THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL ECONOMY, BUDGETS AND ADMINISTRATION
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Thursday, September 10, 2020
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met by videoconference this day at 11 a.m. [ET], in public and in camera, pursuant to rule 12-7(1), for the consideration of financial and administrative matters.
Senator Sabi Marwah (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Good morning. My name is Sabi Marwah, I’m a senator from Ontario and I have the privilege to chair the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. Today, we will be conducting a virtual meeting that will start in public. The second portion of the meeting will be in camera.
Before we begin, I would like to remind colleagues of the best practices to have a successful meeting. First, please keep your microphone muted at all times unless recognized by name to speak.
Second, interpretation during this video conference will work very much like in a regular committee meeting. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of English, French or no simultaneous translation. It is important that members speak in the language they have chosen to listen to. If you plan to alternate from one language to another, you will need to also switch the interpretation channel to the language you are speaking.
Should members want to request the floor, please use the raise hand feature.
Should any technical challenges arise to interpretation or other issues, please signal this to the chair or the clerk immediately and the technical team will work to resolve the issue. Please note that we may need to suspend during these times as we need to ensure that all members are able to participate fully.
I would now like to introduce the senators who are participating in this meeting: Senator Salma Ataullahjan, Ontario; Senator Tony Dean, Ontario; Senator Percy Downe, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Senator Renée Dupuis, the Laurentides, Quebec; Senator Éric Forest, Gulf, Quebec; Senator Raymonde Gagné, Manitoba; Senator Mobina Jaffer, British Columbia; Senator Elizabeth Marshall, Newfoundland and Labrador; Senator Yonah Martin, British Columbia; Senator Marilou McPhedran, Manitoba; Senator Lucie Moncion, Ontario; Senator Jim Munson, Ontario; Senator Kim Pate, Ontario; Senator Don Plett, Manitoba; Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain, Quebec; Senator Judith Seidman, Montreal, Quebec; Senator Scott Tannas, Alberta; Senator Josée Verner, Quebec; Senator Pierre Dalphond, Quebec; and Senator Josée Forest-Niesing, Ontario.
Welcome to all those viewing across the country as well.
Moving to Item 1, honourable senators, a copy of the public minutes from August 27, 2020, is in your package. Are there any questions or changes?
Can I have a mover for the following motion: That the minutes of the proceedings of Thursday, August 27, 2020, be adopted?
Senator Dean: I so move.
The Chair: Senator Dean moves the motion.
Honourable senators, in order to determine if this motion is adopted, the clerk will proceed with a roll call vote. I would ask every senator to unmute their microphone once their name is called.
Pascale, could you proceed, please?
Pascale Legault, Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, Senate of Canada: Honourable senators, I will call the member’s name, beginning with the chair, and then going in alphabetical order. Senators should indicate if they vote for, against or abstain. As simultaneous interpretation will be suspended for the vote, I will conduct the vote in both official languages.
The Honourable Senator Marwah?
Senator Marwah: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan?
Senator Ataullahjan: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Dean?
Senator Dean: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Downe?
Senator Downe: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Dupuis?
Senator Dupuis: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Forest?
Senator Forest: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Gagné?
Senator Gagné: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Jaffer?
Senator Jaffer: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Marshall?
Senator Marshall: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Martin?
Senator Martin: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator McPhedran?
Senator McPhedran: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Moncion?
Senator Moncion: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Munson?
Senator Munson: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Plett?
Senator Plett: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain?
Senator Saint-Germain: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Seidman?
Senator Seidman: Yes.
Ms. Legault: The Honourable Senator Tannas?
Senator Tannas: Yes.
Ms. Legault: Mr. Chair, we have 17 votes in favour.
The Chair: Thank you. I declare the motion carried.
Is there any other public business, senators? I see no hands up. If not, we will go in camera.
(The committee continued in camera.)