Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce has the honour to present its

SECOND REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, February 16, 2016, to study the issues pertaining to internal barriers to trade, respectfully requests funds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, and requests, for the purpose of such study, that it be empowered:

(a) to engage the services of such counsel, technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary;

(b) to adjourn from place to place within Canada; and

(c) to travel inside Canada.

Pursuant to Chapter 3:06, section 2(1)(c) of the Senate Administrative Rules, the budget submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that committee are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

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STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON BANKING, TRADE AND COMMERCE

Study on the issues pertaining to internal barriers to trade

APPLICATION FOR BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2017

Extract from the Journals of the Senate of Tuesday, February 16, 2016:

The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Patterson:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce be authorized to examine and report on issues pertaining to internal barriers to trade, including:

• existing internal trade barriers, the reasons for their existence, and their economic, social and other effects on Canadians, Canadian businesses and the country’s economy;

• variations in regulatory requirements across provinces/territories, and the ways in which such variations may limit the free flow of goods and services across Canada; and

• measures that could be taken by the federal and provincial/territorial governments to facilitate a reduction in — if not elimination of — internal trade barriers in order to enhance trade, as well as to promote economic growth and prosperity.

That the committee submit its final report no later than June 10, 2016, and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 180 days after the tabling of the final report.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

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SUMMARY OF BUDGET

The above budget was approved by the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce on Thursday, February 25, 2016.

The undersigned or an alternate will be in attendance on the date that this budget is considered.

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APPENDIX (B) TO THE REPORT

Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has examined the budget presented to it by the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, for the purpose of its special study on the issues pertaining to internal barriers to trade, as authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, February 16, 2016. The said budget is as follows:

(includes funds for public hearings; includes funds for 12 senators to travel)

The budgets approved by the Senate for each travel activity are the maximum amount that can be spent for that activity;

Budgets normally include funds for the full membership of the committee to travel;

In general, a reduced delegation actually travels and efforts are made to find additional savings;

Therefore, actual expenditures are expected to be considerably below the approved budget, and they will be reported to the Senate;

Any surplus funds remaining at the conclusion of a travel activity will be clawed-back and can be made available for allocation to committees for other activities.

Respectfully submitted,