By-Laws and Policies

By-Laws under the Parliament of Canada Act

The By-laws regulate the use of the funds, goods, services and premises made available to Members of the House of Commons for carrying out their parliamentary functions. They are legally binding on Members and they take precedence over any administrative manual or general policy decision. The following by-laws were enacted by the BOIE pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act.

Consult the By-Laws of the Board of Internal Economy Frequently Asked Questions.

Members' Allowances and Services

The Members' Allowances and Services Manual is a comprehensive guide to the Board's policies related to budgets, allowances and entitlements for Members, House Officers and Research Offices.

This manual, written for use by Members and their staff, should be read in conjunction with the Members By-law, established by the Board under the authority of the Parliament of Canada Act.

This manual is updated regularly to reflect the decisions of the Board.

Consult the Members' Allowances and Services Manual Frequently Asked Questions.

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION POLICY

The Members of the House of Commons – Workplace harassment and violence prevention policy applies to Members and House Officers as employers, as well as to their employees and research office employees. The Policy addresses harassment and violence prevention and explains the processes for resolving reported occurrences and for filing complaints. It also includes investigation and reporting requirements. Under the Policy, the Chief Human Resources Officer of the House of Commons must provide the Board of Internal Economy with an annual statistical report.

This policy does not cover situations between Members, which are addressed by the the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Commons: Sexual Harassment Between Members. In its 38th report, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs recommended that the Code be included in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons as an appendix and that this take effect at the start of the 42nd Parliament. The Code ensures Members’ commitment to creating a safe and harassment-free environment, where they can excel in their public duties and functions.

Legal Fees Policy

If a legal issue arises while Members are carrying out their parliamentary functions, the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel may, in certain situations, refer Members to outside counsel for representation. In such cases, Members may ask the Board of Internal Economy to reimburse their legal fees.

In order to ensure that the process and procedures for the reimbursement of legal fees are widely understood, and to provide additional measures to ensure a harassment and violence-free workplace for employees and Members, the Board adopted the Legal Fees Policy.