Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Official Languages
Issue 1 - Evidence - Meeting of June 20, 2011
OTTAWA, Monday, June 20, 2011
The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages met this day at 6:05 p.m. to hold an organization meeting, pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate.
[Translation]
Danielle Labonté, Clerk of the Committee: Welcome to the organization meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages. Honourable senators, I see a quorum and it is my duty as the clerk of the committee to proceed with the election of the chair.
Senator Champagne: I move that the Honourable Senator Maria Chaput do take the chair.
Ms. Labonté: Are there any other nominations? Honourable senators, is it your pleasure to adopt this motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Labonté: I declare the motion carried and I invite the Honourable Senator Chaput to take the chair.
Senator Maria Chaput (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Honourable senators, thank you for placing your trust in me once again. I will do my best to live up to the trust you have given me.
I would like to welcome the members of the committee, both old and new. Welcome to our committee. Senator Mockler, you have already been a member of the committee, so you are coming back whereas this is Senator Poirier's first time.
We will now move on to the election of the deputy chair. Are there any nominations at this time?
Senator Losier-Cool: I would like to nominate the Honourable Senator Champagne for the position of deputy chair.
The Chair: Moved by the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fortin-Duplessis, that the Honourable Senator Champagne be deputy chair of this committee. Do you all agree with the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: The motion is carried. For items 3 to 12, you have received the document in advance. I am not going to read the entire motion, but only the title of the item and the number. I will then ask an honourable senator to move the motion. Is that satisfactory?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
Senator Champagne: I nominate the Honourable Senator Fortin-Duplessis. Point number three has to do with the other member of the steering committee, correct?
The Chair: Yes. Does the Honourable Senator Fortin-Duplessis accept?
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: With pleasure.
The Chair: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Champagne that Senator Fortin-Duplessis be the third member of the steering committee. Do you agree with the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Carried. Point number 4: motion to publish the committee's proceedings.
Senator Tardif: I so move.
The Chair: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Tardif that the committee publish its proceedings. Do you agree with this motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Carried. Point number 5: authorization to hold meetings and to receive evidence when quorum is not present.
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I so move.
The Chair: Moved by the Honourable Senator Fortin-Duplessis. Do you agree with this motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Carried. Point 6: financial reports. You have been provided with a copy of the draft first report. Would you like to read it before moving the motion?
Senator Mockler: I so move.
The Chair: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Mockler that the committee adopt the draft first report. We are going to table it this week to the Senate. Do you agree with this motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Carried. Point 7: research staff. A motion was already passed by the Senate to allow the committee to hire research staff. The motion before us has been slightly amended to avoid repeating what the Senate already did.
Senator Tardif: I so move.
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: What has changed?
Ms. Labonté: On the agenda I sent out last week — the first draft, I believe — it said that the committee was asking the Senate's permission to hire staff. A bit later, last week, the Senate granted permission to all the committees to do so without them being required to ask for it. So I changed the agenda accordingly.
Senator Champagne: Is there anything we can do to make sure Ms. Hudon is still our researcher?
The Chair: I was planning to ask her right after this.
Senator Champagne: Go right ahead. It is a good idea. She worked really well, for us and with us. We cannot afford to lose her.
The Chair: Let me go back to point 7, research staff, moved by the Honourable Senator Claudette Tardif. Honourable Senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Carried. I would now like to ask our analyst Marie-Ève Hudon to join our committee.
Senator Champagne: That will teach you to do as good a job as you do. You are stuck with us for at least a year.
The Chair: Welcome, Marie-Ève. Point 8: authority to commit funds and certify accounts.
Senator Poirier: I so move.
The Chair: Moved by the Honourable Senator Poirier. Do you have any questions or is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Carried. Point 9: travel. Moved by the Honourable Senator Losier-Cool. Is it your pleasure to adopt point 9?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Point 10: designation of members travelling on committee business. Moved by the Honourable Senator Mockler. Honourable Senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Point 11: travelling and living expenses of witnesses. Would an honourable senator like to so move? Moved by the Honourable Senator Champagne. Is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Thank you. The next item: communications.
Senator Champagne: Do we know who is going to be working with us?
Ms. Labonté: Yes, it will be Jean-Pierre Morin. I believe he has already worked for the committee in the past. He could not be here this evening, but he will be here at the next meeting.
The Chair: Point 12: communications. Here too, a motion was passed by the Senate giving committees permission to broadcast the meetings.
Ms. Labonté: Yes, another general motion to allow the committee to have the proceedings recorded and televised.
Senator Tardif: I so move.
The Chair: Moved by the Honourable Senator Tardif.
Senator Champagne: If we are going to work outside, like we did last year, let us hope that the new communications officer will know how to organize everything, the way the officer who was with us used to do, so that people are aware that we actually do work in the Senate.
The Chair: Point 12 has been moved by Senator Tardif. Honourable senators, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Thank you. Point 13: time slot for regular meetings. Our time slot is on Mondays, between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. That is the official time slot we were given. If you wish, we can go in camera to discuss the regular hours that we prefer. And what we love most is being able to change the schedule when needed to accommodate witnesses such as the ministers who sometimes have to come either earlier or later. But at the moment, our time slot is from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Mondays. Do I need a motion for that? No? Very well.
Senator Champagne: We do not really have a choice.
The Chair: No, exactly. Point 14: other business. I need two motions. I need a motion for the committee to be able to go in camera to discuss the future business of the committee.
Senator Mockler: I move that the committee meet in camera.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Mockler. Honourable Senators, do you agree to adopt the motion?
Hon. senators Yes.
The Chair: Could you also move a motion so that the senators' staff has permission to stay in the room when the committee meets in camera for the remainder of the session?
Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I so move.
The Chair: Moved by Senator Fortin-Duplessis. Honourable Senators, are you ready to adopt the motion?
Senator De Bané: Yes.
The Chair: Thank you. We are going to move in camera to discuss the future business.
(The committee continued in camera.)