Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its

FIFTEENTH REPORT

Your committee has, in obedience to the order of reference of Thursday, May 11, 2017, prepared amendments to the Senate Administrative Rules to recognize parliamentary groups of senators and now recommends as follows:

1. That the Senate Administrative Rules be amended as follows:

(a) in chapter 1:03,

(i) by replacing the definition of “caucus” with the following:

““Caucus” means either a recognized party or a recognized parliamentary group as defined in the Rules of the Senate.”, and

(ii) by replacing the definition of “House officers” with the following:

““House officers of the Senate” means the Speaker, the Speaker pro tempore, the Leader of the Government, the Leader of the Opposition, the leader or facilitator of a recognized party or of a recognized parliamentary group, and their respective deputy leaders and whips.”;

(b) in chapter 5:02,

(i) by adding the following after section 14

“14.1 A leader or facilitator of a recognized party or of a recognized parliamentary group is entitled to an additional office allowance, in an amount set by finance rule, for such purposes as are approved by the Internal Economy Committee.

14.2 A leader or facilitator of a recognized party or of a recognized parliamentary group is entitled to additional staff to be paid out of the additional office allowance provided under section 14.1.”, and

(ii) by adding the following after section 24:

“24.1 For greater certainty, a House Officer shall be provided with one additional office allowance under this Chapter.”;

(c) in chapter 5:03, by replacing section 3 with the following:

“3. The Senate Administration, acting in consultation with all leaders and facilitators, shall assign a meeting schedule and reserve a room to be made available for the use of each Senate committee and subcommittee that meets regularly.”; and

(d) in chapter 5:04, by deleting section 1.

2. That the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel be authorized to make editorial and consequential changes and clerical corrections as may be required.

3. That the amendments come into force on adoption of this report.

Respectfully submitted,