THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Monday, December 6, 2021
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met with videoconference this day at 10 a.m. [ET], pursuant to rule 12-13 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Mireille Aubé, Clerk of the Committee, Senate of Canada: Honourable senators, as clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Marshall: I nominate Senator Mockler to be chair of the committee.
Ms. Aubé: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Marshall that the Honourable Senator Mockler do take the chair of this committee.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
Ms. Aubé: I declare the motion carried.
Senator Percy Mockler (Chair) in the chair.
[Translation]
The Chair: Honourable senators, as I was saying earlier, some elections are easier than others. I have witnessed some that were more difficult than the one this morning.
[English]
I want to take this opportunity to say hello to the team. We have routine procedures, honourable senators, to make sure that when we do arrive at the end of our meeting today, we will be a full-fledged committee to embrace the order of reference that we did receive from the Senate of Canada.
Like always, senators, I would like to welcome the new senators. Senator Gerba and Senator Gignac, thank you for choosing National Finance as one of your committees. There is no doubt that you will see that we have a very simple motto.
Our motto that we have is about transparency, accountability, reliability and predictability of our budget, and what the government is looking at for all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Yes, I do accept the nomination as chair. There is no doubt that we do have a mandate that Canadians are awaiting. We will continue to do what we have done in the past, to table reports that will reflect accountability and transparency.
On that, we will now proceed to the election of a deputy chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect. Are there any nominations?
Senator Loffreda: I nominate Senator Éric Forest for deputy chair.
The Chair: It was moved by Senator Loffreda that Senator Éric Forest be deputy chair of the National Finance Committee.
[Translation]
Are there any other nominations? If there aren’t, I declare Senator Forest Deputy Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance. Senator Forest, we will now hear any comments you may have.
Senator Forest: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you for your confidence and thanks to Senator Loffreda for nominating me. We will engage in debates during this new session with the same spirit of collaboration and partnership as with committee members. If the past is any indication, we should be able to do excellent and very important work under the chair’s leadership.
The government does two things: it passes legislation and votes on budget appropriations. So we have a major responsibility to analyze those appropriations and ensure that public funds can be used in the best interest of Canadians. I thank you; you can count on me to work transparently and as part of a team to determine how we can help make Canada a better country, a more supportive country.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Forest.
[English]
Honourable senators, we will proceed to item 3, the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. First, we have the motion to create the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, known as the steering committee. For this session, it was agreed that all four parties and groups would have a representative on the steering committee.
Do I have a proposer for motion 3?
Senator Duncan: So moved.
The Chair: Thank you.
It is moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, the deputy chair and two other members of the committee, to be designated after the usual consultations with leadership and with our groups; 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.
Is it agreed, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you. I declare the motion carried.
I am pleased to announce that Senator Gignac and Senator Richards will be our two other members on steering committee.
Motion 4 is to publish the committee’s proceedings. Do I have a proposer for motion 4?
Senator Galvez: I move motion 4.
The Chair: Senator Galvez moved:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
Is it agreed, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you, senators.
[Translation]
We will now go to item 5, financial report. Do I have a proposer for the motion?
Senator Loffreda: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Loffreda moved that:
As per rule 12-26(2), each committee must table a report on the expenses incurred during the previous session (43.2). A copy of the draft report, prepared by the clerk, was distributed by email.
Is it agreed, senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
[English]
We are moving on to item 6, senators. Do I have a proposer for motion 6, research staff?
Senator Pate: So moved.
The Chair: The Honourable Senator Pate moved:
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.
Honourable senators, is it agreed to adopt motion 6?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you, honourable senators.
[Translation]
We will now go to item 7, authority to commit funds and certify accounts.
Do I have a proposer for motion 7?
Senator Dagenais: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Dagenais moved the following motion:
That, pursuant to section 7, chapter 3:05 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 3:05 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 consultations and personnel services, the authority to commit funds and certify accounts be conferred jointly on the chair and deputy chair.
Is it agreed, senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
[English]
Thank you, senators. We will now move to item 8, which pertains to travel. Do I have a proposer for motion 8?
Senator Duncan: So moved.
The Chair: The Honourable Senator Duncan moved:
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 motion 8 agreed to, honourable senators?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[Translation]
The Chair: We will now go to item 9, designation of members travelling on committee business.
Do I have a proposer for motion 9?
Senator Forest: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Forest moved:
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, senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
[English]
We will now move to motion 10, honourable senators. Do I have a proposer for motion 10, travelling and living expenses?
Senator Gerba: I so move.
The Chair: It was moved by the Honourable Senator Gerba:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses of one witness per organization upon application, but that the chair be authorized to approve expenses of a second witness from the same organization should there be exceptional circumstances.
Honourable senators, is it agreed to adopt motion 10?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you, honourable senators. Now we will go to item 11, communications. Do I have a mover for motion 11?
Senator Gignac: So moved.
The Chair: It is moved by Senator Gignac:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to direct communications officer(s) assigned to the committee in the development of communications plans and products where appropriate and to request the services of the Senate Communications Directorate for the purposes of the promotion of their work; 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 proceedings, at its discretion.
Is it agreed, honourable senators, to adopt the motion 11?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you, honourable senators.
Now we are at item 12, other business. I would like to move a motion to go in camera at this time to discuss future business, which you have received the documents for. Is it agreed, honourable senators, that we move in camera at this time?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
(The committee continued in camera.)