The Joint
Interparliamentary Council met this day at 4:06 p.m., in camera, in
room 356‑S of the Centre Block, the Honourable
David Tkachuk, Senator,presiding.
Representing
the Senate:
Hon. David Tkachuk, Marjory LeBreton, and Jim Munson, Senators.
Representing
the House of Commons: Joe Comartin, Philip Toone for Sadia Groguhé and Rodger
Cuzner for Frank Valeriote, MPs.
Others
present:
Chairs and Co-Chairs of Parliamentary Associations:
Joe Preston, M.P. (CPA).
In attendance:
From the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate:
Natalie Foster, 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. Toone, the minutes of
the meeting of May 14, 2014 were approved.
2.Budgets 2014-2015
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.
After discussion, on motion of Mr.
Toone, it was agreed that the Canadian Branch of the CPA be allotted an
additional $25,000 in order to fund the upcoming international conference in
Cameroon in October 2014.
It was noted that the additional
funding would come from anticipated surpluses from other associations following
financial forecasts later in the fiscal year.
3.Staff accompanying delegations of single parliamentarians – APF
The Chair drew to the Council’s
attention a letter received from the Acting Chair of the Canadian Branch of the
Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) regarding a request to
have a single parliamentarian accompanied by a staff member on an outgoing activity.
The request concerned the 14th Summit of the Francophonie being held in Senegal
in November 2014.
After discussion, and in light of the
fact that the APF demonstrated its compliance with the three criteria required
by the JIC to grant exemptions for such requests, on motion of Mr. Cuzner, the
request was agreed to.
At 4:22 p.m., the
Council adjourned to the call of the Co-Chairs.