Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Official Languages
Issue 1 - Evidence - Meeting of November 19, 2007
OTTAWA, Monday, November 19, 2007
The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages met this day at 5:30 p.m., in accordance with rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate, to hold its organisational meeting.
[Translation]
Éric Jacques, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I see that there is quorum. Welcome to the organization meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages. My name is Éric Jacques, the clerk assigned to this committee. It is my duty to preside over the election of the chair.
I am ready to take your nominations.
Senator Champagne: I move that the Honourable Senator Maria Chaput do take the chair of this committee.
The Clerk: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Champagne that the Honourable Senator Chaput take the chair of this committee.
Are there any other motions?
Hon. Senators: No.
The Clerk: I invite the Honourable Senator Chaput to take the chair.
Senator Maria Chaput (Chair) in the chair.
The Chairman: Let us move on to the election of a deputy chair.
Senator Losier-Cool: I move that the Honourable Senator Champagne be deputy chair of this committee.
The Chairman: Senator Champagne, do you accept the nomination?
Senator Champagne: It would be my pleasure.
The Chairman: Moving to item No. 3, Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
Senator Poulin: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: This means that we will be suggesting that an additional member of the committee sit on the subcommittee. Let us move on to item No. 4, Motion to print the committee's proceedings. As usual, this motion allows the committee to print its proceedings and authorize the chair to set the number to meet demand.
Senator Losier-Cool: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item No. 5, Authorization to hold meetings and to print evidence when quorum is not present.
Senator Tardif: I move the motion.
The Chairman: It is moved by Senator Tardif, seconded by Senator Champagne:
That, pursuant to rule 89, the chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the printing of the evidence when a quorum is not present . . .
Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item No. 6, Financial Report. You have before you the first report of the committee.
Senator Tardif: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the draft first report?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item 7, Research Staff.
Senator Champagne: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Before asking you to adopt the motion, I would like to introduce you to the research analyst from the Library of Parliament, Ms. Élise Hurtubise-Loranger. The new clerk is Mr. Éric Jacques, and we also have a new communications officer, Mr. Jean-Pierre Morin. We have an entirely new team. Élise was with us last year, but as a researcher rather than an analyst. She collaborated with Marie-Ève Hudon who is currently on maternity leave. With respect to the motion on research staff, is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item 8, Authority to commit funds and certify accounts.
Senator Tardif: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt this motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item 9 pertaining to travel.
Senator Champagne: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item 10, Designation of Members Travelling on Committee Business.
Senator Losier-Cool: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Item 11, Travelling and living expenses of witnesses.
Senator Murray: I so move.
The Chairman: Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chairman: Point 12, Electronic media coverage of public meetings.
Senator Poulin: I have a question on that. Do we have to seek permission from the Senate each time we want our proceedings covered? Is that decision not up to the committee?
The Chairman: I am going to ask the clerk.
Senator Poulin: That the Chair be authorized to seek permission. This is the first time I have ever seen that.
The Chairman: Do we seek permission?
The Clerk: The committee puts the request to the Senate once, and the proposal comes from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
Senator Poulin: Very well, thank you.
The Chairman: May I have a motion?
Senator Tardif: I move the motion.
The Chairman: Is it your pleasure to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Yes.
The Chairman: Point 13 on the agenda deals with the time slot for regular meetings.
Senator Murray: I thought we had agreed that meetings would start at 5:30 p.m.; has that changed?
The Chairman: No, this is what has always been presented, and this evening, we were going to recommend that regular meetings be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30. p.m. However, a committee member has just advised me that if we hold our meetings from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., he will be unable to participate.
Given that Senator Comeau had asked senators if that suited them and that there seemed to be agreement, does it make a difference if we sit at 5 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m.?
Senator Murray: I will have to think about it and look at the airline schedules. We will see.
Senator Losier-Cool: If we decide to change the meeting time, we must advise the whips.
The Chairman: We can decide to hold our meetings from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. We must advise the whips only in cases where the meeting goes beyond 7 p.m. We could decide to start at 5:30 p.m.
Senator Losier-Cool: Okay. I am available.
Senator Tardif: I would have no objection to starting at 5 p.m., if that can accommodate members. That may be a reasonable time, if it is a good compromise. That enables us to move our meetings up an hour.
Senator Poulin: My first choice would be four o'clock, but if 5 p.m. is better for more members, I will do my best.
The Chairman: When Senator Comeau consulted senators, it was precisely to push back the meeting time, as several members of the committee could not make it for 4 p.m. It is highly unlikely that the meeting time will go back to 4 p.m. All senators seemed happy with 5:30 p.m. You were not consulted.
What will we do for our next meeting? What is the wish of the committee?
Senator Champagne: Could you check with the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure that is to meet tomorrow at noon?
Senator Murray: I will go with the consensus.
Senator Champagne: We had all agreed to push the meeting time back to accommodate members from the Atlantic provinces.
The Chairman: And others too.
Senator Murray: There are other people as well.
Senator Champagne: The final decision could be made tomorrow at the meeting of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
The Chairman: We can undertake to consult the two other senators who are not here today, so that it is not earlier than 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., if we have no other choice. Does that suit you, Senator Murray?
Senator Murray: Yes.
The Chairman: We will look at that issue tomorrow.
Senator De Bané: I have given the utmost consideration to our colleague's constraints. Over the years, he has shown profound knowledge of this country as well as his interest for all issues affecting Canadian unity. Clearly, he has shown that to such an extent for so many years, that I would really like to do everything possible for him to be an active member of the committee.
The Chairman: We are going to move on to point 14, Other Business.
We are going to continue in camera to discuss the committee's future business.
The Chairman: I need a motion so that senators' staff as well as people from the communications office can remain at the meeting, and the motion should include transcription if you want the minutes to be transcribed.
Senator Losier-Cool: I move the motion.
Senator De Bané: May I suggest that the in camera meeting not include transcription? It is not necessary.
The Chairman: I do not see any problem with that. We will just ask that senators' and communications staff remain in the room for the in camera meeting.
Senator Losier-Cool: Yes.
The committee continued in camera.