Honourable senators, I’ll be very brief. Notwithstanding the substance of Senator Housakos’s and other orders to committees, it’s been a long-time tradition — and I want to highlight this — that committees are masters of their own destiny. Notwithstanding an order that goes to committee, in the final analysis a committee can decide what they’re going to do. They have lots of priorities — government business and other business — particularly during this time of a pandemic.

I wonder why people would want to be on committees if all we do is accept individual orders from the Senate and refer them off to committees.

I think, particularly for the newer senators, notwithstanding that the rules allow the reference — it’s rule 12-9 (1) of the Rules of the Senate that provides the standing committees with authority to “inquire into and report on such matters as may be referred to them by the Senate.” However, my understanding is that a long-time tradition of the Senate is that the Senate Rules do not explicitly require that committees undertake or even complete such studies.

I want to highlight that for the committee members to set their agendas. There are very good orders of reference being referred here by various people; some of them may be accepted by the committees, and others may not be accepted.

Senator Housakos, do you wish to ask a question?

Senator Downe, would you take a question?

Yes.

Senator Downe, you have a long and successful experience here in the Senate, and I do acknowledge that the tradition in this chamber has been to give latitude to committees to be, as you state, masters of their own destiny. But you will agree, I would think, that at the end of the day committees serve at the pleasure of this chamber. The superior authority of this institution is this chamber, and there have been many instances where special reports have been required. Issues and questions of reference have been sent to committees that don’t necessarily initiate from members of the committee or the steering committee, but have been initiatives of this chamber.

That’s why, as I know from the tradition of this place —

I understand there is one speaker in this chamber.

The question I have is: Are we going to respect that tradition of the committees’ understanding that the master of their destiny is this chamber, ultimately?

That’s exactly the point I was trying to make, and maybe I didn’t make it clear enough. Let me be clearer. The reference to the committee is a reference. The committee decides whether they’re going to do it or not. The Senate, when the committee reports back, may return it to the committee with further instructions, or not. But the committee members, particularly newer senators, should realize that they are on the committee. They can drive their agenda and determine what to do.

Notwithstanding the substance of many of these orders, which is very impressive, but at the final analysis it’s up to the committee.

Senator Forest, do you have a question for Senator Downe?

I want to clarify which item we’re on. I thought that we had already finished with Senator Housakos’s previous —

Just for clarification, Senator Housakos finished his 15 minutes and wasn’t given any further time, at which time Senator Downe stood to enter debate.

In the meantime you went on to the announcement of Royal Assent. So I thought we had finished with the item already. Have we not?

No. I interrupted the item to announce the Royal Assent, then went back to it because I had seen Senator Downe rise before I went to Royal Assent and said I would come back to him. I came back to him, he wished to enter the debate, which is his right, he stood to enter the debate, Senator Housakos asked him some questions, which is his right, and now we’re moving on.