Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Banking, Trade and Commerce
Issue 1 - Evidence - November 6, 2013
OTTAWA, Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce met this day at 5:35 p.m., pursuant to rule 12-13 of the Rules of the Senate, for the purpose of holding its organization meeting.
[Translation]
Danielle Labonté, Clerk of the Committee: Good evening. Welcome to the organization meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. Allow me first to introduce myself; my name is Danielle Labonté, and I am the clerk of the committee.
[English]
Honourable senators, there is a quorum. As clerk of your committee, is it my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Greene: I nominate Senator Gerstein.
Senator Massicotte: I second the motion.
Ms. Labonté: Are there any other nominations?
Senator Ringuette: I move that the nomination process cease.
Senator Tkachuk: I second.
Ms. Labonté: Thank you very much. It is moved by the Honourable Senator Greene that the Honourable Senator Gerstein do 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.
Senator Irving Gerstein (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you, members of the committee, for this great honour. I must say it is good to be back and restart committee work. I hope others share that view.
I would like to welcome Senator Rivard, who is joining the committee for the first time.
We will proceed with the various items. First is the election of a deputy chair. May I have a motion, please?
Senator Tkachuk: I nominate Senator Hervieux-Payette.
The Chair: Second? All in favour?
Senator Tkachuk: All in favour.
The Chair: Carried. Congratulations.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: Thank you.
The Chair: We will now move to the election of a Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, better known as the steering committee.
May I have a motion, please? Senator Greene.
Senator Tkachuk: We just establish a subcommittee; we don't nominate.
Senator Greene: I would like to nominate —
Senator Tkachuk: We don't nominate anybody.
Senator Gerstein: Strike the committee.
Senator Tkachuk: We strike the committee. We just move that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, deputy chair and one other.
Senator Massicotte: Number 3 in your notes.
Senator Tkachuk: Move the motion right here.
The Chair: So moved?
An Hon. Senator: So moved.
The Chair: Carried.
Number 4.
Senator Massicotte: I so move.
The Chair: The publishing of the committee's proceedings.
The Chair: Agreed?
Hon. Senator: Agreed.
The Chair: Number 5 is the authorization to hold meetings and to receive evidence when quorum is not present.
Senator Massicotte: I so move.
The Chair: So moved. Seconded? All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is the financial report.
Senator Tkachuk: I so move.
The Chair: I understand there's a little change from the script that we all have.
I am advised by the clerk that there might be a minor change in the financial report. Apparently there is a credit that we have from Air Canada because someone who was going to come to Washington did not come. It will be adjusted accordingly.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: I could not go because of a problem in my family.
The Chair: I recall. It is fully understood, but just so you understand, it is slightly lower. There is a credit outstanding.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: I want you to know that you are earning some money because I wasn't there.
Senator Massicotte: Must we still get it approved by that Tkachuk guy again, or is that resolved?
Senator Tkachuk: I'm still moving that motion.
The Chair: ``The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to approve the final version of the report.'' Would you be prepared to add that?
Senator Tkachuk: Yes, I'm good with that.
The Chair: Thank you. So moved and seconded. All in favour?
Hon. Senator: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
We now move to research staff. It is a pleasure to welcome back Adriane Yong and Brett Stuckey. May I have a motion, please?
Senator Massicotte: So moved.
The Chair: We are delighted to have you back.
Adriane Yong, Analyst, Library of Parliament: We are delighted to be back.
The Chair: Do we have to go through each of these, or have we done all of them with the movement of the research staff?
Ms. Labonté: All in one motion.
The Chair: All one motion — done.
We're now on Motion No. 8, authority to commit funds and certify accounts. So moved by Senator Hervieux- Payette.
Senator Massicotte: I second.
The Chair: Seconded. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is travel; moved by Senator Ringuette.
Senator Ringuette: Yes.
The Chair: So moved. Seconded?
Senator Tkachuk: Seconded.
The Chair: All in favour? Carried.
Number 10 is designation of members travelling on committee business; so moved?
Senator Massicotte: I so move.
The Chair: So moved by Senator Massicotte. Seconded? All in agreement? Carried.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: I have a question. Do we have that resolution? I don't remember.
The Chair: It is not my understanding there were any changes.
Senator Hervieux-Payette: It was there in the past?
Ms. Labonté: Yes.
The Chair: Item 11 is travel and living expenses of witnesses. So moved?
Senator Massicotte: Moved.
The Chair: Carried.
Next is communications. So moved?
Senator Massicotte: So moved.
The Chair: Seconded? Carried.
We are welcoming Mona Ishack. We're delighted to have you join the Banking Committee.
Item 13 is for information. I don't believe we will need a motion. We will be meeting, as in the past, on Wednesdays from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15, and on Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Senator Ringuette: Will we have a meeting tomorrow?
The Chair: There is no meeting tomorrow, but I have had an indication that the Governor of the Bank of Canada has expressed an interest to appear before the committee at the earliest opportunity, as early as Wednesday, November 20, which is our first day back. That would be our first meeting, of course. I'm asking if the committee would agree to hear from the governor on that date because we need to seek an order of reference from the Senate, which I suspect I would do tomorrow.
Is that correct? Is that the procedure that we go through? Is that in agreement with everyone?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Massicotte: Good idea.
The Chair: Thank you. I think we are ready to adjourn.
Could the steering committee just remain for one moment? We don't know who the steering committee is, but I suspect it could be Senator Tkachuk and Senator Hervieux-Payette.
(The committee adjourned.)