LIAI Committee Meeting

The Liaison Committee met in camera at 1:11 p.m. this day, in Room 112-N Centre Block, the Chair, Bonnie Brown, presiding.

It was agreed, — That a budget of $47,321 be allocated to the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs for the consultant selected by the Library of Parliament to assist the committee with its in-depth review of the new defence policy, from July 1st to December 31, 2005.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $47,052 be allocated to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food to travel to Riding Mountain National Park, MA, for its study on Bovine Tuberculosis, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $220,310 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to travel to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Fredericton, St. John’s, for its review of international policy, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $47,034 be allocated to the to the Subcommittee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to travel to Vancouver for its study of softwood lumber, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $172,172 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Finance to travel to Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax to conduct Prebudget Consultations, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $68,069 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans to travel to Bonavista, Clarenville and St. John's, for its study of Northern cod, the collapse of the fishery and the failure of the stock to re-establish itself, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $165,190 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilitites to travel to Toronto, Quebec, Halifax, Charlottetown, St. John’s, Victoria, Edmonton, Regina, Whitehorse, Iqaluit, Yellowknife, for its study on Canada Social Transfer, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $154,172 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs to travel to Kingston, Edmonton, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Fredericton, Halifax, for its study on Canada’s defense policy and the future role of the Canadian Forces, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That a budget for visits in the amount of $110,556 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food to travel to Geneva, Paris, London, for informal meetings and site visits on its studies on WTO , BSE, Avian Flu, Zoning, and Feed, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for that visit.

It was agreed, — That a budget for visits in the amount of $66,254 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to travel to New-York and Washington, for informal meetings and site visits on its review of International Policy, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for that visit.

It was agreed, — That a budget for visits in the amount of $151,508 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Health to travel to London, UK and Rockville, USA, for informal meetings and site visits on its study of prescription drugs and public involvement, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for that visit.

It was agreed, — That a budget for visits in the amount of $146,000 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on Official Languages to travel to Bathurst, Eastern Townships, Toronto, Windsor, Whitehorse, Vancouver, Saint-Boniface, Sudbury for informal meetings and site visits on its study of the government action plan on official languages, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for that visit.

It was agreed, — That a budget for visits in the amount of $117,556 be allocated to the to the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs to travel to Warsaw, Brussels, London, for informal meetings and site visits on its study on Canada’s defense policy and the future role of the Canadian Forces, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for that visit.

It was agreed, — That a travel budget in the amount of $159,450 be allocated to the Standing Committee on Transport to travel to Beijin, Delhi, London, Paris and Washington on its study on Air Liberalization and the Canadian Airports System, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

It was agreed, — That the study of the additional budget requests for travel purpose of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities be put to the agenda of the first meeting of the Liaison Committee in the Fall.

It was agreed, — That the Chair of the Liaison Committee write to the Board of Internal Economy to request the $5M budget be allocated as follows: 1st period - $2M; 2nd period - $2M; 3rd period - $1M.

It was agreed, — That an additional amount of $20,600 be allocated to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans for its travel to Bonavista, Clarenville and St. John's, for its study of Northern cod, the collapse of the fishery and the failure of the stock to re-establish itself, subject to the approval of a budget by the Committee within the limits of the allocated amount for travel purpose.

At 2:12 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.