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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, March 12, 2020

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, March 12, 2020, at 11:18 a.m., in Room 225-A, West Block.

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

Present: The Honourables Mark Holland, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Pablo Rodríguez, Dominic LeBlanc and Candice Bergen; Mr. Mark Strahl, Ms. Claude DeBellefeuille and Mr. 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; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Information Officer; Susan Kulba, Director General, Real Property; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Guillaume LaPerrière-Marcoux, Secretariat; Dr. Howard Njoo, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of February 27, 2020, were adopted and approved for tabling.


PARLIAMENTARY PRECINCT LONG-TERM VISION AND PLAN

Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration, answered questions regarding the Centre Block rehabilitation project.

The Board approved that the existing footprint of the House of Commons Chamber not be expanded in the context of the Centre Block renovations.

The Board requested from the House Administration a list of the architecturally significant rooms and spaces in Centre Block that require special attention and that should be conserved while allowing for the upgrades and modernization necessary to preserve Centre Block as a functional and working parliamentary building.

The Board agreed that a working group comprising Members from each recognized party be established to study and report on Centre Block renovations and the Long-Term Vision and Plan (LTVP).

The membership of the working group shall be composed as follows: the Speaker (or delegate thereof), who shall be the chair, three members from the Government, two members from the Official Opposition, one member from the third recognized party and one member from the fourth recognized party.

The Board shall retain overall authority to make final recommendations to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) on Centre Block renovations.

The working group will make recommendations to the Board of Internal Economy for consideration. The Board’s decisions shall be provided in writing to the Minister of PSPC.

The working group’s mandate is to study and provide recommendations on areas of Centre Block renovations and the LTVP that are integral to the House of Commons, its operation, and Members in a timely manner.

The overriding objective of the working group will be to ensure that the existing heritage sections of the building are protected and maintained. Changes will be limited to restoration and rehabilitation for the purposes of health and safety, including ensuring conformity with modern building codes, seismic durability requirements, and accessibility guidelines, as well as attending to family-friendly concerns. Restoration and rehabilitation will also be aimed at meeting the core functional needs of a modernized Parliament (e.g. replacing wiring and other core building systems, as well as ensuring Internet and technological capabilities).

The working group will examine which areas are of shared use with the Senate and propose a list of areas for joint decision-making with the subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, or other body that the Senate may determine. The shared areas may include, but are not limited to, committee rooms and the Parliamentary Welcome Centre.

The working group is authorized to have joint meetings with the appropriate Senate body as it deems necessary to develop joint recommendations on a consensus basis.

The minutes of the working group meetings will be recorded and made public 30 days following a meeting or the presentation of a report to the Board.


At 11:37 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:40 a.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Board discussed the COVID-19 pandemic.


At 1:17 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 3:20 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


The Board agreed that, effective end of business on Friday, March 13, until April 20, 2020:

• the House of Commons precinct would be closed to visitor access and public tours would be cancelled;

• committee travel would be suspended; and

• parliamentary functions and events in the House of Commons precinct would be cancelled.


The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy