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CIBA - Standing Committee

Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

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42-1 42nd Parliament, 1st Session (December 3, 2015 - September 11, 2019)
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Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

Issue No. 11 - Minutes of Proceedings - April 6, 2017

OTTAWA, Thursday, April 6, 2017
(33)

[English]

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:03 a.m., in room 160- S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable Leo Housakos, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Cordy, Downe, Dupuis, Housakos, Jaffer, Lankin, P.C., Marshall, Marwah, McCoy, Mégie, Mitchell, Munson, Saint-Germain, Smith, Tannas, Tkachuk and Wells (18).

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

Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.

Pursuant to rule 12-7(1) of the Rules of the Senate, the committee continued its consideration of financial and administrative matters concerning the Senate's internal administration.

CIBA/2017-04-06/261(P)|211| — Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings

The committee considered the minutes of proceedings of March 30, 2017, in public portion.

The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved:

That the minutes of proceedings of March 30, 2017, in public portion, be adopted.

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

CIBA/2017-04-06/262(P)|295| — Eleventh Report of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets

The Chair of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets, the Honourable Senator Tannas, presented the eleventh report of the subcommittee as follows:

Thursday, April 6, 2016

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

ELEVENTH REPORT

Your subcommittee recommends the release of the following amounts for fiscal year 2017-2018:

Agriculture and Forestry (acquisition of farmland in Canada)

Activity 1: Washington, DC  $ 58,590
Total  $ 58,590

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission; includes funds for 8 senators to travel)

Banking, Trade and Commerce (current and emerging issues of the banking sector and monetary policy of the United States)

Activity 1: New York, NY & Washington, DC  $ 100,158
Total  $ 100,158

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission; includes funds for 9 senators to travel)

Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (effects of transitioning to a low carbon economy)

Activity 1: Eastern Canada (St-John's, Summerside, Saint-André, Saint John, Parrsboro, Halifax) $ 104,436
Total  $ 104,436

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission, as well as approval for sole source for charter flights; includes funds for 12 senators to travel)

Fisheries and Oceans (Maritime Search and Rescue activities)

Activity 1: Ontario, Québec, Nunavut  $ 165,526
Activity 2: United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Denmark  $ —
Activity 3: Australia, New Zealand  $ —
Total  $ 165,526

(includes funds for public hearings and a fact finding mission; includes funds for 15 senators to travel; decision on Activity 2 and 3 deferred)

Human Rights (issues relating to the human rights of prisoners in the correctional system)

Activity 1: Brockville, Kingston, Montreal  $ 71,250
Total  $ 71,250

(includes funds for public hearings and a fact finding mission; includes funds for 8 senators to travel)

National Finance (federal government's multi-billion dollar infrastructure funding program)

General Expenses  $ 18,900
Total  $ 18,900

National Security and Defence (Canada's national security and defence policies, practices, circumstances and capabilities)

Activity 1: East Coast  (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick)  $ 72,810
Total  $ 72,810

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission; includes funds for 8 senators to travel)

Official Languages (challenges associated with access to French-language schools and French immersion programs in British Columbia)

Activity 1: Vancouver, B.C.  $ 17,440
Total  $ 17,440

(includes funds for a press conference; includes funds for 3 senators to travel)

Social Affairs, Science and Technology (role of robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence in the healthcare system)

General Expenses  $ 7,000
Activity 1: Visit to Ottawa University and Ottawa Hospital  $ 1,300
Total  $ 8,300

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission; includes funds for 15 senators to travel)

Transport and Communications (regulatory and technical issues related to the deployment of connected and automated vehicles)

Activity 1: Toronto, Ontario  $ 31,304
Activity 2: Waterloo, Ontario  $ 54,038
Activity 3: Kanata, Ontario  $ 1,800
Total  $ 87,142

(includes funds for a conference (6 senators to travel); includes funds for two fact-finding missions (10 and 15 senators to travel))

Your subcommittee, in keeping with the claw back process that is already in effect, recommends that any unexpended funds allocated today for specific travel before the end of June 2017 be returned to the central committees' budget at the end of October 2017, to ensure that funds are not tied up unnecessarily.

These funds would again be made available for redistribution to all committees for travel in the Fall of 2017, upon application to the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.

Respectfully submitted,

SCOTT TANNAS,
Chair

The Honourable Senator Tannas made a statement and answered questions.

The Honourable Senator Tannas moved:

That the report be adopted.

After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

CIBA/2017-04-06/263(P)|376| — Senate 150th Anniversary Commemorative Medal

The Honourable Senator Wells moved:

That a Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal be created with a run of 1,500 medals to be struck;

That a budget of $225,000 be adopted for the production of the medals;

That the Advisory Working Group on a Senate 150th Anniversary Commemorative Medal be authorized to approve the design and oversee the production, distribution and administration of the medals; and

That the advisory working group regularly report back to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration on the progress of the program.

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

YEAS

The Honourable Senator

Batters, Cordy, Housakos, Jaffer, Lankin, P.C., McCoy, Mégie, Mitchell, Munson, Smith, Tannas, Tkachuk, Wells — 13

NAYS

The Honourable Senators

Dupuis, Marshall, Saint-Germain — 3

At 9:15 a.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1), the committee proceeded in camera.

At 10:14 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

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

Daniel Charbonneau
Recording Secretary

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