manner as we did before. I think we were efficient. We held our positions, but we came to common ground. I trust we will continue that.
We will continue with the organization, and the next item is the election of the Deputy Chair.
[Translation]
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: Madam Chair, I move that the Honourable Senator Percy Downe be deputy chair of the committee.
[English]
Senator D. Smith: I wish to second that nomination, and I move that the nominations cease.
The Chair: You move that nominations cease. With no other candidates, I declare Senator Downe duly elected as Deputy Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
We will proceed on the agenda. Item No. 3 is the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
I need a nomination that we go through the usual consultations to add a third member to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. Will someone move that motion?
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Item No. 4, motion to publish the committee's proceedings. Do I have a mover for that item?
Senator Downe: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Downe moves:
That the committee publish its proceedings; and
That the chair be authorized to set the number of printed copies to meet demand.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Item No. 5, authorization to hold meetings and to receive evidence when quorum is not present.
Senator D. Smith: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Smith moves:
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.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is the financial report. It has been circulated to all members. This is the routine requisite motion that we have to file the first report. Are there any questions, or are you prepared to have it moved? Do I see a mover?
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I so move.
The Chair: Any discussion? Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is research staff. Do I have a mover? The motion states:
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 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 drafts reports.
That is the full motion.
Senator Mahovlich is prepared to move that. Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is Item No. 8. I shall not read it. It is the authority to commit funds and certify accounts. Is there a mover?
Senator D. Smith: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Item No. 9 is travel. The motion is as follows:
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.
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is Item No. 10, the designation of members travelling on committee business. This is the standard resolution. It is before you. If you have all had a chance to read it, do I have a mover?
Senator De Bané: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Item No. 11, travelling and living expenses of witnesses, which is the usual resolution.
Senator D. Smith: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Item No. 12 is communications. It is the regular motion. Do I have a mover?
Senator Eaton: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Item No. 13 is time slots for regular meetings. That is here for your information. Wednesdays at 4:15 in this room and Thursdays at 10:30 to 12:30 in this room. Those have been our regular slots and they have been designated for us. That is there for your information.
The other business on your agenda is that I am asking for a motion to put to the Senate our general mandate motion, which was circulated previously to all honourable senators. It is rather short and it states:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, in accordance with rule 86(1)(f), be authorized to examine such issues as may arise from time to time relating to foreign relations and international trade generally; and
That the committee report to the Senate no later than March 31, 2013.
That has been our routine general omnibus motion.
Senator D. Smith: I so move.
The Chair: No discussion. Is there agreement?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
The second item is the motion for the special study on Brazil. It is before you. It is exactly the same motion that we previously had. For new members who are here for the first time, we have almost completed our examination of witnesses in Canada on the study. This is a motion to complete the witnesses and any further undertakings pursuant to the study of Brazil, which was the last portion of the BRIC study. We did "RIC" and we made it into "BRIC." We might have to add South Africa now.
Senator D. Smith: Do we have a motion to visit Brazil yet?
The Chair: I am coming to that. It would be that we would report March 31, but our anticipation is much earlier than that. That is just the date to allow for all the communications and publications that we want to do. Is there a mover for that motion on Brazil?
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I so move.
The Chair: Discussion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Going to the next step, we have contemplated a visit to Brazil to hear from Brazilian officials, civil society representatives, parliamentarians, government and Canadians working in Brazil. We had agreed to a budget, and we had submitted it before the session ended last time. It is exactly the same budget but for two changes. You will see the order of reference application for budget authorization for the fiscal year ending March 31. There are two changes that our clerk will tell us about. They are minor.
According to the rules, we are to put in hospitality receptions, and that amount was estimated at $3,000. By doing that, we reduce the working meals by $2,000. That is the one change. What is the other change?
Ms. Gravel: The other change is the overtime for the embassy staff. The embassies are now charging overtime because everyone will have to work at night for the group, et cetera. From now on, the new rules state that Foreign Affairs will charge us for overtime for their employees.
The Chair: I was not in the chair at the time, but when we went to Russia, it was not known that we had to pay overtime there and we were presented with a bill. Since then, I understand both the clerk's office and Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration have been made aware of the overtime charges. We have put it in here, but my contemplation is sometimes we do not need the extra staff. We thought it was a courtesy to afford them to be with us and to know what we are conducting the study. However, if they are charging us for that, we may say thank you very much and not use them. It will cut both ways. We are including that in here. The variance is in what amount?
Ms. Gravel: The amount is $4,000.
The Chair: That is $4,000 from the previous one. If there are no other questions, can we accept the slightly amended budget that we put in previously?
Senator D. Smith: I so move.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
There are a couple of items that the steering committee will take up next week. I have already alerted my deputy chair that we will have a steering committee, and that is to resurrect the two previous studies on China, India and Russia and the interim study on Russia. There are still members who wish to speak to them. It is a question of which procedure we should use.
Rather than take the time today, we will bring it to the steering committee to sort out and deal with those. Obviously, there will be speeches given when we return.
Other than that, have we cleared the decks?
Ms. Gravel: Yes.
The Chair: I have only one other duty. It is my pleasure to welcome back Line Gravel as our clerk. She was our clerk for a considerable amount of time in the past and then decided to move on. She has now decided we are not that bad so she is back with us. We are pleased; we have a seasoned clerk who knows her way around Foreign Affairs issues and personnel. Welcome back, on behalf of the committee.
Ms. Gravel: Thank you.
The Chair: If there is nothing else, we will adjourn.
(The committee adjourned.)