Minutes

The Joint Interparliamentary Council met this day at 3:33 p.m., in room 356-S of the Centre Block, the Honourable David Tkachuk, Senator, presiding.

Representing the Senate:  Hon. David Tkachuk, Hon. Carolyn Stewart Olsen, and Hon. Larry Campbell for Hon. Marie‑P. Poulin, Senators.

Representing the House of Commons:  Denise Savoie, Harold Albrecht, Hon. Rob Merrifield, Philip Toone, Massimo Pacetti and Randy Hoback, MPs.

Others present:

Chairs and Co-Chairs of Parliamentary Associations:
Hon. Donald H. Oliver, Senator (IPU); Hon. Mauril Bélanger, MP; Hon. Raynell Andreychuk, Senator (Canada-Africa); Hon. Andrée Champagne, Senator (APF); Cheryl Gallant, MP; Hon. Pierre-Claude Nolin, Senator (NATO); Russ Hiebert, MP (CPA); Ed Holder, MP (Canada-UK); David Tilson, MP (Canada‑Europe); and Dean Allison, MP (OSCE).

In attendance:

From the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate: Jeremy LeBlanc, Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Associations; and Marie-Andrée Rainville, Manager, Resource planning and administration.

From the Senate: Nicole Proulx, Director of Finance, Finance and Procurement Directorate.

From the House of Commons: Gilles Larocque, Senior Financial Advisor, Policy and Financial Planning.

1. Approval of Minutes:

On motion of Senator Stewart Olsen, the minutes of the meeting of February 15, 2012 were approved.

2. Supplementary Budget Request (IPU):

Further the JIC’s request at its meeting of February 15, 2012, Senator Donald Oliver presented supplementary information to the JIC and answered questions in support of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s request for supplemental funding in 2011-2012.

3. Association Budgets – Presentations by Association Chairs/Co-Chairs:

Hon. Mauril Bélanger, MP, and Hon. Raynell Andreychuk, Senator, Co-Chairs of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association, presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

Hon. Andrée Champagne, Senator, Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

Cheryl Gallant, MP, Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and, with the Hon. Pierre-Claude Nolin, Senator, answered questions from JIC members.

Russ Hiebert, MP, Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

Ed Holder, MP, Chair of the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association, presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

David Tilson, MP, Chair of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, and Dean Allison, MP, Director for the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget requests for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

4. Varia:

On motion of Senator Campbell, it was agreed, that the Clerk of the Council be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the Council and its subcommittees.

5. Supplementary Budget Request:

Mr. Merrifield moved that funds equivalent to the airfare for six parliamentarians and two staff be allocated to the Canadian Group of the IPU from the anticipated surpluses of the Canada-China Legislative Association and the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group in order to permit their participation in the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Kampala, Uganda, and that the 2012-13 IPU budget be adjusted accordingly.

After discussion, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on division.

At 5:47 p.m., the Council adjourned to the call of the Co-Chairs.

Eric Janse

Clerk