THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON AUDIT AND OVERSIGHT
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight met this day at 10:15 a.m. [ET], and in camera, pursuant to rule 12-13 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Jodi Turner, 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 D. M. Wells: I would like to nominate Senator Klyne as chair.
Ms. Turner: Are there any other nominations? No. It is moved by the Honourable Senator Wells that the Honourable Senator Klyne do take the chair of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Turner: I declare the motion carried. I invite the Honourable Senator Klyne to take the chair.
Senator Marty Klyne (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you for that. We will continue on.
We will now proceed to the election of the deputy chairs. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect. Are there any nominations?
Senator Loffreda: I nominate Senator Deacon, Senator Wells and myself.
Senator D. M. Wells: I would nominate Senator Loffreda.
Senator Loffreda: Well, there is no two without three, they say, right?
The Chair: The Honourable Senator Loffreda has moved that the Honourable Senator Wells be deputy chair of the committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
The Honourable Senator Loffreda moved that the Honourable Senator Deacon be deputy chair of the committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion that Senator Loffreda be deputy chair of this committee?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Do I have a mover for Motion No. 3?
Senator D. M. Wells: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Wells moves:
That the chair, in consultation with the deputy chairs, be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses and to schedule hearings; and
That, for substantive issues related to the mandate of the committee that are not of a merely administrative or routine nature, the chair shall not convene meetings nor take decisions until the external members have been appointed by the Senate.
Is the motion carried, Honourable senators?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do we have a mover for motion 4?
Senator D. M. Wells: I so move.
The Chair: The motion is to publish the committee’s proceedings. Senator Wells moves:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
Is that motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 5?
Senator Loffreda: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Loffreda moves:
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee;
That the chair and deputy chairs be authorized to retain the services of 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.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
I would now like to introduce the committee analysts, Lindsay McGlashan and Rosemonde Samedy, the dynamic duo.
Do I have a mover for motion 6? Senator Deacon moves:
That, pursuant to subsection 6(1), chapter 3:05 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority to commit funds be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chairs and the clerk of the committee;
That, pursuant to subsection 7(1), chapter 3:05 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority for certifying accounts payable by the committee be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chairs 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 chairs.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 7?
Senator D. M. Wells: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Wells moves:
That the committee empower the chair and deputy chairs 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.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 8?
Senator C. Deacon: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Deacon moved:
That the chair and deputy chairs 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
3)that the chair and deputy chairs report at the earliest opportunity any decisions taken with respect to the designation of members of the committee travelling on committee business.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Okay, I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 9?
Senator Loffreda: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Loffreda moved:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable expenses related to the appearance 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.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 10?
Senator Loffreda: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Loffreda moved:
That the chair and deputy chairs 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, Broadcasting and Publications Directorate for the purposes of the promotion of their work; and
That the chair and deputy chairs 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.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 11?
Senator D. M. Wells: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Wells moved:
That in camera transcripts and documents be kept with the clerk for consultation by committee members; and
That no records be destroyed without authorization from the committee.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Do I have a mover for motion 12?
Senator C. Deacon: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Deacon moved:
That each committee member be allowed to have one staff person present at in camera meetings.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
We now move on to the consideration of a draft report on the nomination of external members. A draft of the first report has been circulated to senators. If members wish to review the report in detail, you may wish to propose that the committee move in camera.
Ms. Turner: Will we move in camera?
The Chair: Is it agreed that we move in camera?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: It is agreed. We will proceed in camera.
(The committee continued in camera.)