Minutes

The Joint Interparliamentary Council met this day at 7:35 a.m., in room 356‑S of the Centre Block, the Honourable David Tkachuk, Senator, presiding.

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

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

Others present:

Chairs and Co-Chairs of Parliamentary Associations:

Hon. Claudette Tardif, Senator (Canada-France);
Mike Wallace, MP (Canada-Japan);
Hon. Paul E. McIntyre, Senator (APF);
David Tilson, MP (Canada-Europe);
Dean Allison, MP (OSCE); and
Hon. Janis G. Johnson, Senator (Canada-US).

In attendance:

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

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. Comartin, the minutes of the meeting of February 5, 2014, were approved.

2. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – Letter from Speakers to IPU President:

The Chair drew members’ attention to a letter sent jointly by the Speakers to the IPU President regarding the IPU international contribution and its Executive’s Sub-Committee on Finance.

3. Status of Liberal Senators:

At 7:36 a.m., the Council proceeded to sit in camera.

After debate, it was agreed that the status quo should be maintained for all association activities and executive committees in relation to the participation of Liberal Senators.

At 7:50 a.m., the Council proceeded to sit in public.

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

Hon. Claudette Tardif, Senator, and Hon. Michel Rivard, Senator, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Canada-France Interparliamentary Association, presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

Mike Wallace, MP, Co-Chair of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group, presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

Hon. Paul E. McIntyre, Senator, Acting Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2014-2015 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 2014-2015 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

Hon. Janis G. Johnson, Senator, and Gordon Brown, MP, Co-Chairs of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, presented the work and planned activities of the association, as well as their related budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, and answered questions from JIC members.

At 9:11 a.m., the Council adjourned to the call of the Co-Chairs.

Eric Janse

Clerk