Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Issue 17 - Evidence for April 25, 2012
OTTAWA, Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day at 4:15 p.m. for the election of the chair.
Senator John D. Wallace (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Honourable senators, we have a couple of matters. The substantive matter would involve our study of Bill C-46, which we will get to in a moment.
What I want to say to each of you — and I think some of you are aware of this — is that I have decided to step down as chair of the committee effective immediately at this meeting. For me personally, and I know for those of you who have been here far longer than I, there are so many opportunities here and there is so much to see and so much to learn. I have learned and experienced a lot in my almost three and half years as a senator and throughout the time I have been on this committee.
I think it is the time for me to look at other opportunities that are available to me as a senator. There are other fields that I would like to have a look at. Before arriving here I practised law for 33 years, so I know that part of the world fairly well. As much as that is helpful on this committee, I am not sure it helps all the time to be a lawyer. It was never my desire to come to Ottawa and continue the practice of law throughout my entire days here. Adding it all up, I feel that after three and half years it is time to step down. There is no shortage whatsoever of competent and dedicated senators around this table, so I am sure the committee will not miss a beat with my departure.
During my time on this committee, I have felt proud of the work we have done; I suspect you have as well. This committee prides itself on the quality of work that it does. We each have political backgrounds, but what has been really gratifying is that around this table, and given the issues we have had to deal with, there was hardly ever an indication of partisanship. The issue was to do the job properly and to consider the matters before us in a balanced and thorough way, and I think for the most part we have accomplished that. Having witnesses appear before the committee that would provide us with that balanced view of what we thought would involve all the relevant issues of a bill has always been what has guided us, and I feel very good about that.
As a member of the steering committee with Senator Fraser and Senator Boisvenu, we of course considered those issues directly with regard to each bill; that is, who should be the witnesses and what are the issues. I think we got along extremely well and I think it worked very well.
In particular, I want to acknowledge the relationship with Senator Fraser and the importance of that relationship. Senator Fraser was the chair of this committee when I arrived here. Of course, she is now the deputy chair. I know when I am saying this that there will be total agreement. We have seen what Senator Fraser brings to this table and to her role as a senator: enormous competence, a tremendous work ethic and attitude in working with our side of this table. That has meant an awful lot to me. I learned a great deal as a member of the committee and then as deputy chair under Senator Fraser.
I can tell you that I will miss that. I have the highest of regard for you, and I thank you for all that you have done, not only for the benefit of this committee but also to assist me personally. I will always remember that.
Finally, each of us as senators does the best we can. This committee demands a lot of all of its members, but there is no question that we are only as good as the work and the people who provide great assistance to us. With respect to the research and the quality of what is always given to us by Erin and Robin, I have worked with a lot of people in the many years before arriving here, and I have seen none that are any better at the work you do and the quality of work you provide. People are dissatisfied at times with the results of their efforts and work; not around this table, but it happens. I have said many times, the quality of your output cannot be any greater than the quality of the input. If you do not have quality people doing the work, if the quality of the research is not there, there is no way the product will be where you want it to be. The work you have done and the quality you have given us has been absolutely tremendous.
The final word I will say, last but not least, is to Shaila. I had a chance obviously as deputy chair to see how she worked with Senator Fraser and how she provided her with assistance, and I was very impressed. I must say, however, until having the honour and pleasure of having Shaila work with our committee and with me personally, little did I really appreciate what she brings to this committee.
Shaila, thank you so much. I will miss working with you on this committee. I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done to help me and to help this committee.
Colleagues, this is all of a sudden rambling into a long speech, which I had not intended. Without further ado, the next order of business —
Senator Fraser: Before we get to the next order of business, if I may, chair, thank you for your kind words about me.
We have to respect your choice. The way you put it — ``I have practised law for 33 years and did not come here to do it all over again'' — is understandable. Although we can respect your choice, that does not mean we are necessarily delighted by it. I am trying to be as tactful as I can.
I would like to thank you very much as a member of this committee and of the steering committee for all you have brought to this committee. You said you learned a lot. You are a pretty quick student. In steering committee meetings when we were tackling bills upon which opinions might run high, upon which there might be great controversy, it was truly an impressive source of pleasure and comfort to see how you were always profoundly concerned to ensure that our work be done within whatever constraints might be imposed upon us, but that our work be done as thoroughly as possible, as fairly and as in as balanced a way as possible. Always there was a sustained commitment to the integrity of this committee and of the Senate, and that is something that is very easy to lose and is a precious thing to maintain. I want to thank you so much for it. That was true when you were deputy chair and, if anything, truer when you were chair. I cannot tell you how much that meant to me personally but also, perhaps more than they know, to the members of the committee. You have not had an easy task in running this committee full of highly opinionated people, dealing with highly complex and important issues, and you have handled it with grace and skill. I truly mean it when I tell you that I want to thank you very much for that.
The Chair: Thank you. Not to be presumptuous that everyone wants to go around the table, but there is other work to be done.
[Translation]
Senator Boisvenu: John, we have not been working together for a long time. We have worked together as partners, as teammates, on the government side. I wanted to say that I understand your decision. You have always been someone who focuses more on content than on procedure, and I think that you have a lot to offer when it comes to that. I wanted to wish you good luck in your future mandates.
You still appear to be very young; you have many years left in the Senate. I thank you for what you have brought to me and to the team. I think you succeeded in bringing the team together during studies of difficult issues such as Bill C- 10 — which was not an easy task — and Bill C-19. You provided expert leadership in those cases. Thank you very much for your contribution to this committee.
[English]
The Chair: Thank you very much. At this stage we will proceed to the election of a new chair, and I will ask Shaila to handle that.
Shaila Anwar, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, as there is now a vacancy in the chair, it is my duty as clerk of the committee to preside over the election of a new chair, and I am ready to receive motions to that effect.
Senator Fraser: I have a motion. It is my pleasure to nominate Senator Runciman as the chair of this committee.
Ms. Anwar: Are there any other nominations?
Senator Joyal: I move that nominations be closed.
Ms. Anwar: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Fraser that the Honourable Senator Runciman do take the chair of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[Translation]
Ms. Anwar: I declare the motion carried.
[English]
I invite the Honourable Senator Runciman to now take the chair.
Senator Bob Runciman (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you. I hope you will all bear with me; there may be a few missteps here initially. Hopefully we will get over that.
I want to indicate at the outset that I did not aspire to this role. In fact, I cornered Senator Wallace in my office one evening and did my best to persuade him to stay in this chair because of the outstanding job he has been doing, and I think that is a view shared by all of us. There is no question that these are going to be big shoes to fill, also with respect to his predecessor, Senator Fraser, who was the chair when I first joined the committee. Both senators have done impressive service as chair of this committee.
As I said, I did not aspire to this, but it is a significant honour, and I thank you all for indicating your support. It is also an opportunity for me to serve with a top-notch clerk who for the past couple of weeks I have joined in support of the Ottawa Senators.
We require a motion that the committee move in camera to consider a draft report.
Senator Fraser: So moved.
The Chair: Moved by Senator Fraser. Agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Opposed? Carried.
Senator Angus: Do we move that staff can stay in the room during the in camera portion of the meeting?
The Chair: I have several motions. Senator Angus has moved that staff be permitted to remain in the room for the in camera portion of today's meeting. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: There is one final motion: that a transcript be kept of the in camera portion of today's meeting, that the copy be kept for consultation as required by the committee clerk and that it be destroyed at the end of the current parliamentary session. So moved by Senator Boisvenu. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
(The committee continued in camera.)