Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament

Issue 1 - First Report of the Committee

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament has the honour to table its

FIRST REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate to incur expenses for the purpose of its examination and consideration of such matters as were referred to it, reports, pursuant to rule 104(2), that the expenses incurred for that purpose during the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament were as follows:

1. With respect to its studies of legislation:

2. With respect to its special study on the use of Aboriginal languages in the Senate Chamber:

During the session under consideration, your committee considered three orders of reference, including one bill, and held five meetings. In total, your committee produced five reports.

The Second Report of your committee, which was presented to the Senate on November 20, 2007, recommended amendments to the Rules of the Senate to provide for a mechanism for the reinstatement of bills from the previous session of the same Parliament. The report was debated, but was not adopted.

Your committee's Third Report recommended an amendment to the Rules of the Senate in respect of questions of privilege and points of order. The report was presented on November 20, 2007, and was debated but not adopted by the Senate.

Your committee's Fifth Report recommended the implementation of a pilot project involving the use of Inuktitut in the Senate Chamber and, eventually, for the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples and the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. The report was presented on April 9, 2008, and adopted on May 14, 2008.

Respectfully submitted,

DONALD H. OLIVER

Chair