Michael Nelson made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.
The Committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Committee business.
The Government Vice-Chair presented the Third Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure which read as follows:
The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics met on Tuesday, February 1, 2005, and agreed to recommend the following:
1. That the Committee hold a meeting with Michael Nelson, Registrar of Lobbyists on Thursday, February 3, 2005, at 9:00 a.m. on the Report on the administration of the Lobbyists Registration Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004 and the Report of the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004.
2. That the Committee hold a meeting with pertinent representatives of the Office of the Information Commissioner, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Ethics Commissioner and with representatives of the Treasury Board on the funding mechanism of these three Commissioners office.
3. That the Committee plan other meetings, if necessary, to hear other witnesses and to prepare a report on the funding mechanism of the three Offices under its mandate.
4. That the Chair write to the Minister of Justice to invite him to appear on the reform of the Access to Information Act and to request detailed information for the Committee on the Government’s intentions on this reform.
5. That the Chair write to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the drawing up, the presentation and the adoption of the XXth Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, different in its content from the Third Report of the Committee.