The Joint Chair, the Hon. Sharon Carstairs, informed members that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure met on Tuesday, March 24, 2009, in accordance with the motion adopted by the Committee on Thursday, March 12, 2009, empowering the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to make decisions on behalf of the Committee with respect to its agenda, to invite witnesses and to schedule hearings; and agreed to the following:
1. That staff accompanying Committee members at today's in camera meeting of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be allowed to remain in the committee room during the meeting.
2. That the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament undertake a study on the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
3. That senior officials from the Treasury Board and the Privy Council Office involved in the study of the legislation that led to the establishment of a Parliamentary Budget Office within the Library of Parliament, be invited to appear before the Committee on Thursday, March 26, 2009; and that the consultant hired to assist the Library of Parliament, from October 2006 to June 2008, with the planning and implementation of this new position, also be invited to take part in the meeting.
4.
That former parliamentarians who were part of a focus group organized by the Library of Parliament to solicit their insights on how the Parliamentary Budget Officer might best serve Parliament, be invited to appear before the Committee on Thursday, April 2, 2009; including representation from each political party if at all possible.
5. That witnesses appearing before the Committee be given ten (10) minutes to make their opening statement; and that during the questioning of witnesses the time allocated to each questioner be 5 minutes.