Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament

Issue 2 - Minutes of Proceedings - April 1, 2014

OTTAWA, Tuesday, April 1, 2014
(5)

[English]

The Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament met this day at 9:31 a.m., in room 356- S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable Vernon White, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Cools, Doyle, Enverga, Furey, Joyal, P.C., McCoy, McIntyre, Nolin, Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), Unger and White (12).

In attendance: Sebastian Spano and Eric Pelot, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.

Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.

The Honourable Senator White presented the following:

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament has the honour to present its

FIRST REPORT

Your subcommittee, after considering the future work of the committee, recommends that, as part of the continuing review of the Rules of the Senate underway pursuant to rule 12-7(2)(a), the committee study the processes for dealing with questions of privilege in the Senate, and related issues. This subject is complex and of great importance to the proper functioning of a parliamentary body such as the Senate.

To assist the committee, your subcommittee further recommends that a Subcommittee on Privilege, composed of the Honourable Senators Furey, Joyal, P.C., Nolin and White, be established to prepare, pursuant to rule 12-7(2)(c), a briefing document on parliamentary privilege in Canada in the twenty-first century for use by the committee, and to provide, pursuant to rule 12-7(2)(a), recommendations as to possible amendments to the Rules for consideration by the committee. Your subcommittee recommends that this Subcommittee on Privilege present its final report to the committee before the end of 2014.

Respectfully submitted,

VERNON WHITE

Chair

The committee considered the report of the subcommittee.

After debate, it was agreed that the report be amended by adding the name of the Honourable Senator McCoy to the membership of the proposed subcommittee.

It was agreed that the report, as amended, be adopted.

At 9:52 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Charles Robert

Clerk of the Committee