QUESTION PERIOD — Privy Council Office
Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments
May 5, 2021
Honourable senators, let me change gears and move away from vaccines for a moment.
Senator Gold, the so-called Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments has not publicly issued a report on its activities since December 5, 2018. That report covered the period of April to September 2018, meaning that Canadians have not been provided with updated information on the work of that board for about three years. That sounds like our budget.
Just to provide some context, since October 2018 the Prime Minister has announced the appointment of 12 of our colleagues to this chamber.
Senator Gold, could you please tell us why the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments hasn’t bothered to report to Canadians since December 2018? If your government has indeed received these reports, why haven’t you made them public? Will you make them public?
Senator Plett, to be very brief, I don’t have the answers to your questions and I’m not aware of whether any reports have been issued, much less received. I’ll make inquiries and report back.
You’re the leader of the government, Senator Gold, with all respect.
In the most recent publicly available report covering April to September 2018, the estimated cost for the advisory board for that six-month period was in the range of $550,000.
Senator Gold, could you please confirm for us, even if not today, the final costs incurred by the advisory board during that period as well as all costs incurred by that board since September 2018?
I will certainly make inquiries.
Thank you.
