Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Fisheries and Oceans
Issue 1 - Evidence - June 14, 2011
OTTAWA, Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans met this day at 5:16 p.m. to hold an organizational meeting, pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate.
[Translation]
Danielle Labonté, Clerk of the Committee: Welcome to the organizational meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
[English]
Honourable senators, as clerk of the committee, it is my pleasure to preside over the election of the chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Raine: I nominate Senator Manning.
Ms. Labonté: Are there any other nominations?
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Raine that the Honourable Senator Manning take the chair of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Labonté: I declare the motion carried, and I invite the Honourable Senator Manning to take the chair.
Senator Fabian Manning (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you very much, and thank you to the members of the committee. I look forward to our work ahead, but for today we have some organizational matters that we need to put aside. I will continue with what we have in front of us. I think you all should have a copy of what we are trying to do here.
Our next item is the election of a deputy chair. I welcome a motion to that effect.
Senator Watt: I nominate Senator Hubley.
The Chair: Senator Hubley has been nominated. Are there any other nominations? All those in favour?
Senator Oliver: I vote that nominations cease.
The Chair: So moved by Senator Oliver.
Congratulations, Senator Hubley.
Senator Hubley: Thank you very much.
The Chair: Before going any further, I want to apologize for our lateness in arriving today. We will try to be on time from now on. It is a good kickoff to our first committee meeting. We had a reception in the Senate, and we were somewhat delayed. The reception is much better the second time around.
Next, we need a motion to this effect:
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.
Senator Oliver: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Motion No. 4 states:
That the committee publish its proceedings; and
That the chair be authorized to set the number of printed copies to meet demand.
Senator Losier-Cool: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Next is an authorization to hold meetings and to receive evidence when quorum is not present. The motion reads:
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.
Senator Poirier so moved. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
The next motion relates to the financial report and states:
That the committee adopt the draft first report, prepared in accordance with rule 104.
Senator Raine: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Motion carried.
Next is research staff. The motion reads:
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.
Senator Cochrane: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Motion carried.
If I am going too fast in my speaking, please feel free to advise me of that because sometimes I get excited. I am sure the people interpreting the meeting may not be able to keep up with me, either.
Claude, you are welcome to join us now. We welcome Claude back. There are mostly familiar faces around the table. I look forward to continuing in the same vein that we operated in before.
Next is authority to commit funds and certify accounts. The motion reads:
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.
Senator Poirier: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
The next is concerns travel and reads:
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 Cochrane: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
The next motion concerns the designation of members travelling on committee business. It states:
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;
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.
It is moved by Senator MacDonald. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
The next motion relates to the travelling and living expenses of witnesses. It states:
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.
Senator Watt: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Motion 12 has to do with communications and reads:
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;
That the chair be authorized to seek permission 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.
Senator Oliver: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
The time slots for regular meetings are on Tuesday when the Senate rises but not before 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and on Thursday at 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Is there a motion?
Senator Hubley: So moved.
The Chair: All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Every now and again, we will have reason to go into in camera meetings, so we require a motion that at least one staff member of each senator can attend the meeting. If, at some time in the future, we want to have a meeting amongst ourselves, we will make that at the time. However, for today, we will have a uniform policy that one staff member from each senator will be allowed to attend any in camera session. I will just read out the words:
That each committee member be allowed to have one staff person present at in camera meetings, unless there is a decision for a particular meeting to exclude all staff.
Are there any questions?
[Translation]
Senator Losier-Cool: If we accept this proposal today, it automatically means that we will not need a new proposal each time the committee wishes to move in camera, correct? Because sometimes, in other committees, we have to do that each time.
[English]
The Chair: Yes. If we decide that we want to have a meeting with senators only, this motion also covers that. We can make that decision amongst ourselves for one reason or another. In most cases, one staff member will be allowed to attend all in camera sessions.
So moved by Senator Poirier. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
That takes care of the organizational business.
Before we adjourn today, I would like to go in camera for a few minutes to discuss with committee members ideas for a fall work plan.
(The committee continued in camera.)