Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Transport and Communications
Issue 1 - Evidence, November 6, 2013
OTTAWA, Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications met this day at 6:45 p.m., pursuant to rule 12- 13 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Daniel Charbonneau, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, as clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I'm ready to receive a motion to that effect. Are there any nominations?
Senator Housakos: I nominate Dennis Dawson.
Senator Plett: I'll second it.
Mr. Charbonneau: It has been moved by the Honourable Senator Housakos that the Honourable Senator Dawson do take the chair. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Dennis Dawson (Chair) in the chair.
[Translation]
The Chair: We will now proceed to the election of the deputy chair. Are there any motions?
[English]
Senator Mercer: I nominate Senator Leo Housakos.
Senator Greene: I second it.
[Translation]
The Chair: If there are no further nominations, I congratulate Senator Housakos on his election as deputy chair.
It is moved 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.
[English]
It is moved 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.
I heard that Mr. Housakos had somebody that he would like to propose.
Senator Housakos: I would like to propose Senator Don Plett.
Senator Mercer: I think that's a good idea.
The Chair: You second it?
Mr. Plett, congratulations. We will be happy to have you on the steering committee.
[Translation]
Motion to publish the committee's proceedings. It is moved that the committee publish its proceedings.
[English]
Everybody agrees?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Authorization to hold meetings and to receive evidence when quorum is not present. It is moved by Senator Mercer:
That pursuant to rule 12-17, the chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the publication of evidence when a quorum is not present, provided that a member of the committee from both government and the opposition be present.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: For the financial report, basically we are adopting the financial report of what we have done in the past.
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Greene:
That the committee adopt the draft first report prepared in accordance with rule 12-26(2).
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Research staff, if somebody is ready to move:
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 might be necessary for the purpose of the committee's examination and consideration of such bills, subject-matters of bills and estimates that 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 preparation of studies, analyses, summaries, and draft reports.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Mercer: Do we get —
The Chair: We can talk to the Chief Librarian.
Senator Mercer: I'm on the Library of Parliament committee, if you would like to talk to me.
The Chair: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[Translation]
The Chair: Authority to commit funds and certify accounts. It is moved by the Honourable Senator Housakos:
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 by 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.
Is everyone in agreement?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
The Chair: Travel; it is moved by the Honourable Senator Plett:
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.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Designation of members travelling on committee business; it is moved by the Honourable Senator Merchant:
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; and
(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.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Travelling and living expenses of witnesses; it is moved by the Honourable Senator Greene:
That, pursuant to 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.
So if we invite somebody, sometimes they come with three or four people, so they'll need to get authorization to be able to do that. Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Communications; it is move by the Honourable Senator MacDonald:
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; and
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow coverage by electronic media of the committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings at its discretion.
I'd like to welcome two additional members to the committee.
The time slots for our regular meetings are Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 and Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:45. Is that agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Other business?
[Translation]
Senator Verner: If I may, Mr. Chair, I want to congratulate you on your election.
The Chair: Thank you.
Senator Verner: Will we continue to sit in the Victoria Building?
The Chair: It depends if proceedings are televised.
[English]
We basically do it here or in room 2 of the Victoria Building. When it's not televised, it's here. If it has to be televised because we have witnesses or a minister, it's at Victoria. On Tuesday mornings, it's in room 356 East Block normally.
Senator Verner: When we return?
[Translation]
The Chair: Tuesday mornings, we will sit in the East Block.
Senator Verner: That is a change.
The Chair: No, it depends on whether proceedings are televised.
Senator Verner: I will check carefully.
[English]
The Chair: It depends if it's televised.
Senator Plett: Every Tuesday morning?
The Chair: Every Tuesday morning at 9:30.
Senator Plett: Yes, but at East Block?
The Chair: Normally. If another committee has a minister present, they will bump us because committees that have ministers or that have been authorized by the whips to be televised will supersede committees that don't have that same importance.
Senator Plett: But the normal spot on Tuesdays is there and Wednesday is here?
The Chair: Yes.
Senator Mercer: Sorry. Tuesday morning is —
The Chair: East Block.
Senator Merchant: East Block?
Senator Greene: Sometimes we're here when we are not televised. When we're televised, we're in the Victoria Building.
The Chair: I can humbly say that we have no say in the matter. They tell us where to go.
Senator Mercer: So what you're telling us is to read our agendas every week.
The Chair: Read your emails. As you know, I've been known to go to the wrong place, so it can happen again.
We will be getting some business related to the budget in a pre-study, and we have to accomplish that work before November 29.
Mr. Charbonneau: Yes. The Senate adopted a motion yesterday to do a pre-study on Bill C-4, A second Act to implement certain budget provisions, tabled in Parliament on March 21, 2003. The committee has been assigned to study and report on the elements contained in Division 8 of Part 3, which comprise about 10 clauses that combine a series of bridge authorities into one entity. So the committee has until November 29 to report back. It's actually not a study of the bill but a pre-study of the bill, according to the rules.
The Chair: If everyone agrees, the subcommittee will meet when it is convenient to my two colleagues, and we will try to plan how we go through that order of business. Even though we have to decide what studies we're going to conduct, when we're talking about committee work, legislation precedes studies. So if you accept that the steering committee looks at that —
Senator Mercer: Agreed.
The Chair: If everybody agrees, since we have no order of business right now, we will not sit the Tuesday morning we come back, but the steering committee will be mandated to find something to do on the Wednesday following the return of the Senate. Is that agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Is that okay with the clerk?
Mr. Charbonneau: Yes.
Senator Housakos: Could I suggest the steering committee meet after this meeting, because I'm travelling next week as of Monday. If Senator Plett is available, can we take a few minutes?
Senator Plett: Sure, after the meeting.
The Chair: The Senate isn't sitting next week anyway. We will meet right after, if you agree.
There is a proposed motion regarding staff at in camera meetings:
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.
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
(The committee adjourned.)