Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs,
Science and Technology
Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs
Issue 1 - Evidence for Wednesday, December 11, 1996
OTTAWA, Wednesday, December 11, 1996
The Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day at 1:15 p.m. to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Mr. Patrick Savoie, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see a quorum.
The first item of business this afternoon is the election of a chairman of the subcommittee. May I have a motion to that effect?
Senator Bonnell: I move that Senator Orville Phillips be elected chairman of this subcommittee.
Mr. Savoie: It is moved by Senator Bonnell, seconded by Senator Cools, that Senator Phillips be chair of the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Mr. Savoie: Senator Phillips, I invite you to take the chair.
Hon. Orville H. Phillips (Chairman) in the Chair.
The Chairman: Honourable senators, our next item of business will be the election of a deputy chair.
Senator Cools: I move that Senator Bonnell be elected deputy chair.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The next item of business on the agenda is that the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the Chair, the Deputy Chair and one other member of the committee to be designated after the usual consultation.
Senator Bonnell: I nominate Senator Cools.
The Chairman: Is it agreed, honourable senators?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
We need a further motion that the subcommittee be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee to be designated after the usual consultation and that the subcommittee be empowered to invite witnesses and schedule hearings.
Senator Cools: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
It is suggested that we print copies of the committee's proceedings.
Senator Bonnell: How many copies do we need, Mr. Savoie?
Mr. Savoie: I suggest 200. If we need additional copies, they are printed in-house. We do not have to go the printing bureau.
Senator Bonnell: I move that we print 200 copies.
The Chairman: Is it agreed, honourable senators?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
The next item of business is an authorization to hold meetings and to print evidence when a quorum is not present. I need a motion that, pursuant to rule 89, the Chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the printing of the evidence when a quorum is not present.
Senator Bonnell: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried.
I need a motion that research officers assigned to committees be recruited through the Library of Parliament or externally.
Senator Bonnell: I so move.
The Chairman: Is that agreed, honourable senators?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: We also need a motion that the Chair direct the research staff in the preparation of studies, analyses, summaries and draft reports.
Senator Bonnell: I so move.
The Chairman: Is that agreed?
Hon. Members: Agreed.
The Chairman: We need a motion that, pursuant to section 32 of the Financial Administration Act, authority to commit funds be conferred on the Chair or, in the Chair's absence, the Deputy Chairman.
Senator Cools: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Members: Agreed.
The Chairman: We need a motion that, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witnesses' expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for no more than two witnesses from any one organization and that payment will take place upon application.
Senator Cools: I so move, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Members: Agreed.
The Chairman: With respect to the time slots for regular meetings, it is suggested that we meet on Wednesdays at 3:15 p.m.
Senator Cools: I suggest that we meet at 3:30 p.m. so that we will not be meeting while the Senate is sitting.
The Chairman: Is that agreed, honourable senators?
Hon. Members: Agreed.
The Chairman:It has been suggested that we should give some consideration to a budget.
Senator Bonnell: Mr. Chairman, if we do not have a budget prepared to present to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, it will probably not get to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration before the first of next year. If we get it in today, we might get it to that other committee.
Senator Cohen: They are meeting in the morning.
Senator Bonnell: Do you have a budget prepared, sir?
The Chairman: Mr. Savoie has distributed to you a suggested budget.
Mr. Savoie: With regard to professional and other services, the Standing Committee on Internal Economy suggests that there be a communications consultant. I have allotted $5,000 for that because that is the amount the other committees have used. We can reduce that amount if you wish, or you may not wish to have a communications consultant at all.
The Chairman: We have $1,000 for meals and $300 for hospitality.
Mr. Savoie: How many witnesses do you expect to hear from? I ask that because the expenses of the witnesses now come from the budget of the committee or the subcommittee. At one time, they came from the committees directorate.
I have put in 10 witnesses.
Senator Bonnell: I think that is plenty.
The Chairman: I would think so. The main one we are interested in hearing is the Royal Canadian Legion.
Senator Cohen: We may want to hear from Susan Cochrane, the legal authority for Veterans Affairs in Saint John. She has worked on behalf of many veterans on pensions.
Mr. Savoie: Five senators are members of the committee. I have added one ex officio, Senator Graham, because he came to Charlottetown when we were last there.
The six staff are comprised of the researcher, the clerk, two Hansard reporters and, if you wish, a researcher for each the Chair and the Deputy Chair.
Senator Cohen: Did Senator Cochrane wish to be on this committee?
The Chairman: Yes. She would have to be an ex officio member.
Senator Cohen: If she has a burning desire to be on the committee, I would be happy to yield to her.
The Chairman: She has to be a member of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to be a member of the subcommittee. I know that Senator Cochrane is interested in our issues and we would be happy to have her join us at any time.
The Chairman: The next item is air transportation.
Mr. Savoie: I have included air transportation for four senators only because Senator Phillips and Senator Bonnell are from P.E.I. I have, however, included ground transportation for them.
The Chairman: Are we covered in the hotel accommodations?
Mr. Savoie: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman: There is also an amount for contingencies.
Does anyone have any comments?
Senator Bonnell: I move that the budget be accepted as read.
The Chairman: Is that agreed, honourable senators?
Hon. Members: Agreed.
The Chairman: The Clerk has inquired as to when we propose to travel to P.E.I. Senator Bonnell and I have agreed that we should hear from the Royal Canadian Legion before we travel.
Senator Bonnell: We will have to get the budget approved first.
The Chairman: There being no further business, the meeting is adjourned.
The committee adjourned.