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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, October 27, 2016

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, October 27, 2016, at 11:15 a.m., in Room 340-S, Centre Block.

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

Present: The Honourables Bardish Chagger, Dominic LeBlanc, Andrew Leslie and Candice Bergen; Messrs. Gordon Brown and Murray Rankin

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

Also Present: Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Information Officer; Benoit Giroux, Director General, Parliamentary Precinct Operations; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; André Gagnon, Acting Deputy Clerk; Colette Labrecque-Riel, Acting Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate; 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. Murray Rankin was recently sworn in as a member of the Board (October 21, 2016).

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The minutes of the meeting of September 29 and of October 17, 2016 were adopted and approved for tabling.

BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Board noted correspondence distributed since its last meeting.

ADMINISTRATION

Report to Canadians 2016

The Board took note of the Report to Canadians 2016, which provides an update on Members’ activities and the House Administration’s accomplishments for the fiscal year in support of Members and the institution, and agreed that the Speaker proceed with its tabling in the House of Commons as soon as practicable.

Information Technology Security Policy Update

The Board reviewed and approved the updated Information Technology Security Policy.

Members’ Travel Services

The Board was briefed on and took note of recent changes and improvements to Members’ Travel Services.

2015-2016 Audited Financial Statements

The Board took note of the 2015-2016 Audited Financial Statements.

Shuttle Bus Services

Further to recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in its 11th report, tabled in the House of Commons on June 15, 2016, the Board was briefed on current and past shuttle bus service levels.

MP Accommodation Process and Guiding Principles

The Board was briefed on and approved the process and guiding principles used by the House Administration to evaluate current and future requests from Members who require special accommodations. The Board recognized that this will further enhance the confidentiality and efficiency of the process by which the House Administration resolves Members’ needs for special accommodations.

Members’ Pension Contributions for 2016

The Board was informed of an error made by Public Services and Procurement Canada that resulted in incorrect deductions for pension contributions for Members, and of the measures taken to resolve the matter.

The Board also noted the changes in Members’ pension contributions scheduled to come into force in January 2017 and asked the House Administration to prepare documentation and provide further information at its next meeting.

JOINT INTERPARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL

Parliamentary Associations’ Activities and Expenditures

The Board took note of the report on the activities and expenditures of parliamentary associations for fiscal year 2015-2016, which was presented to the Joint Interparliamentary Council.

Permanent Funding Increase for Parliamentary Associations

The Board discussed the proposal for a permanent increase to the parliamentary associations’ budgetary envelope. Members of the Board agreed to review additional information and requested that the House Administration present the proposal for approval at the next Board meeting.

IPU Global Conference – November 2017

The Board approved that the IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians be held in Ottawa in November 2017. The Board also approved temporary funding for fiscal year 2017-2018, which would be shared using the usual formula between the Senate (30%) and the House of Commons (70%).

Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference – July 2018

The Board approved that the 56th Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Conference be held in Ottawa in July 2018. The Board also approved temporary funding for fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, which would be shared using the usual formula between the Senate (30%) and the House of Commons (70%).

NATO Annual Session – November 2018

The Board approved that the 64th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly be held in Halifax in November 2018. The Board also approved temporary funding for fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, which would be shared using the usual formula between the Senate (30%) and the House of Commons (70%).

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CONFEDERATION

The Board resumed its discussion on the proposal to hold a National Hockey League game in a temporary outdoor stadium installed on the front lawn of Parliament Hill. The Board was not satisfied with the level of information available regarding the proposal and its implementation.

The meeting was adjourned.

Marc Bosc
Acting Secretary to the Board