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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, April 3, 2014

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 3:30 p.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, John Duncan and Rob Merrifield; Messrs. Dominic LeBlanc and Philip Toone; Mrs. Nycole Turmel

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

Also Present: Richard Denis, Deputy Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Mark Watters, Chief Financial Officer; Robin Kells, Secretariat

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting of March 24, 2014 were adopted and approved for tabling .

Business Arising from Previous Meetings

The Board discussed correspondence distributed since its last meeting on March 24, 2014.

Administration

The Board discussed the impacts on House of Commons employees of the Receiver General’s pay system changes for the transition to payment in arrears and asked for more information.

By-Laws

In support of its plan to achieve the House of Commons’ savings and budget reduction objectives for the Strategic and Operating Review , the Board adopted an amendment to the By-laws to abolish the Constituency Office Furniture and Equipment Improvement Fund beginning in fiscal year 2014–2015.

Members’ Allowances and Services

Request for Exception – Reimbursement of Data Plan Expenses

The Board denied a Member’s request for the reimbursement of expenses from fiscal year 2012–2013 related to a data plan for a tablet and directed the Member to ensure his device was properly registered in accordance with the Board’s policies. Additionally, the Board required the Member to reimburse the Receiver General for expenses related to a data plan that the Member neglected to cancel for a retired device.

Request for Exception – Reimbursement of Hydro Costs

The Board allowed an exception for the reimbursement of hydro costs incurred in previous fiscal years. The exception was granted because the municipality’s local hydro provider informed the Member only in January 2014 that two additional meters attached to his constituency office had not been accounted for in billings dating back to December 2011. The Member was allowed to absorb the charges against his current year’s Member’s Office Budget .

Disclosure of Expenditures Related to Special Requirements for Certain Members

The Board agreed to change the way work-related accommodation expenses are publicly disclosed in order to be more consistent with the presentation of expenses incurred by other Members. Instead of being included in the individual Members’ Expenditures Reports , expenditures related to Members’ special accommodations will be included in the Public Accounts of Canada as part of the total expenditures of the House of Commons.

Use of House Resources

Large-Volume Mailings

The Board continued its deliberations on certain large-volume mailings and agreed to share with Elections Canada all current and emerging information with respect to the mail-outs to ensure compliance with Elections Canada rules, both in terms of the timing and volume of the mail-outs and with respect to the content. The Board also directed the offices of primary interest to provide to the Board proofs of each document included in the mail-outs so that compliance with the Board’s policies may be ascertained. The Board also asked the House Administration to provide more information on controls and practices in place pertaining to large-volume mailings, specifically related to those that are outsourced to third-party suppliers.

Offices

Because time did not permit the matter to be addressed at this meeting, the Board agreed to hold a meeting on April 7, 2014 to discuss the use of House resources related to the work conducted in certain offices.

The meeting was adjourned.

Audrey O’Brien
Secretary to the Board