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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, May 24, 2018

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, May 24, 2018, at 11:19 a.m., in Room 237-C, Centre Block.

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

Present: The Honourables Bardish Chagger, Dominic LeBlanc, Pablo Rodriguez and Candice Bergen; Mr. Mark Strahl; Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau

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

Also Present: Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Wendy Gordon, Director, Legislation Services; Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Information Officer; Louis Lefebvre, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Guillaume La Perrière Marcoux, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of March 22, 2018, were adopted and approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

The Board noted correspondence distributed since its last meeting.


MODERNIZATION OF POLICIES IN THE MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES AND SERVICES MANUAL AND BY-LAWS OF THE BOARD

Travel Policies

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

The Board approved the proposed amendments effective April 1, 2018, with a full system update by September 30, 2018:


1. Travel Point Calculation for Dependants: Amend the current policy when dependants reunite with the Member, as follows:

a. no point is deducted for dependants with disabilities;

b. no point is deducted for dependants under the age of six; and

c. ½ point per trip (therefore 1 point per return trip) is deducted for dependants from the ages of 6 to 20, or from the ages of 21 to 25 if they are full-time students.

2. Travel Point Allocation for Members: Allocate additional regular points to the Member, as follows:

a. no additional points for dependants under the age of 6, for dependants with disabilities, and for dependants between the ages of 21 and 25;

b. no additional points for the first dependant between the ages of 6 and 20; and

c. eight additional points for each additional dependant between the ages of 6 and 20.

3. Designated Traveller and Dependants Declarations: Amend the current policies to:

a. allow the Chief Financial Officer to formalize a process to review, assess and allow changes within a 12-month period to a designated traveller declaration when a significant change arises in the Member’s personal circumstances; and

b. require Members to provide, on an annual basis and upon any change, the name and location of the educational institution where their dependants are enrolled.

4. Points Definition: Amend the current definition of regular trip to include travel within the Member’s constituency and from Ottawa or the constituency to the provincial/territorial capital.

5. Family Reunification Travel: Amend the current travel principles to:

a. clarify that reunification typically occurs when the House is in session at the Member’s secondary residence or at another location where the Member is carrying out parliamentary functions;

b. clarify that these resources are not intended for travel related to personal engagements of the Member, the designated traveller and dependants; and

c. allow the designated traveller and dependants to reunite with a Member who is travelling as a Minister or parliamentary secretary when the House of Commons is in session, and:

• parliamentary functions are carried out at the same location; or

• the combined duration of parliamentary and ministerial duties does not allow the Member to return home to the family residence.

6. Other Eligible Travel Expenses: Amend the current policy to allow:

a. Members and their authorized travellers to travel at a higher class of travel than they are authorized to use if it is the most economical fare, when supported by written documentation;

b. expenses related to pre-approved traveller programs that have been approved by the Chief Financial Officer and in flight wireless Internet access to be charged to the Member’s Office Budget; and

c. expenses for all types of lawful alternative commercial accommodation and transportation services, supported by receipts, to be charged to the Member’s Office Budget or the Travel Status Expenses Account, subject to certain conditions set by the Board.

7. The consequential amendments to the Members By-law.


Year-end Deadline to Submit Previous Year Claims

Daniel Paquette proposed an amendment to the Members By-law to change the June 30 deadline to submit previous year claims, and answered questions.

The Board approved the amendment of the Members By-law to allow the Chief Financial Officer to establish the deadline by which all claims for expenses incurred in the previous fiscal year must be received in order to be charged to the Member’s budgets for the current fiscal year.


HOUSE OFFICERS’ EXPENDITURES DISCLOSURE REPORTS

Daniel Paquette presented the disclosure report mock-ups for the expenditures of House Officers, Presiding Officers and National Caucus Research Offices, and answered questions.

The Board approved the following, for the disclosure report for fiscal year 2017–2018:

1. Report mock-ups for the expenditures of House Officers, Presiding Officers and National Caucus Research Offices; and

2. The consequential amendment to the Members By-law.


CONSTITUENCY OFFICE COMPUTER STANDARDIZATION

Stéphan Aubé presented the first phase of a standardized approach to the delivery and management of computer equipment in constituency offices across Canada. Digital Services and Real Property will consult with party whips to determine the ridings that will participate in the pilot project to begin in June 2018. Once the pilot phase is completed and the results have been analyzed, the House of Commons Administration will return to inform the Board of the results and seek the potential extension of the standardized service offering to all the remaining ridings.

The Board approved the proposed pilot project.


At 12:15 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:19 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


IN CAMERA


ADMINISTRATION

Arbitral Award Pertaining to the House of Commons

The Board took note of the arbitral award rendered by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board following collective bargaining for the Operational Group and the Postal Services Sub-Group bargaining units.


Mandate for Collective Bargaining

The Board approved a collective bargaining mandate for negotiations for the renewal of all House of Commons collective agreements.

The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy