Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Issue 6 - Evidence - April 23, 2015
OTTAWA, Thursday, April 23, 2015
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:30 a.m., in public, for the consideration of administrative matters; and in camera for the consideration of administrative and other matters.
Senator George J. Furey (Deputy Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Deputy Chair: The first item on the agenda is the adoption of the minutes of the proceedings of March 26. Are there any comments on the minutes? If not, can we have a motion to adopt?
Senator Munson: I so move.
The Deputy Chair: All those in favour? Yea?
Some Hon. Senators: Yea.
The Deputy Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Next is the report of the subcommittee on committee budgets. Senator Smith is the chair. I just noticed Senator Housakos. I'd like to welcome him to the committee. Welcome, senator.
Senator L. Smith: If everyone has a copy of the thirteenth report, then let's go through it.
Honourable senators, I have the honour to present the thirteenth report of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets, which includes the recommended allocations for eight committee budgets. Your subcommittee met at length with chairs and deputy chairs of committees whose budget applications contained proposed travel activities in order to review the travel details and to ensure that each committee has clear objectives.
[Translation]
As always, we wanted to be sure that each committee has laid a firm foundation of knowledge prior to any travel in order to get maximum benefit from the activity.
[English]
For the two budget applications proposing travel, the recommended allocations are as follows: For Agriculture and Forestry, $80,936 for a trip combining fact finding and public hearings in Edmonton on their study of international market access priorities for the Canadian agri-business; and for National Security and Defence, $60,730 in order to undertake a fact-finding visit to Washington, D.C., in order to meet with Canadian and American officials, as well as counterparts from Congress in line with their ongoing study of security threats.
With respect to other budget applications, the recommended allocations are as follows: To Aboriginal Peoples, $16,250 for printing related expenses to produce its report on First Nations infrastructure on reserves; to Banking, Trade and Commerce, $7,165 in general expenses to allow it to continue its legislative studies; to Conflict of Interest for Senators, $50,000 in general expenses; to Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources $14,500 in general expenses to cover the production of its report on emerging technologies and related issues in Canada's northern territories; to Fisheries and Oceans, $24,625 in general expenses for the production of a report comprising the three volumes related to its ongoing study of aquaculture; and to Scrutiny of Regulations, $3,000 for the Senate's share of its general expenses.
In the case of the Official Languages Committee, after meeting with the chair and deputy chair, we requested that the committee submit an application for travel with one international destination so we could gauge the relative cost benefit of two international destinations. In the end, this committee has decided to postpone its request for a budget.
Finally, colleagues, I should note that the Transport and Communications study of the CBC has only just wrapped up its hearings and it was too soon for them to estimate expenses for their report. I am told we can expect a budget submission from them in very short order.
The total of these requested budgets is $257,206.
[Translation]
In context, the total funds available for all of 2015-16 is $1.19 million, less $250,000 for witness expenses, leaving $941,000 for operational expenses. Based on this, and the fact that committees are budgeting for full participation, which as you know is the standard even though full participation rarely occurs, your subcommittee feels comfortable recommending the release of these funds.
[English]
I recommend the adoption of the report. If there are any questions, I would be pleased to try to answer them.
Senator Marshall: I have several questions. First, I don't know if you said this in French or not — I didn't have my translation on — but I wanted information on the overall financial position for the overall committee budget.
Senator L. Smith: Right.
Senator Marshall: I want more information on the agriculture trip, conflict of interest, and national security and defence.
We're now at the end of April. June is usually a busy month, and I don't like having committees travelling during the month of June. If there is any travel, I want to put it on record that it should be done during the month of May. It looks like there will be two committees that are going to be travelling in May.
Those were the three items.
Senator L. Smith: If we can address Agriculture and Forestry, I have had discussions with the chair of that committee recently. The chair suggested they would have a further discussion, subject to our meeting, to determine whether they should postpone the study until the fall.
Senator Marshall: That's a good idea.
Senator L. Smith: That would cover $80,000 of the expenses. I hope that answers your question.
Senator Marshall: Yes.
Senator L. Smith: Second, my understanding is that if you go to the last page, page 4, in the context of total funds available for all of 2015-16, $1.19 million, less the $250,000 for witnesses' expenses, leaving $941,000 for operational expenses. Do you have any final numbers, Mr. Armitage, as to where we are in terms of total expenditures?
Blair Armitage, Principal Clerk, Committees, Senate of Canada: Not precise numbers yet, senator, because we are just at the end of the fiscal year and we are wrapping up our end-of-year expenses. We will not exceed, though.
Senator L. Smith: We'll have flexibility and room left in the margins, Senator Marshall.
Senator Marshall: Okay.
Senator Smith: That's two questions. What is the third?
Senator Marshall: The Conflict of Interest for Senators and National Security and Defence.
Senator L. Smith: Is Senator Lang in the room with us this morning?
Senator Lang: Yes.
Senator L. Smith: Could you give Senator Marshall an answer to her question on your activities?
Senator Lang: Proposal for travel would be at the end of May, leaving probably on a Wednesday night and doing a two-day fact-finding visit to Washington. Quite frankly, we're still making a final decision whether we're even able to go and are able to arrange it accordingly. If we don't, then we would delay until the fall.
Senator Marshall: Okay. And the last one was Conflict of Interest for Senators. What is that money for?
Senator L. Smith: I'm not sure if Senator LeBreton could help me on Conflict of Interest, but I was led to believe that Conflict of Interest is an expense that is almost an ongoing part of the work they are doing.
Mr. Armitage: I can say this is an expense that has been submitted by the committee every fiscal year since I was the clerk. It is anticipation of need.
Senator Marshall: Okay. I thought we were doing something special.
Senator L. Smith: I thank you for your help, because it's important we have complete answers. Is that helpful?
Senator Marshall: All my questions have been answered. Thank you.
The Deputy Chair: Any other questions, colleagues? Senator LeBreton has moved the adoption of the report. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Deputy Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Creation of subcommittee on communications. I believe the subcommittee of communications is going to be chaired by Senator Housakos, and there will be another member from your side, Senator Housakos. Do we know who that is?
Senator Housakos: That is going to be, from what I understand, two other members from our side.
The Deputy Chair: One from the committee.
Senator Housakos: Senator David Wells.
The Deputy Chair: And Senator Cordy has been the Liberal on the committee in the past. I haven't had a chance to talk to her but, in her absence, I'm going to recommend that she stay on the committee. If there is a problem, we'll switch it out at another meeting. Is that okay? I understand as well, Senator Housakos, that there will be further members asked to join in an advisory capacity; is that correct?
Senator Housakos: Yes, sir.
The Deputy Chair: Could we have a motion to move? So moved. All those in favour?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Deputy Chair: Contra-minded? Carried.
Now we're going to go in camera. Apparently it takes two minutes to transfer over.
(The committee continued in camera.)