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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, April 11, 2024

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy (Board) of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 11:07 a.m., in Room 035-B, West Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Greg Fergus, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Mona Fortier, Steven MacKinnon, Ruby Sahota, Andrew Scheer and Kerry-Lynne Findlay; Ms. Claude DeBellefeuille and Mr. Peter Julian

Secretary to the Board: Eric Janse, Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present: House of Commons: Patrick McDonell, Sergeant-at-Arms; Paul Mellon, Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms; Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Executive Administrator; Benoit Dicaire, Acting Chief Information Officer; Michel Bédard, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Jeffrey LeBlanc, Deputy Clerk, Procedure; Michelle Tittley, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of February 29, 2024, were approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

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


ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING (EVC) STATIONS — PAY-PER-USE SYSTEM ACTIVATION

Benoit Dicaire, Acting Chief Information Officer, supported by Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer, presented a proposal for the implementation of a pay-per-use system for charging electric vehicles on the Hill for Members and staff, and answered questions.


It was agreed that the House Administration:

• initiate the creation of new accounts with service providers as well as the reprogramming of charging stations;

• develop a communications plan for select EVC permit holders to be ready for a two-week testing period beginning May 2024; and

• fully implement a pay-per-use system for charging stations located within the parliamentary precinct and managed by the House of Commons Parking Services by June 2024.


The Board instructed the House Administration to present a proposal for EVC station rates, based on regional charging benchmarks at a future meeting, prior to implementing the pay-per-use system.


At 11:16 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:18 a.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


SECURITY MATTERS

The Board reviewed a proposal to sustain and enhance current security programs as well as future safeguards.


Accordingly, the Board approved the following policy changes:

• That the Off-Precinct Security Pilot Program be made permanent and that the mandate of this program be expanded.

• That all event security costs be charged to the central budgets.

• That the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy be modified to make it mandatory for all users travelling with HoC assets to notify the House Administration.

• That the Mobile Duress Program be expanded.


The Board also approved the following funding to support accreditation services, the visitor registration program, open-source intelligence (OSINT), the technical security countermeasures program, event and travel security, risk management and investigations, security operations support services, residential and constituency office security, and security awareness:

• 2024–2025: $7,736,338 (excluding $395,174 for EBPs); this includes $4,849,715 for the House Administration and $2,886,623 for central budgets;

• 2025–2026: $8,421,928 (excluding $499,192 for EBPs); this includes $5,582,850 for the House Administration and $2,839,078 for central budgets; and

• 2026–2027 and subsequent years: $8,425,463 (excluding $499,192 for EBPs); this includes $5,583,172 for the House Administration (salaries of $3,617,331, operating expenditures of $1,790,841, and equipment and life cycling costs of $175,000) and $2,842,291 for central budgets (operating expenditures of $1,331,791 and equipment and life cycling costs of $1,510,500).


The funding requested for 2024–2025 will be sought through the Supplementary Estimates as needed, and funding for future fiscal years will be sought through the Main Estimates.


The Board asked the Administration to, when possible, identify and evaluate opportunities for costs savings to offset spending.


The meeting was adjourned at 11:48 a.m.

Eric Janse
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy