(Amended March 27, 1996, April 24, 2002, and November 28, 2007)
1. Name:
This
organization shall be known as the "Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary
Group".
2. Aim:
The Canadian
Section of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group shall promote exchanges
between Japanese and Canadian Parliamentarians, propose initiatives likely to
lead to a better mutual understanding of bilateral and multilateral problems
and work to develop co-operation between the two countries in all the fields of
human activity.
3. Membership:
(1) Membership
is open to all Members of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada on
application and payment of a nominal membership fee.
(2) Ex-officio
members - the Speakers of the Senate and House of Commons shall be the Honorary
Chairs and the Leaders and the House Leaders of the recognized political
parties in both Chambers shall be the Honorary Vice-Chairs who shall serve in
an advisory non-voting role.
4. Operating Year:
The operating
year of the Canadian Section shall correspond to the fiscal year, commencing on
the first day of April and ending on the thirty-first day of March.
5. Annual General Meeting:
(1) An Annual
General Meeting must be held within 60 calendar days of the Opening of a new
Parliament.
(2) The Annual
General Meeting of the Canadian Section shall take place at least once every
fiscal year. The Executive Committee, or any ten members of the Canadian
Section, may call a meeting of the general membership upon at least two week’s
written notice. The Quorum shall be 15 provided that the Senate and the House
of Commons are represented. It shall:
(a) elect the
members of the Executive Committee;
(b) receive a
summary report of the expenses of the previous fiscal year and a written report
of the association’s activities for that year from the Co-Chairs;
(c) amend,
where necessary and with one week’s notice, the Group statutes by a two-thirds
majority vote of the members present;
(d) make
suggestions and adopt resolutions in accordance with the aims of the Group;
(e) transact
any other necessary business.
(3) In order
to be eligible to vote, parliamentarians shall be members of the association at
least seven days prior to the AGM. Once the deadline has passed, the names of
all members eligible to vote shall be placed on a voters list.
(4) The
election shall be presided over by a parliamentarian to be chosen from a list
that has received the approval of the Speakers of the Senate and the House of
Commons who is not nominated for a position on the executive of the association.”
(5) Elections
shall be conducted by secret ballot with the support of the Executive secretary
and additional necessary staff from the International and Interparliamentary
Affairs Directorate.
(6) The ballot
box shall be placed in full view and each parliamentarian shall insert his or
her own ballot into the box.
6. Special General Meeting:
A Special
General Meeting of the membership may be called at any time by the Co-Chairs or
any ten members of the Canadian Group. Notice shall be given as for an Annual
General Meeting. It shall transact only such business as was specified in the
notice of the meeting.
7. Executive Committee:
(1) The
Executive of the Group shall be responsible for the general management of the
affairs of the Group and shall report thereof at each Annual Meeting of the
Group.
(2) The
Executive shall consist of ten elected members as follows:
(a)
Co-Chairs, one from the Senate and one from the House of Commons. The term of
office for the Co-Chairs shall be two years, with re-election possible: the
House Co-Chair being elected on odd years and the Senate Co-Chair on even
years;
(b) Two
Vice-Chairs, one from the Senate and one from the House of Commons;
(c) Six
additional members.
(3) Members
shall be members of the Group in good standing.
(4) Each House
and each recognized political party in the Canadian Parliament shall be
represented in the Executive Committee.
(5) The
Executive shall meet at the call of the Co-Chairs or any four of its members.
(6) The
Co-Chairs shall assume the duties normally associated with that office
including that of presiding officer at meetings of the Executive and general
membership.
(7) The
Executive shall meet at least twice each fiscal year. The Quorum shall be
five. Its responsibilities include:
(a) calling
and conducting of meetings;
(b)
organizing inter-parliamentary exchanges;
(c) preparing
and presenting annual budgets and financial statements;
(d)
submitting regular reports to Parliament and the Speakers as appropriate;
(e)
submitting the reports to the membership as required;
(f) preparing
and implementing programs of the Group's activities;
(g) draw up a
work plan and submit it to the General Meeting;
(h) approve
any activities, including travel, that are added to the association’s work plan
over the course of the year;
(i) convene
the AGM.
(8) The
Executive may replace for the balance of the term any of its members who are
unable or unwilling to carry out their duties.
8. Nominations Committee:
(1) There
shall be a Nominations Committee for the election of the Executive constituted
as follows:
(a) The
Co-Chairs;
(b) The Whips
of both Houses.
(1.1) The
Association secretary shall distribute nomination forms to all members of the
Association.
(2) The
Committee shall meet at the call of the Co-Chairs to submit to the Annual
General Meeting the names of all members who may have been proposed and to
recommend an Executive.
(3) Other
nominations may be received from or on behalf of any member of the Group. They
shall be presented in writing to the Executive Secretary who shall put them at
once before the Nominations Committee. Such nominations shall include a
statement of the willingness of the nominees to serve if elected and shall be
delivered to the Executive Secretary at least 3 working days before the date of
the Annual General Meeting.
(4)
Nominations will only be accepted from the floor at the AGM for positions for
which no candidate has been nominated.
9. Representation of the
Group:
(1) Members
shall be notified in writing of every opportunity as it arises to represent the
Group at any meeting in Canada or abroad.
(2) Every
member shall have the right to apply for inclusion in any such representation
subject to:
(a) the
number of places available;
(b) an
application in writing on a form approved by the Executive and included in the
notification;
(c) the
decision of the Selection Committee.
10. Selection Committee:
(1) There
shall be a Selection Committee which shall name the members who will represent
the Group under Article 9.
(2) It shall
consist of:
(a) The
Co-Chairs;
(b) The Whips
of all recognized parties in each House.
(3) The names
of the members of each Selection Committee shall be communicated to the
membership when possible. There shall be a newly constituted Selection
Committee for each representation opportunity.
(4) In making
its selections the Committee shall:
(a) achieve,
as far as practical, equitable representation of:
(i) the
Senate and House of Commons;
(ii) the
recognized political parties in Parliament in each Chamber;
(b) insure a
balance between each selected group in order to give equitable opportunity for
new qualified members to be chosen;
(c) select
members who may be expected to contribute to the success of a meeting and who
will undertake to attend briefing sessions in advance at home or abroad.
11. Executive Secretary:
The Executive
Secretary of the Group shall be an officer of the International and
Inter-Parliamentary Affairs Directorate of Parliament. The Executive Secretary
shall be accountable to the Executive Committee, particularly to the Co-Chairs,
and shall be responsible for providing the administrative management for
activities of the Group, for determining and co-ordinating any additional
resources required to support these activities and will act as Secretary for
outgoing delegations.
12. Dissolution of Parliament:
In the event
of a dissolution of Parliament the Executive Committee in office at that time
shall carry on the affairs of the Group until a new Executive Committee is
elected, with due regard to policies and related procedures set out in the
Financial Management and Policy Guide for Parliamentary Associations.