THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Friday, May 8, 2020
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology met this day by videoconference at 12:30 p.m. ET, pursuant to rule 12-13 of the Rules of the Senate, to organize the activities of the committee.
[English]
Daniel Charbonneau, Clerk of the Committee: Honourable senators, I would like to welcome you to the organization meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. Before we proceed with the election of the chair, I would like to introduce the senators who are participating in this meeting: Senator Kutcher, Senator Dasko, Senator Petitclerc, Senator Seidman, Senator Poirier, Senator Munson, Senator Martin, Senator LaBoucane-Benson, Senator Pate, Senator Moodie, Senator Omidvar, Senator Campbell, Senator Forest-Niesing, Senator D. Black, Senator Mégie and Senator Griffin.
Honourable senators, there is a quorum. As clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Poirier: I nominate Senator Chantal Petitclerc as chair of the committee.
The Clerk: It is moved by the Honourable Senator Poirier that the Honourable Senator Petitclerc do take the chair of this committee. Honourable senators, in order to determine if this motion is adopted, may I ask those in favour to please raise their hand and keep their hand raised for 10 seconds. Thank you. Please lower your hand.
All those opposed, please raise your hand. Thank you. Please lower your hand.
All those who wish to abstain, please raise your hand. Please lower your hand. I declare the motion carried.
[Translation]
I invite the Honourable Senator Petitclerc to take the chair.
Senator Chantal Petitclerc (chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Thank you, and thank you, everyone.
[English]
Thank you so much for your trust. It is a privilege, a pleasure and a great responsibility to chair this very important committee. I look forward to working with all of you and continuing the committee’s work.
We now need to proceed with the election of a deputy chair, and I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.
Senator Griffin: I would like to nominate Senator Rose-May Poirier to the position of deputy chair.
The Chair: Thank you. The chair recognizes that the mover, Senator Griffin, proposes the nomination of Senator Poirier. Are there any other nominations?
If not, do we all agree that Senator Poirier will become the deputy chair of this committee? All those in favour, please raise your hand in response, and please keep your hand raised for 10 seconds. Please lower your hand.
All those opposed? All those who abstain? It is agreed and carried.
Congratulations, senator. I very much look forward to working with you.
We are now proceeding with Motion No. 3, and I will need a mover. I see someone has a hand raised. Senator Munson, you raised your hand?
Senator Munson: I understood you needed a mover on this motion. Is that right?
The Chair: Yes. I also see —
Senator Munson: I so move.
The Chair: Thank you. I do see many raised hands of those who wish to speak.
Senator Omidvar: Thank you, chair, and congratulations to the steering committee on your election. I have a question around this motion, which empowers the standing committee to make decisions on behalf of the committee with respect to its agenda, witnesses, et cetera.
I want to ask a question around the work plan, because it’s not yet available to us, and I want to confirm that senators can bring a motion forward at any committee to review the work plan or add a witness, but this motion does not give blanket authority on moving forward on panels, witnesses and work plans without us having the opportunity to weigh in on them.
I want to be clear about that.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Omidvar, for the concern that you are raising. Yes, indeed, I understand and we all understand that everyone is very anxious to get to work and have a work plan in front of them. You must also realize that the steering was formally constituted 10 seconds ago and, in fact, we are not in a position to articulate a work plan, although it is understood that we have been in communication together informally. But now that we are formally a steering committee and a committee, the work plan is in process and we will discuss it during the in camera portion of this meeting.
I also want to reassure you and all senators that the committee is master of its own decisions, and at any time and for any concerns, the committee has the right to bring and to have a decision in front of steering, of course. I want to reassure you of that. Does that answer your concern?
Senator Omidvar: Am I unmuted? Can you hear me?
The Chair: You are unmuted. Yes, I can hear you now.
Senator Omidvar: Thank you, that does answer it; but it’s more a question of process than a concern. I guess we’ll hear more in camera, but I want to go on record, so to say, that we will have the opportunity to review the work plan — not just for this study but for other studies — and we are able to make adjustments. As you said, the committee is master of its own house. I’m comfortable with that on the record.
The Chair: Absolutely. I will ask that you are indulgent with me with all the little raised hand signals. I’m doing my best to keep track with this new adventure in technology. I do see Senator Martin has a raised hand.
Senator Munson, I believe you are still raising your hand to propose the motion. I will let Senator Martin take the floor first to let us know what she wants to voice.
Senator Martin: I also add my congratulatory remarks to you, Senator Poirier, the third member of the steering committee and all the committee members. I am not a regular member on the committee per se, and today I am participating as an ex-officio member. I was wanting some clarification, in addition to what Senator Omidvar asked. Yes, the committee the master of its own domain; all committees are. I know that you will be discussing work plans in camera and, of course, the members of the steering will meet more often because under your chair role, this is something that is ongoing.
But I also wanted to clarify that these committee meetings we have begun — and I’m happy to be a part of today’s session — are for the purpose of really looking at what is happening with the COVID-19. And although you are the master of your own domain and you will be studying that — because there are so many other things that could be looked at — it will all be in relation to oversight with the current COVID-19 challenges that have befallen all of us. That’s where the focus of the study will be for the immediate future or short term or perhaps mid term, depending on how quickly we get back to Ottawa. That’s what I would hope to see. Am I correct in saying that?
The Chair: Yes, you are correct. I think all members, non-members and the new steering committee are aware of the motion that has been passed and demanded that we received the mandate, as you have seen, which is broad but at the same time quite specific in terms of this committee being responsible for oversight and look at the response of the government to COVID-19.
So this is what we intend to do, after collaboration and discussion with steering and all members of this committee.
Senator Munson: I see that Senator Kutcher had to leave for another obligation, so I’d like to move the motion on his behalf that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of the chair, deputy chair and another 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 Chair: Thank you, Senator Munson, for moving this motion. All those in favour, please raise your hand in response and please keep your hand raised for 10 seconds.
Please lower your hands.
All those opposed, please raise your hands for 10 seconds.
All those who abstain please raise your hands.
I now declare the motion carried and I will need a mover for Motion No. 4.
[Translation]
Motion No. 4 reads as follows in French:
That the committee have its proceedings printed.
Senator Mégie: I move:
That the committee have its proceedings printed.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Mégie. All those in favour, please raise your hand in response and keep your hand raised for 10 seconds. Thank you. All those opposed to the motion, please raise your hand. Are there any abstentions? Thank you. The motion is carried.
[English]
I will now need a mover for Motion No. 5, which reads:
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.
Unfortunately, we could not hear you, Senator Seidman.
Senator Seidman: Can you hear me now?
The Chair: Yes.
Senator Seidman: Sorry about that. I so move.
The Chair: Thank you.
All those in favour, please raise your hand in response and keep your hands raised for 10 seconds.
Please lower your hand.
All those opposed, please raise your hand for 10 seconds.
All those who abstain, please raise your hands for 10 seconds.
[Translation]
Before I continue with Motion No. 6 in French, I want to note that Senator Manning has returned and is now participating in this meeting. Welcome. I’ll continue with Motion No. 6, which reads as follows:
That, pursuant to the Senate guidelines for witnesses’ 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.
Senator Forest-Niesing: I so move.
The Chair: Thank you.
All those in favour, please raise your hand and keep your hand raised for 10 seconds.
Thank you.
All those opposed, please raise your hand.
All those who abstain, please raise your hand.
[English]
The motion is carried.
Motion No. 7 reads:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to direct communications officer(s) assigned to the committee in the development of communications plans and products where appropriate and to request the services of the Senate Communications Directorate for the purposes of the promotion of their work; and
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 proceedings, at its discretion.
Do I have a mover?
Senator Munson: I so move.
The Chair: Thank you so much.
All those in favour, please raise your hand in response and please keep them raised for 10 seconds.
Please lower your hand.
All those opposed, please raise your hand.
All those who abstain.
The motion is carried.
This is the end of this part of the meeting. We all worked well together and I’m sure that it’s going to be a great year ahead, and great work and great adventure as well.
Thank you very much for your commitment to this organization meeting and the following meeting.
Is it agreed, honourable senators, that we will now proceed with an in camera meeting to discuss future business?
All those in favour, please raise your hand in response and please keep your hand raised for 10 seconds.
All those opposed? All those who abstain?
It is agreed and please wait until the clerk advises that the committee is now in camera. I ask the senators who are members of the committee to please remain with us for this in camera meeting, and we will wait for our clerk to advise us when the committee is officially in camera.
Thank you very much.
(The committee continued in camera.)