Evidence of meeting #1 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Colin Mayes Conservative Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
I nominate Phil McColeman to be the member for the subcommittee on behalf of the Conservative Party.
(Motion agreed to)
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
I think this may be a good time to move to the Centennial Flame Research Award. As you know, the Centennial Flame has a research award that's awarded annually. All the coins that are collected there go to a trust, and it can be explained maybe a little more clearly, but every year there's a notice for those who wish to apply to receive a grant from those proceeds. Maybe you can explain what the criteria are, generally speaking, and summarize it. You might mention the fact that we didn't put out the notice before Parliament adjourned, so we're late for this year, 2011. It would seem that if we were to give adequate notice to people to apply for this fund, we might want to give the clerk and the analyst some time. I know there were discussions saying do what you normally do, but have the proposals come in by October 15 so members can put it in their householders and notify people of that. So that's the first order of business.
I think the fund is usually $4,500. It's been raised by $500 increments, and there's some suggestion that maybe we should raise it by another $500.
So those are the parameters, if you want to go into it in a little more depth. Then we can see if we can entertain the motion you had in mind.
4:05 p.m.
Committee Researcher
Very simply, the Centennial Flame Research Award has been given out by this committee in one form or another since 1991. It's an award that's given to a person with a disability who will do research and write a report on another person with a disability who contributes to public life in some form or other.
As the chair was saying, normally we send a communiqué in April and we have a roll of reports coming in, in June, but this year, because of the election, that hasn't been done. So we might need more time for MPs as well to notify their constituents to try to give this award a little bit more advertising, so to speak, because we really have difficulty getting a lot of people to apply. We rarely get more than ten.
As the chair was saying, in the last few years, because there's a substantial amount in the fund itself, we've been increasing it by $500 every year. So last year it was $5,000, and this year it will be $5,500. If you need more information, it's in section 5 of your briefing book: the history and the people who have won the awards until this year.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Generally, what do we collect on a per annum basis from the coins and stuff that you receive?
4:10 p.m.
Committee Researcher
I don't know. That would be something the clerk would....
June 21st, 2011 / 4:10 p.m.
The Clerk
I don't know how much we get per year, but right now we have almost $18,000.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Okay, we have $18,000 in the fund, just to give it some perspective.
Any questions anyone would have directly? I see Brad has a question.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, I'm not sure if the staff indicated if they're suggesting a deadline for this year or not. Did you say you were suggesting a deadline?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Yes, a motion was being distributed and the thought was that October 15, 2011, might be an appropriate deadline--
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
--to give the appropriate time to notify people and for members of Parliament to highlight the fund in their householders or whatever, just to get some interest in it so you'd have a wider audience that might apply.
Joe.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
I was asking that question, and I guess there is no answer, except the fact that $18,000 has been raised over the years that hasn't been spent. I would be curious to know--
4:10 p.m.
A voice
Maybe $5,000.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
About $5,000 or maybe a little bit more is raised, so we're encroaching a little bit on the capital, but not a whole lot.
Any other questions on the motion that's before you?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brant, ON
I believe you said you'd like to see it raised to $5,500 this year.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Right, and if you note, a motion was circulated that contains both the increase to $5,500 and the publishing date being October 15, 2011. So if somebody would like to move that motion.... Brad will move it.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
It would be good for us to put that in motion.
Did you want to use this opportunity as well to talk a bit about last year's application or fund? Did you have in mind to do that today or not?
4:10 p.m.
Committee Researcher
No, I think it's up to the last payment now, so I'm not doing that.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
I noticed in the notes that you often get the award winner to come before the committee at some point. Is that the normal practice?
4:10 p.m.
Committee Researcher
Honestly, we've been too busy to do it in the last few years, but, yes, it is something that is possible. Certainly we try. The normal cycle should see things calm down a little by the end of June and allow us some time to have them over, but it hasn't happened in many years.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
It probably wouldn't be a bad idea, though, to make it happen somewhere in a convenient spot, when you have time to do that, so we could hear from them and see how this award is working or not working. It would help publicize it as well. Take a few photos or pictures.
So keep that in mind.
All right, then, we won't have any further discussion on the Centennial Flame Research Award.
Seeing that we still have a bit of time, we may want to talk a little bit about the committee's general feeling about what we might want to be doing in future business.
I should mention that before the last session was finished this committee conducted a fairly extensive study on adoption. The analysts actually prepared a report. We went through the report, tweaked it, and sent it back to them for a final report. Of course then the election was called. Perhaps it would be a bit of waste to let that report simply die.
There was some suggestion that we would bring that report and its evidence before this committee for consideration, maybe for submission as a report of this committee. There was a motion that could be circulated. You can think about that. It would basically bring the evidence and the documentation received before the committee, along with the report, I suppose, for final review by the committee. If the committee is so disposed, it could adopt the report and report it to the House.
The hearings were well received by the witnesses and they actually did point out some fairly interesting gaps or deficiencies that the federal government might look at and address.
So we'll see what the view and the opinion of this committee is.
Maybe what we should do is have someone move the motion, and then we'll have discussion.
Do I have a mover of the motion?
Moved by Mr. Butt.
Now we can have some discussion.
Ms. Crowder, go ahead.
4:15 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
I think it makes a lot of sense to take a look at the work the committee was very near to completing. I'm sure the analyst could provide us with this, but for those who weren't a part of that committee it would be useful to see more than just the draft report. Perhaps we could see some of the background documentation, but not all of the testimony.
