LIAI Committee Meeting

The Liaison Committee met in camera at 1:12 p.m. this day, in Room 112-N Centre Block, the Chair, Bonnie Brown, presiding.

The Chair apprised members that:

“1) The Board discussed a request from the Liaison Committee for additional funding for committees and agreed to an increase to $5 million for the global envelope for committee operations and travel, beginning in fiscal year 2005-2006, to be incorporated into the Main Estimates 2005-2006 and allocated in the following manner:

a) $ 1.5 million for operational expenses; and

b) $ 3.5 million for travel expenses, of which $2.0 million would be set aside for public hearings throughout Canada and $1.5 million for other travel in Canada and travel abroad.

2) The Board also agreed that, in order to ensure that funds are available throughout the fiscal year for the different types of committee activities, the Liaison Committee set aside one-third of the funds for allocation in each of the following periods:

a) April to August;

b) September to December; and

c) January to March.

3) The Board agreed that committees be permitted to directly charge against the global envelope, without prior Liaison Committee approval, the following operational expenditures not exceeding $40,000 per study:

a) Reimbursement of expenses of up to two witnesses per group;

b) Video-conferencing expenses;

c) Incidental committee report production costs;

d) Up to three working lunches per study; and

e) Minor miscellaneous costs.

4) The Board agreed that committees be required to submit to the Liaison Committee for approval operational budgets involving contracts, total expenditures exceeding $40,000 per study or expenditures beyond those that can be directly charged against the global envelope and that committees be required to file operational budgets and forecasts for planning purposes.

5) The Board also agreed that, for a trial period to end December 31, 2006, it would:

a) Provide a $1 million annual contingency fund to the Liaison Committee for the purpose of financing committee requests for forensic, e-consultation and other specialized experts who shall be selected by the Library of Parliament or the Committees Directorate;

b) Authorize the Committees Directorate to draw upon the contingency fund to establish, as a two-year pilot project, a centre of expertise to provide non-partisan assistance to committees wishing to conduct an in-depth review of departmental Estimates, Reports on Plans and Priorities, and Performance Reports by using experts seconded from the Office of the Auditor General as well as experts hired on a contractual basis; and

c) Authorize the Committees Directorate to draw upon the contingency fund to cover, if required, additional staffing costs that could result from increased committee travel, pending an assessment of permanent staff requirements by December 31, 2006.“

It was agreed, — That the recommendations of the Liaison Committee that did not fall within the mandate of the Board of Internal Economy be forwarded to the House Leaders and Whips of the parties with a request for action on them.

It was agreed, - That effective April 1, 2005,

a) Standing Committees be granted a general operating budget of $5000 at the beginning of each fiscal year;

b) Subcommittees be granted, if required, a general operating budget of $3000;

c) the Chair of the Liaison Committee be authorized to provide additional funds to committee budgets when required, provided that no budget be increased by more than $10,000 without Liaison Committee approval; and

d) the Chair of the Liaison Committee report back at each committee meeting on any approved travel budget that has not obtained an order of the House authorizing the travel.

It was agreed, — That the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs be granted an operational budget of $81,280 for its study on Canada’s Defence policy and the future of the Canadian Forces.

It was agreed, — That the limit for official hospitality expenses for the Standing Committee on Public Accounts be increased by $2,500.

It was agreed, — That the Subcommittee on International Trade of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade be granted, in principle and pending the availability of funds for committee travel for public hearings during the April to August period, a travel budget of $87,755, to travel to Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, from April 17 to 22, 2005, for public hearings on its study on Emerging Markets Strategy, Canada-U.S. trade issues and other trade concerns.

At 2:06 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.