Statement made on 15 December 2011 by Senator George Furey
Hon. George J. Furey:
Honourable senators, I am pleased today to join in expressing my support for the changes proposed in the second report of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament. I want to thank Senator Braley for his remarks and also for chairing the subcommittee, which, in fact, returned a unanimous report to the full committee who, in turn, accepted the report unanimously.
As Senator Braley noted when he moved the adoption of the report, the changes are simple but significant. The committee has proposed adjustments affecting rules 139 and 140. These changes cover three distinct points in the rules: one, the process for triggering a leave of absence; two, the issue of a senator's access to resources other than the sessional allowance while on leave of absence; and, three, the matter of a senator receiving sessional allowance after a finding of guilt but before the commencement of a suspension.
Under the current system, the senator charged with an indictable offence is required to provide a copy of the indictment that will be tabled in the Senate and thus trigger the suspension. The committee felt it would be prudent to provide an option whereby the Speaker could table the necessary documents in the event that it was considered a delay was excessive.
The second change would give the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration the authority to suspend a senator's access to some or all of the Senate's resources while on a leave of absence. This is an oversight provision which does not presently exist.
Finally, during a period between a senator being found guilty of an indictable offence and being sentenced, the changes would empower the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration to suspend a senator's sessional allowance if they felt it was appropriate in the circumstances.
Honourable senators, let me underscore that with these proposed changes, the essential elements of the rule and the current system will still stay in place. A senator on leave of absence would normally continue to have access to resources to fulfil his or her representative roles.
However, with the proposed changes, there will now be oversight and control exercised by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. I believe that the proposals in the second report strike a reasonable balance by updating the existing rules with oversight provisions, and I urge that all my colleagues support the report.