LIAI Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 3
Thursday, February 20, 2003
The Liaison Committee met in camera at 1:02 p.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Chair, Walt Lastewka, presiding.
Members of the Committee present: Peter Adams, Mauril Bélanger, Bonnie Brown, Gurmant Grewal, Walt Lastewka, Judi Longfield, Bernard Patry, David Pratt, The Hon. Andy Scott, Tom Wappel.
Associate Members present: Mac Harb, Benoît Sauvageau, Yolande Thibeault, Rose-Marie Ur.
Other Members present: Roger Gallaway, Marlene Catterall, Bob Wood.
In attendance: From the Committees Directorate: André Gagnon, Deputy Principal Clerk; Diane Deschamps, Clerk of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs and Clerk of the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs; Joann Garbig, Clerk of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations; Marc-Olivier Girard, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Official Languages; Georges Etoka, Clerk of the Subcommittee on Marine Transportation of the Standing Committee on Transport; Patrice Martin, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights; Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans; José Cadorette, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Health; Stephen Knowles, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Richard Dupuis, Clerk of the Standing Committee on Finance; From the Financial and Human Resources Services Directorate: Nicholas Pappas, Senior Financial Officer.
The Committee proceeded to the consideration of its business pursuant to S.O. 107(1).
The Committee proceeded to the examination of the general budget envelope for committees. The Clerk gave a presentation on the financial status of the 2002-2003 fiscal year.
It was agreed, -That the general operations budget of Standing Committees be reduced to $5000 for the remainder of fiscal year 2002 - 2003.
It was agreed, - That, at the beginning of each Parliament or fiscal year, standing committees be granted an annual $5,000 budget for “general operations”.
It was agreed, - That each September (i.e. mid-way into the fiscal year), the account balances for the “general operations” of each Standing Committee be reset to $5,000 to provide a sufficient reserve for miscellaneous expenses and interim funding for the second half of the fiscal year.
It was agreed, - That $25,000, renewable, be made available to the Chair of the Liaison Committee for the purpose of covering deficits in basic operational budgets of committees and that the Chair report its utilization to the Committee.
It was agreed, - That all witness claims be received by the Clerk of the Committee within 15 days of the date of appearance and that the Committee may refuse payment on late requests.
It was agreed, - That the Joint Standing Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations be granted an operational budget of $7,980 for Statutory Order of Reference (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food be granted an operational budget of $20,100 for its Consideration of the Agricultural Policy Framework study (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food be granted an operational budget of $11,600 for its study on the Occurrence of tuberculosis in the elk and deer herds in Manitoba (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, - That the Subcommittee on Marine Transportation of the Standing Committee on Transport be granted in principle an operational budget of $9,000 for service contract with special expertise on the Seaway management and stakeholders concerns (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was noted that Mr. Bélanger left the committee room during the consideration of the following item.
That the Standing Committee on Official Languages be granted an operational budget of $30,000 for payment of a portion of the legal fees incurred by Mr. Mauril Bélanger for his role as intervener in Quigley (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, That the budget request submitted by the Official Languages Committee be referred to the Board of Internal Economy for consideration without recommendation.
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on Health be granted an operational budget of $8,000 to cover witness expenses in relation to its study of HIV/AIDS strategy and funding (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, - That the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs be granted in principle a travel budget of $19,613 to travel to St-John’s, NF, on March 31, 2003, for a Fact finding mission on long-term care for veterans (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, - hat the Subcommittee on Marine Transportation of the Standing Committee on Transport be granted in principle a travel budget of $83,800 to travel to Washington, D.C. and Tampa, USA, from March 18 to 23, 2003, for its study of the Great Lakes and St.-Lawrence Seaway System (fiscal year 2002-2003).
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs be granted an operational budget of $52,860 for its Canada-United States Defence Cooperation study (fiscal year 2003-2004).
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on Health be granted an operational budget of $3,464 to cover witness expenses in relation to its study of Bill C-260, An Act to amend the Hazardous Products Act (fire-safe cigarettes) (fiscal year 2003-2004).
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on Health be granted an operational budget of $14,400 to cover witness expenses in relation to its study on health care access and accountability (fiscal year 2003-2004).
It was agreed, - That the Subcommittee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade be granted a travel budget of $198,492 to travel to Delhi (India), Singapore (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong (China), Shanghai (China), Beijing (China), Tokyo (Japan), from May 2 to 17, 2003, in relation to its study on International Trade, Development and other matters (fiscal year 2003-2004).
It was agreed, - That the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs be granted in principle a travel budget of $47,234 to travel to Halifax (N.S.), Charlottetown (PEI), St-John (NB), from April 1st to 4, 2003, for a Fact finding mission on long-term care for veterans (fiscal year 2003-2004).
It was agreed, - That the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights be granted a travel budget of $346,615 to travel to Vancouver, Edmonton, Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan), Steinbach (Manitoba), Halifax, Sussex (N.B.), Sudbury, Toronto, Iqaluit, Montreal, Rimouski or elsewhere in Canada, in April and May 2003, for its study on Marriage and Legal recognition of Same-sex Unions (fiscal year 2003-2004).
It was agreed, - That Judi Longfield be added to the list of members of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets.
At 2:35 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
Marc Bosc
Clerk of the Committee