THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Thursday, June 12, 2025
The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met 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]
Sara Gajic, Clerk of the Committee, Senate of Canada: As clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I’m ready to receive a motion to that effect.
[Translation]
Senator Forest: I nominate Senator Claude Carignan.
[English]
Ms. Gajic: Are there any other nominations? It is moved by the Honourable Senator Forest that the Honourable Senator Carignan, P.C., do take the chair of this committee.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
Ms. Gajic: I declare the motion carried and I invite the Honourable Senator Carignan to take the chair.
Senator Claude Carignan (Chair) in the chair.
[Translation]
Senator Claude Carignan(Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you very much for your trust. As I mentioned when I was first appointed, I wanted my time as chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance to be as short as possible, but it seems that the Canadian electorate has decided otherwise, without thinking about the collateral damage, I should say.
We’ll now move on to the election of the deputy chair. I am ready to receive nominations to that effect. Are there any nominations?
Senator Dalphond: I nominate Senator Forest.
The Chair: Senator Dalphond nominates Senator Forest.
Senator Galvez: I second it.
The Chair: Perfect. The nomination is seconded by Senator Galvez.
Are there any other nominations? No?
Senator Forest: Some elections are easier than others.
The Chair: That’s true.
Senator Forest, I therefore declare you deputy chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance.
Every organization meeting of the committee has formulas that apply. I will continue with the usual formulas.
Would someone move motion 3?
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.
Senator Pate: I so move.
The Chair: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: Thank you. The motion is carried.
As for the two other members who will be assigned to the subcommittee, we will come back to that at our next meeting.
Motion 4 concerns the publication of the committee’s proceedings. Could someone move motion 4?
Senator Gignac: I move motion 4.
The Chair: Senator Gignac moved:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: Thank you. The motion is carried.
Can someone move motion 5, concerning the research staff?
[English]
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 in the preparation of studies, analyses, summaries and draft reports.
Senator MacAdam: So moved.
[Translation]
The Chair: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: Thank you. I declare the motion carried.
I would now like to introduce the committee’s analysts.
Joining us is Sylvain Fleury, an analyst from the Library of Parliament. We are pleased to have him with us again.
Sylvain Fleury, Analyst, Library of Parliament: I’m also pleased.
The Chair: We also have Michaël Lambert-Racine. I think you have worked with us in the past.
Michaël Lambert-Racine, Analyst, Library of Parliament: Yes, for a few months.
The Chair: Mr. Fleury has been an analyst with the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance for a number of years. He also has experience with committees in the House of Commons. He has recently returned from an assignment as acting chief financial officer at the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. He has a master’s degree in taxation from the best university in Canada, the Université de Sherbrooke, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Université du Québec à Montréal. He has also been a pleasantly disposed chartered professional accountant since 2008.
Mr. Lambert-Racine has been an analyst with the Library of Parliament since 2013. He is joining the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance after spending a number of years supporting the work of House of Commons committees. He has a master’s degree in economics from the second-best university in Canada, the Université de Montréal.
Would someone move motion 6, on committing funds and certifying accounts?
Senator Galvez: I move it.
The Chair: Thank you. Senator Galvez moved:
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, the 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.
Shall the motion carry?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: I declare the motion carried.
Could someone move motion 7, with respect to travel?
Senator Marshall: I move motion 7.
The Chair: Senator Marshall 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.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: The motion is carried.
[English]
Motion 8: Designation of members travelling on committee business.
The Honourable Senator Forest 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.
Is the motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
Motion 9: Witness expenses.
The Honourable Senator MacAdam 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.
Motion carried?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Carried.
[Translation]
Motion 10 concerns communications. Honourable Senator Moreau 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, Broadcasting and Publications 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.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: The motion is carried.
The communications officer assigned to the committee is Monica Granados. She joined the Senate at the end of September 2024. She has extensive experience in parliamentary affairs, media relations and government communications, as well as knowledge of government relations in the private sector. Thank you for joining us and welcome. We hope that communications will be simple and that no management issues will occur.
Colleagues, another item is on the agenda: other business.
For your information, in terms of our regular meeting schedule, we are keeping our usual slots, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. on Wednesdays.
We have an optional motion, which reads as follows:
That members’ staff be allowed to attend in camera meetings, unless the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure decides otherwise.
We always want our staff to attend. If we decide otherwise, we can make the change.
Would someone move this motion?
Senator Gignac: I move it.
Senator Loffreda: I second it.
The Chair: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chair: The motion is carried.
I would like to move a motion to continue the meeting in camera to discuss future business, our schedules and the order of witness appearances.
(The committee continued in camera.)