Tuesday, June 5, 2018

The Special Committee on the Arctic has the honour to present its

SECOND REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, to examine and report on the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants, respectfully requests funds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, 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; and

(b) 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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SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE ARCTIC

Consider the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants

APPLICATION FOR BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2019

Extract from the Journals of the Senate of Wednesday, September 27, 2017:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Watt, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cordy:

That a Special Committee on the Arctic be appointed to consider the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants;

That the committee be composed of ten members, to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, and that five members constitute a quorum;

That the committee have the power to send for persons, papers and records; to examine witnesses; and to publish such papers and evidence from day to day as may be ordered by the committee;

That the committee be authorized to hire outside experts;

That, notwithstanding rule 12-18(2)(b)(i), the committee have the power to sit from Monday to Friday, even though the Senate may then be adjourned for a period exceeding one week; and

That the committee be empowered to report from time to time and to submit its final report no later than December 10, 2018, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 60 days after the tabling of the final report.

After debate,

In amendment, the Honourable Senator Plett moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wells:

That the motion be not now adopted, but that it be amended in the second paragraph:

1.  by replacing the word “ten” by the word “nine”; and

2.  by replacing the word “five” by the word “four”.

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

The Senate resumed debate on the motion, as amended, of the Honourable Senator Watt, seconded by the Honourable Senator Cordy:

That a Special Committee on the Arctic be appointed to consider the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants;

That the committee be composed of nine members, to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, and that four members constitute a quorum;

That the committee have the power to send for persons, papers and records; to examine witnesses; and to publish such papers and evidence from day to day as may be ordered by the committee;

That the committee be authorized to hire outside experts;

That, notwithstanding rule 12-18(2)(b)(i), the committee have the power to sit from Monday to Friday, even though the Senate may then be adjourned for a period exceeding one week; and

That the committee be empowered to report from time to time and to submit its final report no later than December 10, 2018, and retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings until 60 days after the tabling of the final report.

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

ATTEST:

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SUMMARY OF BUDGET

The above budget was approved by the Special Committee on the Arctic on Monday, May 28, 2018.

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

GENERAL ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE SPECIAL STUDY

Pursuant to Chapter 3:06, section 2(2) of the Senate Administrative Rules.

Expenses for fiscal year 2018-2019: $349,238

Estimate of the total cost of the special study: $349,238

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APPENDIX (B) TO THE REPORT

Thursday, May 31, 2018

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has examined the budget presented to it by the Special Committee on the Arctic for the proposed expenditures of the said committee for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, for its special study on the significant and rapid changes to the Arctic, and impacts on original inhabitants, as authorized by the Senate on Wednesday, September 27, 2017. The approved budget is as follows:

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission, as well as approval for sole source for charter flight; includes funds for 9 senators and 2 senator staff 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;

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In keeping with the claw back process that is already in effect, any unexpended funds allocated in this budget for travel will be returned to the central committees’ budget at the end of October 2018, to ensure that funds are not tied up unnecessarily. These funds will be made available for redistribution to all committees for travel in the Fall of 2018, upon application to the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.

Any 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,