Proceedings of the Special Senate Committee on
Modernization

Issue No. 1 - Order of Reference

Extract from the Journals of the Senate, Friday, December 11, 2015:

The Senate resumed debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Cowan, seconded by the Honourable Senator Fraser:

That a Special Committee on Senate Modernization be appointed to consider methods to make the Senate more effective within the current constitutional framework;

That the committee be composed of fifteen 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 June 1, 2016.

After debate,

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

Charles Robert

Clerk of the Senate