Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate, I move, seconded by the Honourable Senators Housakos, Saint-Germain, Tannas and Francis:

That the Rules of the Senate be modified:

1.by renumbering current rule 3-4 as rule 3-4(1);

2.by adding the following new rule 3-4(2):

“Sitting on day of death of a Senator

3-4. (2) If a Senator dies on a day the Senate sits, either before or during the sitting, the Speaker shall advise the Senate of the death as soon as practicable during the sitting. The Speaker shall then observe a minute of silence in honour of the deceased Senator. The Senate should then normally adjourn, as soon as practicable, following the adoption of a motion that would be moved pursuant to regular procedures. For greater certainty, this normal practice does not, in the absence of leave, take precedence over any other provisions of these Rules.”;

3.in rule 12-18(1), by replacing the words “Except as otherwise ordered by the Senate” by the words “Except as provided in subsection (4), or as otherwise ordered by the Senate”;

4.in rule 12-18(2), by replacing the words “in subsection (3)” by the words “in subsections (3) and (4)”;

5.in rule 12-18(3), by replacing the words “The Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight” by the words “Except as provided in subsection (4), the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight”;

6.by adding the following new rules 12-18(4) and (5):

“Death of a Senator

12-18. (4) Except as provided in subsection (5), if the Senate follows normal practice and adjourns after being informed of the death of a Senator, as outlined in rule 3-4(2), and the motion to adjourn mentions that rule or the senator moving the motion notes that it is moved pursuant to that rule, the Clerk of the Senate shall cause all subsequent committee meetings scheduled that day that have not yet started to be cancelled. The Clerk shall also advise the chair of any committee then meeting of the death, whereupon the chair shall advise the committee, which shall observe a minute of silence in honour of the deceased Senator, after which the chair shall immediately adjourn the meeting. No other committee meetings shall be scheduled to take place on the day the Senate is informed of the Senator’s death.

Committee meeting if a Senator dies

12-18. (5) The provisions of subsection (4) shall not apply:

(a) if the Leader or Representative of the Government, the Leader of the Opposition, and the leader or facilitator of any other recognized party or recognized parliamentary group, or their designates, unanimously agree that it is in the public interest that a committee meeting either continue or take place, provided, for greater certainty, that if such a meeting was cancelled pursuant to subsection (4) before this determination, the meeting may be called again for that day; or

(b) if the committee is meeting outside the parliamentary precinct pursuant to previous authority granted by the Senate.”; and

7.in rule 12-28:

(a)by replacing the words “The committee” by the words “Except as otherwise provided, the committee”; and

(b)by adding, at the end of the rule, an exception referring to new rule 12-18(4).