THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day at 9:34 a.m. [ET], pursuant to rule 12-13 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Vincent Labrosse, 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 Saint-Germain: Honourable senators, I propose that the Honourable Senator David Arnot be chair of this committee.
Mr. Labrosse: Are there any other nominations?
It is moved by the Honourable Senator Saint-Germain that the Honourable Senator Arnot do take the chair of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Mr. Labrosse: I declare the motion carried, and I invite Senator Arnot to take the chair.
Senator David M. Arnot (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Colleagues, thank you for the confidence you have shown by putting me in this position. I hope to do well in it. I hope to work with you collaboratively as much as possible on the issues that we will face in the Forty-fifth Parliament. I am open to any discussion from any senator on the workings of the committee at any time. I look forward to working with the steering committee — perhaps this summer — on some issues that may arise so we can prepare for the Forty-fifth Parliament when it starts again in September after the adjournment.
Now we move to the next order of business on the agenda, which is the election of the deputy chair. I am looking forward to a nomination for Senator Batters.
Senator Tannas: I move that Senator Batters be deputy chair.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Tannas.
Senator Tannas has moved that the Honourable Senator Batters be elected as deputy chair of this committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion adopted.
We now have some routine motions to adopt.
With respect to Motion 3, it’s a motion on the Subcommittee of Agenda and Procedure, or the steering committee. The motion is:
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.
Do I have a motion?
Senator Tannas: So moved.
The Chair: Senator Tannas moves the adoption of that motion. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
The other two members appointed to the subcommittee are Senator Prosper from the Canadian Senators Group and Senator Moreau from the Progressive Senate Group.
With respect to the next item on the agenda, it’s Motion 4, a motion to publish committee proceedings. That motion reads:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
Senator Clement moves that motion. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
With respect to Motion 5 regarding the research staff, the motion is:
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee;
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure 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 to prepare studies, analyses, summaries, and draft reports.
Do I have a senator prepared to move the Motion No. 5? Senator Saint-Germain. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
I would like to introduce our two Library of Parliament analysts, Michaela Keenan-Pelletier and Dana Phillips. They have been working with the committee. You have seen their CVs. We are blessed to have you, with all of your credentials, to assist us in our work in the Forty-fifth Parliament. Thank you very much.
Senators, we will now move to Item No. 6, the authority to commit funds and certify accounts. This motion reads:
That, pursuant to section 6(1), 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 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 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.
Do I have a mover for that motion? Senator Batters, thank you. Honourable senators, are you in agreement with the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
The next item on the agenda is Item No. 7, which is concerning travel. The motion reads:
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.
Do I have a mover for that motion? Senator Simons. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to carry the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
The next item on the agenda is the designation of members travelling on committee business. That motion reads as follows:
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.
Do I have someone to move that motion? Thank you, Senator Dhillon. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to accept the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
The next item on the agenda is item 9, witness expenses. That motion reads as follows:
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.
Senator Batters moves that motion. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to accept the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
The next item is number 10, communications. That motion reads as follows:
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.
Motion made by Senator Oudar. Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to accept the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
The communications officer assigned to this committee is Chelsea DeFazio. It will be a pleasure to work with you, Ms. DeFazio.
The next item on the agenda is the final item before the adjournment, other business.
Our committee’s regular meeting will be held on Wednesdays between 4:15 and 6:15 p.m., and on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Senator Batters: I have a question about that. Those were our previous times on Thursdays, and that was when our Thursday sitting started at 2 o’clock. When we moved our sitting back to 1:30 with the recent sessional order about that, I thought that committees might also be starting half an hour earlier to allow for that, because it was already fairly tight.
The Chair: So Thursdays, the committee meeting will start at 11 a.m. and suspend at 1 p.m. Is that correct?
Senator Batters: I’m not sure if the clerk has more information, but yes.
The Chair: All right. I think there is concurrence on that idea.
Senator Saint-Germain: I suggest that we check with the motion because I know that CIBA will begin earlier. I believe it’s 8:18 or something like. But better to check to make sure that it is really 11. But it will be earlier; you’re right, senator.
The Chair: I agree with that. That seems reasonable. The clerk advises me that the schedule will be circulated before the fall session commences.
Marie-Ève Belzile, Clerk Assistant, Committees Directorate, Senate of Canada: Yes, and the hours will be confirmed for Thursday. It will indeed move. At this time, it’s not worth it to circulate the new schedule. It will move slightly, and the whips will approve a new schedule for the fall.
The Chair: Okay, so there is concurrence on that.
We’ll move forward, then, to the last item on the agenda. Colleagues, this brings us to the end of our meeting today. I would like to thank you for your participation today. I look forward to a productive session. Are there any questions? Thank you very much.
(The committee adjourned.)