Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
National Finance
Issue 1 - Minutes of Proceedings - November 5, 2013
OTTAWA, Tuesday, November 5, 2013
(1)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 9:32 a.m., in room 705, Victoria Building, for the purpose of holding its organization meeting, pursuant to rule 12-13.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Bellemare, Buth, Callbeck, Chaput, Day, Doyle, Gerstein, Hervieux-Payette, P.C., and Smith (Saurel) (9).
In attendance: Raphaëlle Deraspe, Analyst, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament, and Francine Pressault, Communications Officer, Communications Directorate.
Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.
The clerk of the committee presided over the election of the chair.
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) moved:
That the Honourable Senator Day do take the chair of the committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The clerk invited Senator Day to take the chair.
The Honourable Senator Hervieux-Payette, P.C., moved:
That the Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) be deputy chair of the committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, the deputy chair, and Senator Buth as the third member; and
That the subcommittee be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses, and to schedule hearings.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Callbeck moved:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Buth moved:
That pursuant to rule 12-17, the chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive and authorize the publication of the evidence when a quorum is not present, provided that a member of the committee from both the government and the opposition be present.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Doyle moved:
That the committee adopt the draft first report, prepared in accordance with rule 12-26(2).
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Smith (Saurel) moved:
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee;
That the chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate to engage the services of such counsel and technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary for the purpose of the committee's examination and consideration of such bills, subject-matters of bills, and estimates as are referred to it;
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to retain the services of such experts as may be required by the work of the committee; and
That the chair, on behalf of the committee, direct the research staff in the preparation of studies, analyses, summaries, and draft reports.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Gerstein moved:
That, pursuant to section 7, Chapter 3:08 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority to commit funds be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chair, and the clerk of the committee;
That, pursuant to section 8, Chapter 3:08 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority for certifying accounts payable by the committee be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chair, and the clerk of the committee; and
That, notwithstanding the foregoing, in cases related to consultants and personnel services, the authority to commit funds and certify accounts be conferred jointly on the chair and deputy chair.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Buth moved:
That the committee empower the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to designate, as required, one or more members of the committee and/or such staff as may be necessary to travel on assignment on behalf of the committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Chaput moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to:
1) determine whether any member of the committee is on ``official business'' for the purposes of paragraph 8(3)(a) of the Senators Attendance Policy, published in the Journals of the Senate on Wednesday, June 3, 1998; and
2) consider any member of the committee to be on ``official business'' if that member is: (a) attending an event or meeting related to the work of the committee; or (b) making a presentation related to the work of the committee; and
That the subcommittee report at the earliest opportunity any decisions taken with respect to the designation of members of the committee travelling on committee business.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Chaput moved:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable traveling and living expenses for one witness from any one organization and payment will take place upon application, but that the chair be authorized to approve expenses for a second witness should there be exceptional circumstances.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Doyle moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to direct the communications officer(s) assigned to the committee in the development of communications plans, where appropriate, and to request the services of the Senate Communications Directorate for the purposes of their development and implementation; and
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow coverage by electronic media of the committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings at its discretion.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The chair informed the committee that the regular time slots for its meetings are Tuesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Wednesday evenings from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
The committee discussed other business.
At 10:10 a.m., it was agreed that the committee adjourn to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Jodi Turner
Clerk of the Committee