THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Friday, December 10, 2021
The Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans met with videoconference this day at 11 a.m. [ET], pursuant to rule 12-13 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
François Michaud, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, as clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Francis: I nominate the Honourable Senator Manning for the position of chair.
Mr. Michaud: Senator Francis moved:
That the Honourable Senator Manning do take the chair of this committee.
Are there any other nominations? I see none. If you are opposed to the motion, please say “nay.” I declare the motion carried.
I invite Senator Manning to take the chair.
Senator Fabian Manning (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Welcome, everyone. I want to thank Senator Francis for the nomination and all of the committee members for their support.
I was first elected to the position of chair of this committee on June 2, 2011, so I’m heading into my twelfth year as chair. I stand to be corrected, but as of now, I have been the longest-serving chair, consecutively, for the committee in the history of the Senate. I thank you for the confidence that you have placed in me in this position, and I look forward to working with all of you in the next months and, hopefully, the next couple of years.
I’m not sure if we can hear Senator Campbell. I was a little concerned when the clerk asked if there was anyone who would object. I knew that we couldn’t hear Senator Campbell; I was happy about that.
As the clerk said, we are to speak slowly and clearly. As most of you know, I speak fast sometimes when I get excited about something. I will try my best to speak slowly so you can understand me. If the interpreters have any issue, I’m sure they will let me know. We’ve been down that road a few times before.
If any member of this committee at any time has an issue with how I’m doing my job as chair, any issue with anything we are studying or questions that you may want to ask, feel free to talk to me privately or here at the committee table, whatever suits you. Don’t be hesitant. I am always open to suggestions and ideas on how we can improve.
Fisheries is something that many times is put on the back burner here in Ottawa by all governments. I think it is important for us as a committee to ensure that we do our part to ensure that the issues and concerns of the people who make a living off the ocean are dealt with here in a proper way.
Once again, I look forward to working with you. Thank you for your confidence in me.
With that said, we now proceed to the election of a deputy chair. Are there any nominations?
Senator Wells: Thank you, chair. I nominate the Honourable Senator Bev Busson for deputy chair.
The Chair: Thank you. The Honourable Senator Wells moved:
That the Honourable Senator Bev Busson be deputy chair of this committee.
If anyone opposes the motion, please say “no.” I declare the motion carried.
Senator Busson, congratulations.
Senator Busson: Thank you. We have both coasts covered.
The Chair: We are the bookends.
We now have some routine motions to adopt. These are standard motions that are consistent with past practices.
The first is the motion to create the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, known has the steering committee. For this session, it was agreed that all four parties and groups would have a representative on the steering committee.
Do I have a mover for motion 3?
The Honourable Senator Wells moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, the deputy chair and two other members of the committee, to be designated after the usual consultations; 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.
If you oppose this motion, please say “no.” I declare the motion carried.
It is my understanding that consultations have taken place and that the two additional members of steering will be Senator Francis and Senator Campbell.
Do I have a mover for motion 4, which deals with publishing the committee’s proceedings?
The Honourable Senator Cormier moved:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
If you oppose the motion, please say “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
Motion 5 pertains to the financial report. As per rule 12-26(2), each committee must table a report on the expenses incurred during the previous session, 43-2. A copy of the draft report prepared by the clerk was distributed by email.
Do I have a mover for motion 5?
The Honourable Senator Christmas moved:
That the committee adopt the draft first report, prepared in accordance with rule 12-26(2).
If you oppose the motion, please say “no.” Carried.
Motion 6 deals with research staff. Do I have a mover for motion 6?
The Honourable Senator Busson 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.
If you oppose the motion, please say “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
I invite Ms. Daniele Lafrance to join us at the table. Welcome back.
Ms. Lafrance has been with us for quite some time now and we look forward to continuing our work with her. She has provided a great service to our committee in the past, and I don’t think there will be any issue with that in the future. Welcome, again.
Authority to commit funds and certify accounts. Do I have a mover for motion 7?
The Honourable Senator Quinn moved:
That, pursuant to section 7, chapter 3:05 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 3:05 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.
If you oppose the motion, please say, “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 8?
The Honourable Senator Campbell 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.
If you oppose the motion, please say, “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
Designation of members travelling on committee business. Do I have a mover for motion 9?
The Honourable Senator Petitclerc 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.
If you oppose the motion, please say, “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
The next motions deals with the travelling and living expenses of witnesses. Do I have a mover for motion 10?
The Honourable Senator Kutcher moved:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses of one witness per organization upon application, but that the chair be authorized to approve expenses of a second witness from the same organization should there be exceptional circumstances.
If you oppose the motion, please say, “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 11, which deals with communications?
The Honourable Senator Cordy moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to direct communications officer(s) assigned to the committee in the development of communications plans and products where appropriate and to request the services of the Senate Communications Directorate for the purposes of the promotion of their work; 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 proceedings, at its discretion.
If you oppose the motion, please say, “no.” Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
Moving on to other business. Depending on circumstances, it may be advisable to discuss future business at steering first and then with the full committee, if that’s okay with everyone.
The committee may at this time decide to discuss future business or adjourn. If the committee decides to discuss future business, it must then decide whether to have discussions in public or in camera. If the committee decides to discuss in camera and senators want their political staff to have permission to stay in the room, a motion to that effect must be adopted. If the decision is to go in camera, we must suspend the meeting for a few minutes.
As chair, I am offering a suggestion, if it’s okay with everyone. As all of you are aware, we began a study prior to the dissolution of Parliament in relation to the Indigenous rights-based fisheries across Canada. After talking to most members of the committee, we began that study, and that’s where I would like to continue on.
We are down to one meeting a week. We may be pushed out if there is government legislation. So trying to organize our meetings in the new year in a way that we could at least try to have a report back to the Senate Chamber by June would be a fair plan to try to take on at the present time.
If that is the case and everybody is in agreement with that, that is where I’d like to put our efforts in the next couple of weeks to organize and work with the clerk, analysts and members of steering for now, just to get some things organized for our first couple of meetings in February and put our emphasis on trying to complete the work that we began prior to dissolution.
Unless somebody else has something that they would like to bring forward to us, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Hearing none, I am confident that we have the support of the committee to begin organizing our first few meetings in February around the study of Indigenous rights-based fisheries, and we will be working with our steering committee on our first couple of meetings.
I want to put out to all committee members that if there is any individual, groups or anybody that you think could add substance to our study, our work on this, please feel free to contact the clerk and bring forward the names of these people and any contact information you may have so we can invite them to appear before the committee on this important issue.
While we’ll work as a steering committee to get our first couple of meetings organized, I ask that any member should feel free at any time to bring forward a suggestion on who we could have come before us. I leave the door open on that. Feel free to contact the clerk at any time.
If that’s it, I take the opportunity to wish you, your families and everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2022. I am certainly looking forward to heading to the Rock tomorrow, and I won’t be back until at least March, so I want to give you fair warning on that. But we will be in touch. Everybody enjoy the rest of your day. Have a great Christmas and all the best in 2022. Take care and thank you.
(The committee adjourned.)