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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 38

Tuesday, February 5, 2002

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 209, West Block, the Chair, John Williams, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Robert Bertrand, John Bryden, Odina Desrochers, John Finlay, Mac Harb, Sophia Leung, Pat Martin, Shawn Murphy, Gilles-A. Perron, Beth Phinney, Alex Shepherd and John Williams.

Acting Members present: Allan Tonks for Gerry Byrne; Gary Lunn for Rahim Jaffer; Ken Epp for Philip Mayfield; Gurmant Grewal for Myron Thompson and Loyola Hearn for Greg Thompson.

Associate Members present: Ken Epp, Gurmant Grewal, Loyola Hearn and Gary Lunn.

In attendance: From the Parliamentary Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: Brian O'Neal and Jean Dupuis, Research Officers.

The Chair presented the FOURTH REPORT of the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure which is as follows:

The Sub-Committee met on Thursday, December 6, 2001 and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. - That meetings be scheduled to consider the following Chapters from the December 2001 Report of the Auditor General of Canada;

Chapter 1 - Matters of Special Importance 2001: Main Points – Employment Insurance Premiums; and

Chapter 13 - Other Audit Observations – Human Resources Development Canada and the Canada Employment Insurance Commission;

Chapter 2 – Recruiting for Canada’s Future Public Service: Changing the System;

Chapter 3 – Recruiting for Canada’s Future Public Service: Changing the Practices;

Chapter 7 – Canada Customs and Revenue Agency – International Tax Administration: Non-Residents Subject to Canadian Income Tax;

Chapter 10 – National Defence – In Service Equipment;

Chapter 13 – Parc Downsview Park Inc.

2. - That Chapter 2 (Sustainable Development Management Systems) and Chapter 3 (Reporting on Sustainable Development: Is the System Working?) of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development:  December 2001 Report, be considered.

 

On motion of Mac Harb, it was agreed, - That the FOURTH REPORT of the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure be concurred in.

 

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Gurmant Grewal, submitted on Thursday, January 31, 2002, which is as follows:

- That the Public Accounts Committee recommend an Order of the House be issued for copies of all detailed expense account information for ministers and their exempt political staff, and that the information shall be tabled in the House and permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

And an amendment to the motion by John Bryden, submitted on Thursday, January 31, 2002:

 

That the first paragraph be amended by adding after the words “account information” the following thereto:

 

“for the past calendar year”

and deleting the words “the information” and substituting the following therefor:

 

the disclosable information as determined by the Access to Information Act”

 

and, add the following paragraph thereto:

 

For the purposes of this motion, Ministers and their exempt political staff shall be deemed to be officers and employees of a government institution as government institution is defined in the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

 

Beth Phinney moved, - That consideration of the motion and the amendment thereto be defered until the committee hears from Treasury Board and the Department of Justice.

 

After debate, the question was put on the motion, it was, by a show of hands, agreed to: YEAS: 10; NAYS: 6.

 

At 3:40 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

 

At 3:45 p.m., the Committee proceeded to sit in Camera.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(e), the Committee proceeded to consider the Draft Report on Chapter 26, (Health Canada - Regulatory Regime of Biologics) and Chapter 27, (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission - Power Reactor Regulation) of the December 2000 Report of the Auditor General of Canada.

At 4:10 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Santosh Sirpaul




Clerk of the Committee