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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, December 3, 2020

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 10:36 a.m., in Room 035-B, West Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Mark Holland, Dominic LeBlanc, Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Pablo Rodríguez; Mr. Gérard Deltell, Mr. Blake Richards, Ms. Claude DeBellefeuille and Mr. Peter Julian

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

Also Present: Bruce Stanton, Chair, Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation; Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Eric Janse, Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services Directorate; Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada; Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property; Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, Public Services and Procurement Canada; Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Information Officer; Michelle Laframboise, Rebekah Kletke, Chief Operations Officer; Chief Human Resources Officer; Guillaume La Perrière-Marcoux, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of November 26, 2020, were adopted and approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Board took note of correspondence distributed since its last meeting and Eric Janse, Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services, answered questions.


LTVP WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS

Bruce Stanton, Chair of the Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation, presented an update to the Board on the Centre Block rehabilitation project and, with Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada and Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property, answered questions.

The Board concurred in the Working Group’s proposed design approach for the lobbies, galleries, centre light court, West light court and West foyer light well.


PROPOSED 2021–2022 MAIN ESTIMATES

Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer, presented the proposed 2021–2022 Main Estimates and, with Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel and Michelle Laframboise, Chief Human Resources Officer, answered questions.

The Board approved the proposed 2021–2022 Main Estimates for the House of Commons in the amount of $543.7M.


QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2020-2021

Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer, presented the Quarterly Financial Report for the Second Quarter of 2020-2021 and answered questions.


COVID-19 PANDEMIC – FINANCIAL STATUS UPDATE AS AT OCTOBER 31, 2020

Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer, provided an update on the expenditures related to the specific measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and, with Stéphan Aubé, Chief Information Officer, answered questions.


SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS’ EMPLOYEE TELEWORK ARRANGEMENTS AND TEMPORARY MEASURES IN EFFECT DUE TO COVID-19

José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, provided an update on the results of the House Administration’s analysis of the Board’s By-laws and policies to support telework arrangements of employees working for Members, Presiding Officers and House Officers, as well as on the temporary measures previously approved by the Board in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and, with Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration, Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer, and Rebekah Kletke, Chief Operations Officer, answered questions.


At 12:35 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:40 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


LEGAL MATTERS

The Board discussed a legal matter.


EMPLOYMENT MATTERS

The Board took note of a proposed workplace harassment and violence prevention policy for Members and their employees.


The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy