Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Issue No. 1 - Minutes of Proceedings - December 11, 2015
OTTAWA, Friday, December 11, 2015
(1)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met this day at 2:11 p.m., in room 160-S, Centre Block, for the purpose of holding its organization meeting, pursuant to rule 12-13.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Baker, P.C., Batters, Dagenais, Jaffer, McIntyre, Plett and Runciman (7).
In attendance: Julian Walker and Maxime Charron-Tousignant, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
Pursuant to rule 12-13, the clerk of the committee presided over the election of the chair.
The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved:
That the Honourable Senator Ruciman do take the chair of this committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The clerk invited Senator Ruciman to take the chair.
The chair presided over the election of the deputy chair.
The Honourable Senator Dagenais moved:
That the Honourable Senator Jaffer be deputy chair of this committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, the deputy chair, and one other member of the committee, to be designated after the usual consultation; and
That the subcommittee be empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses, and to schedule hearings.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator McIntyre moved:
That the committee publish its proceedings.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., moved:
That, pursuant to rule 12-17, the chair be authorized to hold meetings, to receive and authorize the publication of the evidence when a quorum is not present, provided that a member of the committee from both the opposition and the Senate Liberals be present.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator McIntyre moved:
That the committee ask the Library of Parliament to assign analysts to the committee;
That the chair be authorized to seek authority from the Senate to engage the services of such counsel and technical, clerical, and other personnel as may be necessary for the purpose of the committee's examination and consideration of such bills, subject-matters of bills, and estimates as are referred to it;
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to retain the services of such experts as may be required by the work of the committee; and
That the chair, on behalf of the committee, direct the research staff in the preparation of studies, analyses, summaries, and draft reports.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., moved:
That, pursuant to section 7, chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority to commit funds be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chair, and the clerk of the committee;
That, pursuant to section 8, chapter 3:06 of the Senate Administrative Rules, authority for certifying accounts payable by the committee be conferred individually on the chair, the deputy chair, and the clerk of the committee; and
That, notwithstanding the foregoing, in cases related to consultants and personnel services, the authority to commit funds and certify accounts be conferred jointly on the chair and deputy chair.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved:
That the committee empower the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to designate, as required, one or more members of the committee and/or such staff as may be necessary to travel on assignment on behalf of the committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Dagenais moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be authorized to:
1) determine whether any member of the committee is on "official business" for the purposes of paragraph 8(3) (a) of the Senators Attendance Policy, published in the Journals of the Senate on Wednesday, June 3, 1998; and
2) consider any member of the committee to be on "official business" if that member is: (a) attending an event or meeting related to the work of the committee; or (b) making a presentation related to the work of the committee; and
That the subcommittee report at the earliest opportunity any decisions taken with respect to the designation of members of the committee travelling on committee business.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Baker, P.C., moved:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witness expenses, the committee may reimburse reasonable travelling and living expenses for one witness from any one organization and payment will take place upon application, but that the chair be authorized to approve expenses for a second witness should there be exceptional circumstances.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator McIntyre moved:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow coverage by electronic media of the committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings at its discretion.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
The chair informed the committee that the regular time slots for its meetings are Wednesday afternoons from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., and Thursday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..
The Honourable Senator Jaffer moved:
That each committee member be allowed to have one staff person present at in camera meetings, unless there is a decision for a particular meeting to exclude all staff.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 2:16 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Jessica Richardson
Clerk of the committee