Minutes

The Joint Interparliamentary Council met this day, in camera, at 3:31 p.m., in room 356-S of the Centre Block, the Honourable David Tkachuk, Senator, presiding.

Representing the Senate:  Hon. David Tkachuk, Daniel Lang for Marjory LeBreton, and Jim Munson, Senators.

Representing the House of Commons:  Joe Comartin, Dave Mackenzie, Hon. Ron Cannan, Sadia Groguhé, Frank Valeriote, Randy Hoback and Gordon Brown, MPs.

Others present:

Chairs and Co-Chairs of Parliamentary Associations:

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan, Senator and Chair of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU);
Hon. Claude Nolin, Senator and Member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA);
James Rajotte, MP and Chair of the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association;
Joe Preston, MP and Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA);
Dean Allison, MP and OSCE PA Director, Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association.

In attendance:

From the Senate: Sloan Mask, Financial Advisor, Planning and Corporate Reporting, Finance and Procurement Directorate.

From the House of Commons:
Naim Bellemare, Senior Financial Advisor, Policy and Financial Planning.

1. Approval of Minutes:

On motion of Mr. Brown the minutes of the meeting of November 5, 2014 were approved.

2. Supplementary budgets requests:

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan, Senator and Chair of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), presented a supplementary budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered questions from JIC members.

Joe Preston, MP, Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), presented a supplementary budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered questions from JIC members.

Dean Allison, MP, Chair of the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) presented a supplementary budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered questions from JIC members.

Hon. Claude Nolin, Senator and Member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) presented a supplementary budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered questions from JIC members.

3. IPU:

The Council discussed the presentation made by the Canadian Group of the IPU at its meeting on November 5, 2014, on the organization’s efforts to reduce the budget and membership fees of the association.  

After debate, Mr. Mackenzie moved --That the Council recommend to the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and to the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy that the Parliament of Canada withdraw from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unless the internal economy committees provide additional funding (to cover membership fees and activities) to enable the IPU to adequately fulfill its mandate.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to by a show of hands:  Yeas: 6, Nays 4.

4. Supplementary budgets requests:

The Council resumed its discussion on supplementary budget requests. After debate, it was agreed to allocate the full amounts requested which were as follows:

IPU     $20,000
CPA    $27,000
OSCE  $30,000
NATO  $30,000

It was further agreed that these amounts would be financed via the current and future surpluses projected by other associations.

At 4:15 p.m., the Council adjourned to the call of the Co-Chairs.

Eric Janse

Clerk