QUESTION PERIOD — Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Business of the Committee
November 3, 2026
My question is for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, and it is a follow-up to Senator C. Deacon’s and my previous questions.
In 2022, the Senate unanimously adopted the Senate of Canada Environmental and Sustainability Policy Statement that committed the Senate to reducing its own carbon footprint to net zero by 2030. The Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Committee mandated that the Senate Advisory Working Group on Environment and Sustainability oversee a process to secure expertise to develop a measurement approach for the total carbon footprint of Senate activities and to provide recommendations to achieve targets. A contract was let in March 2023, and the phase 1 report was released in September of that year. However, we have not seen the phase 3 report.
Senator Loffreda, will you commit to releasing this important report so that all senators can have access to it?
Thank you, senator, for the question.
As you know, it is important to distinguish between the role of the chair and the authority of the committee. As the Chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, I cannot unilaterally decide to release a confidential report. The report was provided to the committee before I became chair, and any decision to release a confidential report must be taken collectively by the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Committee, and that is regardless of who is or was chair.
Indeed, the same principle would apply to the Senate itself. Confidential documents can only be made public through an appropriate decision of the body that holds them. The confidentiality of in camera proceedings is an important parliamentary principle. It allows committees to receive advice, examine options and deliberate candidly.
As chair, it is my responsibility to respect those rules, regardless of the subject matter under discussion. That said, I want to be clear that the Senate remains committed to the objective it adopted in 2022 of reducing its emissions —
Thank you, Senator Loffreda.
Senator Loffreda, we are not asking for records of any confidential in camera committee discussions. We are simply asking to see the consultant’s latest report and recommendations.
What will it take for senators to gain access to the report? Why the big secret?
Thank you, senator. As I indicated previously, this is not a matter that the Chair of the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Committee can decide alone. If senators believe the report should be released, I would encourage them to raise the matter with members of the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Committee and build support for that proposal. Should it be the will of the committee to consider releasing the report, I would be entirely open to that discussion and would respect whatever decision the committee ultimately reaches.
Additionally, the Senate remains committed to reducing emissions —
Senator Loffreda, thank you.
