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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Monday, September 29, 2014

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Monday, September 29, 2014 at 11:15 a.m., in Room 340-S, Centre Block.

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

Present: The Honourables Peter Van Loan, John Duncan and Dominic LeBlanc; Mr. Philip Toone; Mrs. Nycole Turmel

Acting Secretary to the Board: Marc Bosc, Acting Clerk of the House of Commons

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

Minutes of Previous Meetings

The minutes of the meetings of June 11 , July 22 and August 12, 2014 were adopted as presented. The minutes of the meeting of June 17, 2014 were adopted with an amendment. All four sets of minutes were approved for tabling.

Business Arising from Previous Meetings

The Board reviewed and discussed correspondence distributed since its meeting on June 11, 2014.

After discussion, the Board agreed to defer the matter of the use of House of Commons resources related to satellite offices to a future meeting.

Members’ Allowances and Services

Kilometre Expenses

The Board discussed the processing of kilometre claims and agreed to the following:

  1. The case referred to in the report of a Member claiming the equivalent of 1,800 km per week be reviewed by the House of Commons Administration, and that such review include an examination of the details of the travel submitted to determine its validity. The results of the review, together with the Administration analysis of the claim’s compliance with the By-laws , are to be reported to the Board for its determination as to whether the expense(s) were contrary to the By-laws in that case.
  2. If the Board determines that the reimbursement of the travel claim was made contrary to the By-laws and the Board is of the opinion that the submitting by a Member of Parliament of that travel claim may have constituted an offence, the Board can refer the matter to a competent authority for further investigation.
  3. That any other pattern of kilometre claims for travel by Members of Parliament that raise prima facie questions as to their legitimacy should also be reviewed by the House of Commons Administration. Claims that appear to the House Administration to have been made contrary to the By-laws are to be reported to the Board for its determination.
  4. That the House of Commons Administration should, in the future, be empowered to review the validity of kilometre claims for travel by Members of Parliament, and to ask Members to demonstrate the validity of travel claims.

Per Diem Expenses

The Board asked that the House Administration provide a revised proposal with regard to the processing of per diem expense claims .

Travel

The Board decided to allow Members who have resigned to be reimbursed for one return trip between Ottawa and the constituency office that is taken within 30 days of the resignation date.

Security Sub-Committee

It was agreed that the Security Sub-Committee would meet as soon as possible.

Use of House Resources

The Board asked that the House Administration examine the requests made by two Members regarding the processing of their expense claims for surveys.

The Board asked that the House Administration examine a request made by a Member regarding their Travel Status Expense Account .

The Board directed the House Administration to review the policy related to employment of Research Office staff upon dissolution.

The meeting was adjourned.

Marc Bosc
Acting Secretary to the Board