Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Issue 1 - Evidence for June 13, 2006
OTTAWA, Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:30 a.m., pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee; and in camera to consider administrative and other matters.
[English]
Mr. Paul Bélisle, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, your first item of business today is to elect a chair for this committee. I am ready to receive motions to that effect.
[Translation]
Senator Nolin: I nominate Senator Furey.
Mr. Bélisle: The Honourable Senator Nolin moves that the Honourable Senator Furey be appointed Chairman of the Committee. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
[English]
Senator George J. Furey (Chairman) in the chair.
The Chairman: Thank you for your vote of confidence, colleagues. We have a number of items to go through this morning.
The second item on the agenda is the election of the deputy chair.
Senator Cook: I nominate Senator Nolin.
The Chairman: Seconded by Senator Prud'homme. All agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: We need a motion now to print the committee's proceedings. It is suggested that 200 copies be printed for distribution to senators, MPs, officials and others.
It is moved by Senator Poulin that the committee print 200 copies of its proceedings. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: The next item relates to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. I am proposing that we move a motion that the Subcommittee 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, and that the quorum be three members. The reason for not designating names at this stage is that in the event one of the three cannot make it in the future, rather than going back to the full committee, a substitute could be made.
It is moved by Senator Robichaud, seconded by Senator Nolin. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: It is my intention to keep the committee as it was with Senator Nolin and Senator Cook. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: The same would apply with respect to Item No. 6, the Subcommittee on the Review of Committee Budgets. The motion would read that the Subcommittee on the Review of Committee Budgets be established and composed of three members to be designated by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure after the usual consultations. Right now, it is restricted to a review of committee budgets; however, we could change that in the future depending on the consultations regarding the composition of the committee. Could we have a motion?
It is moved by Senator Robichaud, seconded by Senator Nolin. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: The clerk reminds me that I forgot to read the full motion for number 4. We will revert to that.
It is moved by Senator Cook that if the full committee is unable to meet, the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to deal with and resolve immediate administrative problems and that it report its decisions at the first meeting thereafter. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Colleagues, the next issue is security of the parliamentary precinct. I believe it is important that the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration be involved in this matter and that we establish a working group or an advisory working group on the security of the parliamentary precinct. We will be able to go beyond existing members of the Internal Economy Committee to form that advisory group, but we require a motion to do this.
Senator Cook moves that an advisory working group on the security of the parliamentary precinct be established and composed of three senators to be designated by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure after the usual consultations; that the advisory working group on the security of the parliamentary precinct be authorized to (1) review and make recommendations regarding the security of the Senate precinct; and (2) consider other matters affecting the safety and security of the parliamentary precinct. The motion is seconded by Senator Nolin. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: I will ask the clerk to speak to that particular motion for a moment.
Senator Nolin: First, I just want to highlight the point. Given his experience and longevity in Parliament, I know that Senator Prud'homme would like to be part of that working group. I thought it would be appropriate to mention that to the full committee.
Do you agree with what I just said, Senator Prud'homme?
Senator Prud'homme: I do. I had intended to ask, but I did not know how to put it.
The Chairman: I would ask our clerk, Mr. Bélisle, to speak to this motion for a moment.
Mr. Bélisle: Since it deals with security, I suggest that the committee continue in camera?
The committee continued in camera.
The committee resumed in public.
The Chairman: The next item on our agenda is the artwork advisory working group, whose mandate is to provide advice and oversight on matters related to the acquisition of heritage assets and works of art for the Senate and the appropriate displays of same.
It is moved by Senator Robichaud, seconded by Senator Prud'homme, that the artwork advisory working group be re-established and that the following senators be named as members: Senators Moore, Joyal, Mahovlich, Meighen and Johnson. All agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Senator Prud'homme: Perhaps this committee would like to walk around Parliament to find a solution to the fact that no one ever visits the statue of Mackenzie King. People cannot visit his statue in the same way that they are able to visit other monuments on our site. It is as if he is condemned and it is because the statue looks at the wall. Everyone goes to see the Famous 5 monument but no one goes to see the statue of Mackenzie King because it is badly located. Take a look and you will see that you cannot read the inscription. I wander the Hill sometimes and mingle with the tourists so that I can notice these things. When it rains, people disappear. They talk about history but they have no sense of what happens on the Hill. Perhaps this subcommittee should take a walk.
The Chairman: I will ask the clerk to pass on your comments to the group.
The next item has to do with the Joint Interparliamentary Council, which is normally represented by the steering committee. Unless there are objections, it is moved by Senator Poulin that those honourable senators be named to the Joint Interparliamentary Council. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: The minutes of two previous meetings have to be adopted.
It is moved by Senator Cook, seconded by Senator Nolin, that the minutes of the meeting November 24, 2005, be adopted. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Next we have the minutes of November 29, 2005. It is moved by Senator Poulin, seconded by Senator Stollery. All in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: The third report of the steering committee with respect to its decisions taken during dissolution will be distributed. I will run through them.
The committee continued in camera.