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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, April 11, 2019

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, April 11, 2019, at 11:43 a.m., in Room 225-A, West Block.

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

Present:The Honourables Bardish Chagger, Mark Holland and Candice Bergen; Messrs. Mark Strahl and Peter Julian

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; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Robyn Daigle, Director, Members’ HR Services; Benoit Giroux, Chief Operations Officer, Parliamentary Precinct Operations; Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Guillaume La Perrière Marcoux, Secretariat

New Member of the Board

Pursuant to subsections 50(2) and 50(5) of the Parliament of Canada Act, Mr. Peter Julian was recently sworn in as a member of the Board (March 21, 2019).

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting of February 28, 2019, were adopted and approved for tabling.


Business Arising from Previous Meetings

The Board noted correspondence distributed since its last meeting.


MODERNIZATION OF POLICIES RELATED TO COMMUNICATING WITH CONSTITUENTS

Benoit Giroux answered questions about the proposed changes to the policy regarding Members’ communications with constituents.


The Board approved the following, effective after the next general election:


Modify the policy regarding ten percenters by:

• replacing the current ten percenter with constituency mail, which includes the following:

- eight of the householder offerings available in one or two colours or in full colour;

- up to eight times the number of households in a Member’s constituency per calendar year as a charge against the House Administration central budget; and

- a maximum allocation of one time the number of households in a Member’s constituency for every 30-calendar day period as one or multiple requests.

• offering two options for postage of constituency mail:

- unaddressed mail at the preferred bulk rate set by Canada Post charged to the Member’s Office Budget (MOB); or

- addressed mail with the cost of preparation charged to the MOB;

• maintaining the current policy whereby the originating Member’s name must appear prominently in all constituency mail; and

• maintaining the current policy to limit the distribution of constituency mail to households within the Member’s constituency.

The Board approved that the Administration monitor volumes and financial forecasts and return for direction in any given year if required.


The Board also approved the consequential amendments to the Members By-Law to reflect the changes outlined above.


TRANSITION SUPPORT (RESETTLEMENT PROVISIONS) FOR MEMBERS NOT RE-ELECTED AND NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION

Pierre Parent and Robyn Daigle presented updates to the policies in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual regarding resources provided to Members who are not re-elected as well as those who are not seeking re-election and, with Michel Patrice, answered questions.


The Board approved the following policy changes, effective as of April 11, 2019:


1. Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) – Counselling

a. Extend access to the EFAP to 12 months following election day or the termination date for all departing Members, their spouses and dependants, and their terminated employees; and

b. Make EFAP services more proactive by having counsellors on site during transition meetings and by providing information packages through various means and on multiple occasions following the election.

2. Transition support and eligible expenses

a. Remove the provision for temporary help agency expenses for typing, secretarial or clerical services.

3. Career transition services

a. Offer Members who are not re-elected or not seeking re-election the option of accessing career transition services through a third-party outplacement company contracted and paid directly by the House Administration as part of the $15,000 transition support amount allocated to each Member. Members will be able to choose one of several standard transition packages; and

b. Allow Members who are not re-elected or not seeking re-election and who wish to use alternative career transition services firms to submit a request with justification to the Chief Human Resources Officer for consideration.

4. Education and training

a. Allow the Chief Human Resources Officer to review, assess, and approve, where warranted, education or training that does not fall within the usual training parameters.

5. Travel

a. Add a specification that the four round trips in Canada and related travel expenses may be used only for the following career transition purposes:

• travel to and from a job interview;

• travel to and from training or education sessions;

• travel to and from sessions with a career transition services provider; and

• travel to and from Ottawa to sell a residence and arrange related affairs.

b. Require supporting documentation regarding the purpose of a trip (current requirement for Members).

6. Start, completion and claim submission dates

a. Amend the start, completion and claim submission dates for transition-related activities.

The Board also approved the consequential amendments to the Members By-Law as well as amendments to the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual to reflect the policy changes outlined above.


OCCUPYING, MANAGING AND VACATING CONSTITUENCY OFFICES

Daniel Paquette presented amendments to certain policies in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual regarding occupying, managing and vacating constituency offices and answered questions.


At 12:27 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:53 p.m., the meeting resumed.


The Board approved the following policy changes, effective the day immediately following the day of the next general election:


1. Constituency office moves:

a. Extend the period during which office move expenses for newly elected Members can be charged to the House Administration central budget to one year following a general election (this applies to all official constituency offices of newly elected Members); and

b. If a Member elected in a by-election more than three years after a general election chooses to move, charge office move expenses against the MOB and, if the said Member is re-elected after the next general election, charge expenses for any subsequent move of the Member’s official constituency offices within one year following the general election against the House Administration central budget.

2. Office winding-up period:

a. Provide Members who resign or who are not re-elected up to 21 calendar days following the date of their resignation or the date of the election to vacate both their parliamentary and constituency offices.

3. Constituency office location:

a. Establish that Members select an office space that is already set up as an office and that includes a reception area, a bathroom, security systems, accessibility measures, an infrastructure for network connectivity, etc.; and

b. Allow the Chief Financial Officer to review, assess and approve, where warranted, the selection of alternative office locations that do not meet the usual office space requirements.

4. Completion and payment of renovations:

a. Establish that, prior to initiating a renovation, Members negotiate with landlords whether the renovation is a leasehold improvement normally paid for by the landlord and contact the House Administration for guidance on the eligibility of the expense;

b. Charge renovation expenses to the MOB of the fiscal year in which they were incurred; and

c. Limit the completion of renovations to no more than three years following the date of a general election and to no less than 12 months prior to the expiry of a Member’s lease, unless they are required:

• under the lease;

• to comply with applicable accessibility standards;

• to comply with applicable occupational health and safety standards; or

• for security reasons.

5. Mandatory and recommended lease clauses:

a. Establish that the approved mandatory lease clauses be attached as an annex to all constituency office leases and signed by both parties;

• Members who are prevented from adding these clauses will consult the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, who will work with the Member and their local lawyer to include clauses similar in substance and with Finance Services to determine what notice period or payment in lieu thereof is acceptable.

b. Establish that the House Administration assist Members in ensuring that their premises are compliant with applicable accessibility and occupational health and safety laws, orders, rules or regulations and will consider any appropriate subsequent steps if a determination of non-compliance is made; and

c. Encourage Members to discuss with their local lawyer the possibility of including a set of additional recommended lease clauses.

6. Assignees of former Members’ leases:

a. Establish that lease assignees obtain liability coverage for former Members’ constituency offices, and allow insurance costs to continue to be paid from the former Member’s MOB.

The Board also approved the consequential amendments to the Members By-Law as well as amendments to the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual to reflect the policy changes outlined above.


At 12:53 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:55 p.m., the meeting resumed in camera.


LEGAL MATTERS

The Board discussed a legal matter pertaining to the House of Commons Policy on Preventing and Addressing Harassment.


The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy