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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Monday, October 24, 2011

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Monday, October 24, 2011 at 11:30 a.m., in Room 112-N, Centre Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Peter Van Loan, Gordon O'Connor and Rob Merrifield; Mr. Joe Comartin; Ms. Chris Charlton and Judy Foote

Secretary to the Board: Audrey O'Brien, Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present: Rob Walsh, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Mark Watters, Chief Financial Officer; Marc Bosc, Deputy Clerk; Eric Janse, Clerk Assistant and Director General of International and Interparliamentary Affairs; and Suzanne Verville, Secretariat

New Member of the Board

Pursuant to section 50(5) of the Parliament of Canada Act , Mr. Joe Comartin (October 18, 2011) was sworn in as a member of the Board.

Tabling of Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of September 26, 2011 were approved for tabling.

Minutes of Previous Meetings

The minutes of the meeting of October 3, 2011 were adopted.

Legal Matters

The Board approved the payment of legal fees incurred or to be incurred in respect to a Member's defence, which legal fees to be reviewed by the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel and the whole being subject to the matter being resolved in the Member's favour.

Further to the Board meeting of October 3, 2011 and after discussion, the Board agreed that a Member reimburse an amount of $296.72 for having used parliamentary resources (two ten percenters) for provincial electoral purposes. The Board also agreed that it would consider imposing more severe sanctions in future such cases and requested that the Whips remind their caucuses of the rules concerning the use of parliamentary resources.

Members' Allowances and Services

Constituency Office – Moving Expenses

The Board discussed the policy regarding expenses for moving constituency offices and, noting that no precedent existed for an exception being made, denied a request for exception and agreed to maintain the current policy.

Accommodation

After discussion, the Board agreed to maintain the current policy regarding accommodation expenses that may be charged to the Travel Status Expenses Account when Members travel in the National Capital Region in the discharge of their parliamentary functions.

Public Disclosure of the Consolidated Report entitled Individual Members' Expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2010-2011

In accordance with By-law 102, General Limitation and Application, the Board approved for tabling in the House the report of expenditures incurred by individual Members during fiscal year 2010-2011.

Further to its decision of May 29, 2002, the Board directed that the tabling of the report occur at the same time as the tabling of the Public Accounts of Canada. The Board also agreed that, once tabled, the report be made available on the Parliamentary Internet site.

Administration

First-Quarter Financial Status Report for Fiscal Year 2011-2012

The Board took note of the First-Quarter Status Report for fiscal year 2011-2012, as at May 12, 2011.

Revised Elector Supplement

The Board approved the revised Elector Supplement budgetary allocations based on the final number of electors published by the Chief Electoral Officer in August 2011 for the May 2011 general election. Additional funding of $413,840 for fiscal year 2011-2012 will be sought through the Supplementary Estimates while funding of $452,080 will be included in the 2012-2013 Main Estimates and subsequent fiscal years.

Parliamentary Associations Joint Interparliamentary Council Report

The Board took note of the second report on Parliamentary Associations' Activities and Expenditures for the fiscal year 2010-2011 presented to the Joint Interparliamentary Council to be made publicly available through the Parliamentary Web site.

PARLIAMENTARY FUNCTIONS

The Board discussed the meaning of parliamentary functions, and agreed to continue the discussion at its next meeting.

Appointment of Board Spokesperson

Pursuant to Standing Order 37(2) , Mr. Joe Comartin was appointed as spokesperson for the Board to replace Mr. Thomas Mulcair.

The meeting was adjourned.

Audrey O'Brien
Secretary to the Board