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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, December 7, 2017

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, December 7, 2017, at 11:19 a.m., in Room 237-C, Centre Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Geoff Regan, Speaker of the House of Commons

Présents : The Honourables Dominic LeBlanc, Pablo Rodriguez and Candice Bergen; and Mr. Peter Julian

Autres députés présents : Mr. Bruce Stanton, M.P., Co-Chair, Joint Interparliamentary Council

Secretary to the Board: Charles Robert, Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present: Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Colette Labrecque-Riel, Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs; Daniel G. Paquette, Chief Financial Officer; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Guillaume La Perrière Marcoux, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of November 23, 2017, were adopted and approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

The Board noted correspondence distributed since its last meeting


JOINT INTERPARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL


Enhanced support for parliamentary associations

Mr. Bruce Stanton presented the Joint Interparliamentary Council’s recommendation for enhanced support for parliamentary associations and answered questions.

The Board approved a permanent transfer of $219,201 from the parliamentary associations’ funding envelope to the House Administration Program Activity to be used to fund human resources for the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate. This represents the House of Commons’ share as per the 70%-30% formula for the 2018–2019 fiscal year and subsequent years.


PROPOSED 2018–2019 MAIN ESTIMATES

Daniel G. Paquette presented the Main Estimates for 2018–2019 and answered questions.

The Board approved the Main Estimates for 2018–2019 in the amount of $507,011,976, which represents a decrease of $4,001,245 over the 2017–2018 total appropriations to date. This amount includes the following adjustments:


Reductions of $22,627,358 from the 2017–2018 total appropriations to date:

• $328,391 resulting from temporary funding for the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians;

• $2,167,229 resulting from temporary funding for the House Administration economic increases;

• $4,771,910 resulting from temporary funding for security resources and enhancements; and

• $15,359,828 resulting from temporary funding for the 2016–2017 operating budget carry forward.


Increases of $20,244,285 from the 2017–2018 total appropriations to date:

• $6,389,185 to sustain facility assets under the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP);

• $3,199,645 for the digital strategy to modernize the delivery of parliamentary information;

• $2,755,447 to sustain evolving campus-wide operations under the LTVP;

• $2,232,003 to sustain information technology systems under the LTVP;

• $1,373,185 for the Food Services modernization and optimization of services;

• $1,173,795 for an increase of 0.8% (CPI rate, September 2017) to the Members’ Office Budgets;

• $925,860 for the Office of the Deputy Clerk, Administration;

• $902,538 for the 64th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly;

• $388,102 to support the House Officers’ revised budget structure and expenditure disclosure;

• $310,847 for the 15th ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly;

• $190,434 for an increase of 0.8% (CPI rate, September 2017) to the House Officers’ Budgets;

• $183,471 for the 56th Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference;

• $108,461 for Human Resources Services’ pay and benefits services;

• $108,461 for Human Resources Services’ pay and benefits services;

• $80,880 for an increase of 0.8% (CPI rate, September 2017) to the Travel Status Expenses Account; and

• $30,432 for the increase to the Pages’ remuneration under the House of Commons Page Program for fiscal year 2017–2018.


A decrease to statutory items of $1,618,172 for technical adjustments to the Employee Benefit Plans (EBP) was also approved.


MODERNIZATION OF POLICIES IN THE MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES AND SERVICES MANUAL

Daniel G. Paquette presented amendments to the policies in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual and answered questions.

The Board approved the following changes to the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual and By-laws of the Board of Internal Economy, effective as of December 7, 2017, unless otherwise specified:


1. Special Accommodations for Members: Amend the current policy to allow for the enhanced consideration of requests related to special circumstances that may impact a Member’s ability to fulfill his/her parliamentary functions.

2. Death of a Member policy:

a. Amend the policy to include two round trips to Ottawa for the spouse, children (regardless of age) and two additional travellers, and to allow the reimbursement of accommodations, meals and incidental expenses for a period not exceeding five days per trip.

b. Amend the availability period of the Employee Assistance Program from six months to twelve months for a former Member’s spouse and dependants.

c. Amend the policy to allow the Chief Human Resources Officer the ability to use the funds established for the special accommodation of Members in order to reimburse additional expenses related to the death of a Member.


3. Interpretation services for national caucus meetings: Amend the policy to clarify that the travel expenses incurred by external interpreters hired for national caucus meetings be charged to the House Officer’s Office Budget.

4. Motor vehicle: Include a policy on the reimbursement of costs associated with the personal use of the automobile provided to the Speaker and each recognized opposition party leader, using the kilometre rate set by the Board and adjusted only to take into consideration direct costs based on Canadian average expenses for maintaining and using a vehicle.

5. Points of contact for advertisements: Amend the advertising policy to require Members to clearly indicate that an advertisement is done in their capacity as Members of Parliament, and eliminate the mandatory requirement for Members to include their contact information.

6. Small token items: Amend the advertising and hospitality policies to allow, effective April 1, 2018, the purchase of small token items as a charge to the advertising limit, and remove the reference to these items under the hospitality policy.

7. Limit on tickets for meals: Amend the hospitality policy in the MAS to include a formal limit for tickets for meals, which may be amended periodically by the Chief Financial Officer in accordance with the dinner per diem rate approved by the Board and adjusted by a multiplying factor to take into consideration the protocol nature of events.

8. Limits on the purchase of assets:

a. Amend the policy to allow the Chief Financial Officer to amend the maximum allowable purchase price, quantity and type of assets based on elements such as Members’ office equipment standards, technological evolution and market value.

b. Amend the policy to allow the Chief Financial Officer to formalize a process to review, assess and allow, where warranted, the purchase of assets beyond the prescribed limits, supported by a written justification from the Member. Decisions in this regard will be made by applying the guiding principles previously approved by the Board for the management of assets and may include consideration of factors such as regional or special circumstances and availability of assets within a Member’s constituency.

c. The Chief Financial Officer will provide Board members with an annual summary report of the rates and limits set by the Chief Financial Officer, as well as the circumstances in which they apply.

9. Maximum rate of remuneration for Members’ employees:

a. Amend the policy to allow the Chief Human Resources Officer to amend the maximum annual salary for Members’ employees based on major wage settlements reached by major groups across Canada.

b. The Chief Human Resources Officer will provide Board members with an annual report regarding the maximum rate.

10. The Board also approved the consequential amendments to the Members By Law and the Governance and Administration By-Law.

The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy