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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Friday, July 10, 2020

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Friday, July 10, 2020, at 1:07 p.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, Pablo Rodríguez 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: 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; Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Information Officer; Robyn Daigle, Director, Members’ HR Services; Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property; Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada; Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, Public Services and Procurement Canada; Guillaume LaPerrière-Marcoux, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of June 1, 2020, and the amended minutes of the meeting of March 12, 2020, were approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Board noted correspondence distributed since its last meeting.


LTVP WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS

Bruce Stanton, Chair of the Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation, presented the report of the working group and, with Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Susan Kulba, Director General and Executive Architect, Real Property; Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada; and Jennifer Garrett, Director General, Centre Block Program, Public Services and Procurement Canada, answered questions.

The Board concurred in the recommendation of the working group to approve the construction of a 32,600 m2 Parliament Welcome Centre.


2019–2020 YEAR-END FINANCIAL REPORT AND 2020–2021 SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES (B)

Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer, presented the 2019–2020 Year-end Financial Report and the 2020–2021 Supplementary Estimates (B) and answered questions.

The Board approved the inclusion of the carry-forward of $17,490,624, as well as funding of $5,510,625 for the economic increases of certain House Administration employees in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for fiscal year 2020–2021.


EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY EXCEPTIONS FOR ADVERTISING AND INTERNET SERVICES EXPENSES

Daniel Paquette, Chief Financial Officer, presented a proposal to extend the temporary exceptions to some of the Board’s by-laws and policies regarding advertising and Internet services expenses (for Members’ employees) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, with Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration, answered questions.

The Board agreed to the following temporary exceptions:


A. That the advertising policy be modified until March 31, 2021, by allowing Members to:

• include information (i.e. website address, telephone number and logo) and/or COVID-19–related messages from local community, government or not for profit organizations of interest to their constituents; and

• solicit donations to registered Canadian charities on matters related to COVID-19.

B. That the policy regarding Internet services provided to Members’ employees be extended until March 31, 2021, by allowing Members to:

• reimburse, as a charge against their Member’s Office Budget (MOB), employees, who are working from home to support them in carrying out their parliamentary functions, for reasonable residential high speed Internet service.


ANNUAL REPORT ON THE HOUSE OF COMMONS POLICY ON PREVENTING AND ADDRESSING HARASSMENT FOR 2019–2020

Robyn Daigle, Director, Members’ HR Services, presented the Annual Report on the House of Commons Policy on Preventing and Addressing Harassment for 2019–2020 and answered questions.


REPORT TO CANADIANS 2020

Charles Robert, Clerk of the House of Commons, presented the Report to Canadians 2020.

The Board agreed that the Speaker table the report in the House of Commons as soon as practicable.


REQUEST FOR EXCEPTION – OUTDOOR FURNITURE

The Board considered a request for exception and denied the reimbursement of a Member’s expenses for outdoor furniture as a charge to the MOB.


At 2:46 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 2:58 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


EXCEPTIONS TO PROACTIVE PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION

The Board took note of additional information on the exceptions to the proactive publication of information framework provided under the Access to Information Act.


REVIEW OF USE OF HOUSE OF COMMONS RESOURCES

The Board reviewed an alleged misuse of parliamentary resources and determined that a reminder of the applicable rules respecting the use of parliamentary resources would be sent to the Member involved, and that no further action would be taken.


REQUESTS FOR EXCEPTION

The Board considered and approved two exceptions related to employment matters.


The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy