Proceedings of the Standing Joint Committee for the 
Scrutiny of Regulations

Issue 1 - Evidence - Meeting of June 23, 2011

OTTAWA, Thursday, June 23, 2011

Pursuant to rule 88 of the Rules of the Senate and House of Commons Standing Order 106(1), the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations met this day at 8:42 a.m. to hold an organization meeting.

[English]

Marcy Zlotnick, Joint Clerk of the Committee: I would like to welcome all the members of the committee. Since we have a quorum, I now call this meeting to order.

[Translation]

As joint clerk of this committee, it is my duty, along with the other joint clerk, to preside over the election of the chair.

[English]

I am now ready to receive motions for the election of the joint Senate chair.

Mr. Cash: I would like to nominate Senator Bob Runciman.

Ms. Zlotnick: Thank you, Mr. Cash.

Are there any other nominations?

Senator Moore: I move they close.

Ms. Zlotnick: It is moved by Mr. Cash that Senator Runciman do take the Senate joint chair of the committee. Is it your pleasure, honourable members, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

Ms. Zlotnick: I would invite Senator Runciman to take the chair.

Senator Bob Runciman (Joint Chair) in the chair.

[Translation]

Ms. Zlotnick: I will now give the floor to my joint clerk to continue with the elections.

[English]

Andrew Lauzon, Joint Clerk of the Committee: Good morning, my name is Andrew Lauzon, and I am the joint clerk on the house side. I will be presiding over the election of the joint chair acting on behalf of the house. I am ready to receive motions for the joint chair.

Mr. Saxton: I would like to nominate Madam Françoise Boivin.

Mr. Lauzon: It has been moved by Mr. Saxton that Madam Françoise Boivin be elected as joint chair. Is it your pleasure, honourable members, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

Mr. Lauzon: I declare the motion carried and Françoise Boivin duly elected joint chair.

Ms. Françoise Boivin (Joint Chair) in the chair.

If the committee wishes, I will proceed with the election of the vice-chairs.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the government party, acting on behalf of the house. I am now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.

Mr. Pacetti: I propose Mr. Garry Breitkreuz.

Mr. Lauzon: It has been moved by Mr. Massimo Pacetti that Mr. Garry Breitkreuz be elected as first vice-chair.

Are there any further nominations? Is it your pleasure, honourable members, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

Mr. Lauzon: I declare the motion carried and Mr. Breitkreuz duly elected first vice-chair.

Next is the election of the second vice-chair.

[Translation]

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition. I am now ready to receive nominations for the position of second vice-chair.

[English]

Mr. Brown: I move that Mr. Massimo Pacetti be nominated as the second vice-chair.

Mr. Lauzon: It has been moved by Mr. Patrick Brown that Mr. Massimo Pacetti be elected as second vice-chair.

[Translation]

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

The Joint Clerk (Mr. Lauzon): I declare the motion carried and Massimo Pacetti duly elected second vice-chair.

[English]

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Thank you for that overwhelming support. It is very much appreciated. I am a new member of this committee, as are some of you. There are returning members, and we will lean on them heavily for advice and support.

I have been told that historically this has been a non-partisan committee in its operations, and hopefully we can maintain that tradition going forward.

I am going to, along with Ms. Boivin, work out how we share the responsibilities as we proceed through our agenda. Rather than reading all of the motions that we have to complete here today, I will just go through them on a number basis, read the title and ask for your support. Then we will read the motion as such, and hopefully we can get through this. I have another meeting to attend to. My schedule is a little pressing. If anyone has any concerns about that process, let me know.

Seeing none, I will go to Item No. 4, Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. Do we have someone to move this motion?

Senator Moore: So moved.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): It is moved by Senator Moore. Are there comments?

Mr. Saxton: I would like to discuss the make-up of the subcommittee, if this is the appropriate time to do so.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Yes.

Mr. Saxton: First of all, the joint chairs are automatically members of the subcommittee, as are the vice-chairs. An opposition senator is a member of the subcommittee, and I would like to move that a member of the government from the House of Commons also be a member of the subcommittee.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): This is a variation in terms of what we have before us.

Mr. Saxton: Yes, it is a variation. It would be a change from a member of the opposition in the House of Commons to a member of the government from the House of Commons.

The Joint Chair (Ms. Boivin): Sounds good.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): No other comment on that?

Mr. Saxton: The six members of the subcommittee would then comprise of the two joint chairs, the two vice-chairs, one member from the opposition in the Senate and one member of the government from the House of Commons.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Discussion? Hearing none, all in favour? Carried.

Item No. 5 is a motion to publish the committee's proceedings. Do we have a mover?

Mr. Larose has moved that the committee publish its proceedings in both official languages and that the joint chairs be authorized to set the number to meet demand. Is it agreed?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Item No. 6 is unrevised transcripts. Do we have a mover?

The Joint Chair (Ms. Boivin): Mr. David Wilks.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): It is moved by Mr. Wilks:

That the committee's General Counsel review the unrevised transcripts of the proceedings of the committee.

All in favour?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

Item No. 7 is the adoption of the first report.

[Translation]

The Joint Chair (Ms. Boivin): Did everyone receive a copy of the first report?

Ms. Zlotnick: The page did not hand it out.

The Joint Chair (Ms. Boivin): The report is primarily for the Senate. It sets out their expenses, because they must report that information to the Senate. The rest of the report deals with routine operations.

[English]

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): I am told that it also sets out the criteria of the process. I am not sure if anyone has concerns about that. I wonder if it is appropriate to give you a little time. We could move on to the next item and return to this one. That will give some members an opportunity to take a look at it and see if you have any concerns to raise at this point in time.

We will move on to Item No. 8, the authorization of expenditures.

Senator Moore: So moved.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): It is moved by Senator Moore:

That either joint chair or, in accordance with the direction of the joint chairs, either joint clerk be authorized to approve payment of expenditures of the committee.

Do we have agreement on that motion?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

Item No. 9 relates to the travelling and living expenses of witnesses.

Senator Harb: So moved.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Senator Harb has moved that —

Senator Moore: Question.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Is it agreed?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

Item No. 10 is the electronic media coverage of public meetings. It is moved by Mr. Albas:

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to allow coverage by electronic media of the full committee's public proceedings with the least possible disruption of its hearings at its discretion —

Is it agreed?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

Item No. 11 concerns travel by members. Do we have a mover?

Senator Harb: So moved.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): It is moved by Senator Harb:

That the committee empower the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to designate, as required, one or more members of the committee and/or such staff as may be necessary to travel on assignment on behalf of the committee.

Is it agreed?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

Item No. 12 is the time slot for regular meetings.

Senator Harb: So moved.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Are all members in agreement with that?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

The Joint Chair (Ms. Boivin): Back to Item No. 7.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Has everyone had a chance to have a quick read of that motion?

Senator Moore: This is pretty much boilerplate, standard stuff. I will move that.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Senator Moore has moved Motion No. 7, which is adoption of our first report. Does anyone else have an observation with respect to this motion? Seeing none, is everyone in agreement?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Carried.

Is there any other business?

We have a couple of options with respect to schedules, or we are advised that it can be left to the call of the joint chairs. Option one sees us meeting in September, with two meetings in October, two in November and two in December. Option two would have one in September, one in October, two in November and two in December.

Is that being circulated at the moment? We will give you a minute to take a look at it. Would you rather defer this matter and leave it to the call of the chairs?

Mr. Pacetti: If I may, Mr. Chair, just leave it to the call of the chair. If the Senate and House of Commons are not sitting, I do not see how you will be able to call the meeting for September 22. We will meet on September 29, at which point we can decide how much work we have to do.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Is everyone in agreement?

Hon. Members: Agreed.

Mr. Saxton: We cannot really count on December 15 as a certainty; it has always been optional. That is just a comment.

The Joint Chair (Senator Runciman): Thank you.

(The committee adjourned.)