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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 4:08 p.m., in Room 025-B, West Block.

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

Present: The Honourables Mark Holland, Steven MacKinnon, Andrew Scheer and Kerry Lynne Findlay; 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; Michel Bédard, Interim Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Eric Janse, Deputy Clerk, Procedure; Nathalie Laliberté, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Translation Bureau; Matthew Ball, Vice-President, Translation Bureau; Ian McDonald, Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services Directorate; Yassine Aouididi, Senior Digital Product Manager; Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs; Marie-Ève Belzile, Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges and Protocol; Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer; Sylvie Lafontaine, Senior Director, Decision Support and Financial Planning; Michelle Laframboise, Chief Human Resources Officer; Annie Carpentier, Deputy Director, Members’ Human Resources Services; Pat McDonell, Sergeant-at-Arms; and Michelle Tittley, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of December 1, 2022, were approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Board took note of correspondence distributed since its last meeting.


TRANSLATION BUREAU – RESOURCE UTILIZATION FOR SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION

Nathalie Laliberté, Acting Chief Executive Officer, and Matthew Ball, Vice-President, Services to Parliament and Interpretation Sector, Translation Bureau, made a presentation and answered questions.

The Board requested that the Translation Bureau work with the House Administration to provide information on the daily capacity for interpretation services in support of parliamentary activities.


The meeting was suspended at 4:58 p.m.

The meeting resumed at 5:11 p.m.


INCREASE TO THE PARLIAMENTARY EXCHANGES BUDGET

The Board approved the request for temporary additional funding of $500,000, to be managed within existing budgets, to increase the parliamentary exchanges budget in 2022–2023. The total cost will be shared using the usual formula (30% Senate, 70% House of Commons) between the Senate ($150,000) and the House of Commons ($350,000).

The Board requested that the Administration present a revised budget for parliamentary exchanges for 2023–2024 at a future meeting.


PROPOSED 2023–2024 MAIN ESTIMATES

Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer, supported by Sylvie Lafontaine, Senior Director, Decision Support and Financial Planning, presented the proposed 2023–2024 Main Estimates.

The Board approved the proposed 2023–2024 Main Estimates for the House of Commons in the amount of $597.1 M.


STATEMENT FROM THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Charles Robert, Clerk of the House of Commons, announced his retirement effective January 13, 2023.


At 5:32 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 5:37 p.m., the meeting resumed in camera.


EMPLOYMENT MATTERS

The Board approved a collective bargaining mandate and related financial implications, as presented for the negotiation of the renewal of House of Commons collective agreements, and agreed to include funding for economic increases and employee benefit plans (EBPs) in the Supplementary and Main Estimates, as required.


LEGAL MATTERS

The Board discussed the use of parliamentary resources by a Member’s office and resolved to take no further action.


The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Eric Janse
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy