The Joint
Interparliamentary Council met this day, in camera, at 3:31 p.m., in
room
356-S of the Centre Block, the Honourable David Tkachuk, Senator, presiding.
Representing
the Senate:
Hon. David Tkachuk, Daniel Lang for Marjory
LeBreton, and Jim Munson, Senators.
Representing
the House of Commons: Joe Comartin, Dave Mackenzie, Hon. Ron Cannan,
Sadia Groguhé, Frank Valeriote, Randy Hoback and
Gordon Brown, MPs.
Others
present:
Chairs and Co-Chairs of Parliamentary Associations:
Hon. Salma Ataullahjan, Senator and Chair of the Canadian Group of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Hon. Claude Nolin, Senator and Member of the Executive Committee of
the Canadian Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary
Assembly (NATO PA)
James Rajotte, MP and Chair of the Canada-United Kingdom
Inter-Parliamentary Association
Joe Preston, MP and
Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
(CPA)
Dean Allison, MP and OSCE PA Director, Canada-Europe Parliamentary
Association
In
attendance: From the International and Interparliamentary
Affairs Directorate:
Patrice Martin, Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Associations;
Gérald Lafrenière, Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges; and
Marie-Andrée Rainville, Manager, Resource Planning and Administration.
From the
Senate:
Sloan Mask, Financial Advisor, Planning and Corporate Reporting, Finance and
Procurement Directorate. From the House of Commons: Naim Bellemare, Senior Financial Advisor, Policy and Financial Planning.
1.Approval of Minutes
On motion of Mr. Brown the minutes of the meeting of November 5, 2014 were approved.
2.Supplementary budgets requests
Hon. Salma Atauhullajan, Senator
and Chair of the Canadian Group of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), presented a supplementary budget request for
the
2014-2015 fiscal year and answered questions from JIC members.
Joe Preston, MP, Chair of the Canadian
Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), presented a
supplementary budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered
questions from JIC members.
Dean Allison, MP, Chair of the Canadian
Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) presented a supplementary budget request for
the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered questions from JIC members.
Hon. Claude Nolin, Senator and Member
of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Delegation to the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) presented a
supplementary budget request for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and answered
questions from JIC members.
3.IPU
The Council discussed the presentation made by the
Canadian Group of the IPU at its meeting on November 5, 2014, on the
organization’s efforts to reduce the budget and membership fees of the
association.
After debate, Mr. Mackenzie moved --That the Council
recommend to the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and
Administration and to the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy that the Parliament of Canada withdraw from the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unless the internal economy committees provide
additional funding (to cover membership fees and activities) to enable the IPU
to adequately fulfill its mandate.
After debate, the question was put on
the motion and it was agreed to by a show of hands: Yeas: 6, Nays: 4.
4.Supplementary budgets requests
The
Council resumed its discussion on supplementary budget requests. After debate,
it was agreed to allocate the full amounts requested which were as follows:
IPU $20,000
CPA $27,000
OSCE $30,000
NATO $30,000
It was further agreed that these
amounts would be financed via the current and future surpluses projected by
other associations.
At 4:15 p.m., the Council adjourned to
the call of the Co-Chairs.