Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

Issue No. 3 - Minutes of Proceedings - April 21, 2016

OTTAWA, Thursday, April 21, 2016
(10)

[English]

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:19 a.m., in room 160-S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable Leo Housakos, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Campbell, Cordy, Doyle, Harder, P.C., Housakos, Jaffer, Lang, Marshall, Martin, Munson, Plett, Smith (Saurel), Tannas and Tkachuk (15).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senators Bellemare, Cools, Lankin, P.C., McCoy, Pratte and Wallace (6).

Also in attendance: Nicole Proulx, Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; Charles Robert, Clerk of the Senate and Chief Legislative Officer; Michel Patrice, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel and Chief, Parliamentary Precinct Services; Pascale Legault, Chief Financial Officer and other senior Senate officials.

Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.

CIBA/2016-04-21/087(P)|211| — Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings

The committee considered the minutes of proceedings of April 14, 2016, in public portion.

Senator Batters made a statement requesting that the minutes be amended to replace any reference to "Government Representative in the Senate'' with "Leader of the Government in the Senate.''

It was moved by Senator Tkachuk that the minutes of proceedings of April 14, 2016, in public portion, as amended, be adopted.

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

CIBA/2016-04-21/088(P)|221| — Political Staff Attending In Camera Meetings

The chair made a statement.

It was moved by Senator Munson that the motion adopted at the organization meeting on December 10, 2015, regarding political staff attending in camera meetings be amended to include the following:

That a political staff member of the Leader of the Government in the Senate be authorized to be present during in camera meetings of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.

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

CIBA/2016-04-21/089(P)|298| — Senator Harder: Budget for the Leader of the Government in the Senate

The committee discussed Senator Harder's request, presented at the April 14, 2016 CIBA meeting, for an increase in the budget allocated to the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

It was moved by Senator Campbell that the additional office allowance of the Leader of the Government in the Senate be increased to $400,000 immediately, representing a $150,000 increase over the $250,000 currently allocated, pending further review of budgets by the Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates and presentation of recommendations to CIBA regarding budget allocations. The source of the $150,000 increase will come from budgets already allocated, and the reallocation will be recommended by the Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates by May 12th, 2016 at the latest.

After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted on the following vote:

YEAS

The Honourable Senators Campbell, Cordy, Doyle, Harder, P.C., Jaffer, Lang, Martin, Marshall, Munson, Smith (Saurel) and Tannas (11)

NAYS

The Honourable Senators Batters, Plett and Tkachuk (3)

ABSTENTIONS

The Honourable Senator Housakos (1)

CIBA/2016-04-21/090(P)|190| — Re-establishment of the Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates

After debate, it was moved by Senator Cordy:

That the Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates be re-established with an expanded mandate to examine the funding allocations for House Officers and Caucuses as defined in Chapter 6 of the Senate Administrative Rules (SARs), notably with respect to the additional office allowance for the Leader of the Government in the Senate;

That the following six (6) senators be named as members: Senator Wells (chair), Senator Jaffer (deputy chair), Senator Tkachuk, Senator Downe, Senator Tannas and Senator Campbell; and

That the subcommittee submit a report to CIBA regarding funding allocations by May 12, 2016.

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

At 9:22 a.m., the committee continued in camera.

At 10:14 a.m., the committee suspended.

ATTEST:

Nicole Proulx

Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

Jodi Turner

Recording Secretary