Minutes

 

Meeting No. 130

April 17, 2013

 

The Joint Interparliamentary Council met this day at 3:30 p.m., in camera, in room 356‑S of the Centre Block, Mr. Joe Comartin, MP, presiding.

Representing the Senate:  Hon. David Tkachuk, Carolyn Stewart Olsen, and Marie‑P. Charette‑Poulin, Senators.

Representing the House of Commons:  Joe Comartin, Dave Mackenzie, Hon. Rob Merrifield, Nycole Turmel for Philip Toone, Massimo Pacetti, Randy Hoback and Gordon Brown, MPs.

Others present:
Chairs and Executive Committee Members of Parliamentary Associations:
Hon. Andrée Champagne, Senator (APF);
Hon. Pierre Claude Nolin, Senator (NATO PA);
Dean Allison, MP (OSCE);
Joe Preston, MP (CPA); and
Chris Charlton and Joe Daniel, MPs (IPU).

In attendance:
From the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate:
Jeremy LeBlanc, Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Associations; and
Gérald Lafrenière, Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges.

From the Senate:
Nicole Proulx, Director of Finance, Finance and Procurement Directorate; and

From the House of Commons:
Gilles Larocque, Senior Financial Advisor, Policy and Financial Planning.

1.Approval of Minutes

On motion of Mr. Mackenzie, the minutes of the meeting of March 20, 2013 were approved.

2.CPA

The Council considered a request from the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) for additional funding in fiscal year 2012-2013 to cover a shortfall incurred as a result of adjustments that had to be made to airline tickets at the last minute due to a winter storm.

After discussion, on motion of Senator Charette-Poulin, it was agreed that the Canadian Branch of the CPA be allotted an additional $13,700 in fiscal year 2012-2013 in order to cover the shortfall.

3.Budgets 2013-2014

The Clerk provided an overview of information compiled on the international contributions paid by certain multilateral associations and answered questions from JIC members.

At 3:48 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 4:13 p.m., the meeting resumed.

4.Meeting with Association Chairs and Co-Chairs

Dean Allison, MP, Director for the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA);  Hon. Andrée Champagne, Senator, Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF);  Hon. Pierre Claude Nolin, Senator, Counsellor of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (NATO PA);  Joe Preston, MP, Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and Chris Charlton, MP, Vice-President of the Canadian Group of the Inter‑Parliamentary Union (IPU) gave presentations on the international contributions paid by their respective associations and answered questions from JIC members.

At 4:59 p.m., the Council adjourned to the call of the Co-Chairs.

 

Eric Janse
Clerk