Skip to main content

Board of Internal Economy meeting

The Agenda includes information about the items of business to be dealt with by the Board and date, time and place of the meeting. The Transcript is the edited and revised report of what is said during the meeting. The Minutes are the official record of decisions made by the Board at a meeting.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication

Meeting Minutes

Thursday, October 10, 2024

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy (Board) of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 11:08 a.m., in Room 225 A, West Block.

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

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

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

Also Present: Carolyne Evangelidis, Chief Human Resources Officer; Mélanie Leclair, Senior Director, Talent Management and Employee Wellbeing; Michel Bédard, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Executive Administrator; Jeffrey LeBlanc, Deputy Clerk, Procedure; Ian McDonald, Clerk Assistant, Committees and Legislative Services Directorate; Benoit Dicaire, Chief Information Officer; Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs; Pat McDonell, Sergeant-at-Arms; Natacha Flanagan, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of June 13, 2024, were approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Board took note of correspondence distributed since its last meeting. The Board also requested that the House of Commons Administration present an initial draft of an updated virtual committees’ dashboard at its next meeting and prepare a comparison of insurance coverage service levels before and after the transition to Canada Life.


NEW MEMBER OF THE BOARD

Pursuant to subsection 50(2) of the Parliament of Canada Act, the Honourable Karina Gould and the Honourable Ruby Sahota were appointed as representatives of the King’s Privy Council.

Pursuant to subsection 50(5) of the Parliament of Canada Act, the Honourable Karina Gould was recently (October 10, 2024) sworn in as a member of the Board.


APPOINTMENT OF A BOARD SPOKESPERSON

Pursuant to Standing Order 37(2), the Honourable Karina Gould was appointed to act as spokesperson for the Board, replacing the Honourable Steven MacKinnon.


JOINT INTERPARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT – PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATIONS’ ACTIVITIES AND EXPENDITURES FOR 2023–2024

The Board took note of the annual report on parliamentary associations’ activities and expenditures for 2023–2024. Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs, answered questions.


At 11:27 a.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 11:30 a.m., the meeting resumed in camera.


SECURITY MATTERS

The Board discussed security matters.


RATIFICATION OF A COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

The Board ratified the agreement in principle reached between the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and the House of Commons Administration.

The Board approved the following:


• The ratification of the tentative agreement reached between PIPSC and the House of Commons Administration, which includes

o a 3.5% economic increase and 1.25% wage adjustment, effective April 1, 2022,

o a 3.0% economic increase and 0.50% wage adjustment, effective April 1, 2023,

o a 2.0% economic increase and 0.25% wage adjustment, effective January 1, 2024, and

o a $2,500 one-time lump sum payment for current members of the bargaining unit as of the date of ratification by both parties.

• The inclusion of $2,514,025—excluding employee benefit plans (EBPs) in the amount of $346,935—in the 2024–2025 Supplementary Estimates, as required, and the inclusion of $1,062,189—excluding EBPs in the amount of $162,515—in the 2025–2026 Main Estimates.


BARGAINING MANDATE AND COMPENSATION APPROACH FOR 2025–2026

The Board approved a collective bargaining mandate and related financial implications to negotiate the renewal of the collective agreements of all bargaining units and to renew the terms and conditions of employment of unrepresented and Management Group employees. The Board also agreed to include funding for economic increases and employee benefit plans (EBPs) in the Supplementary and Main Estimates, as required.


PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE LEGAL FEES POLICY

The Board approved amendments to the Legal Fees Policy, effective immediately, to allow for the reimbursement of legal fees incurred by Members or their employees in relation to a criminal matter in which they are victims or when their safety is at risk as a result of threats arising from their parliamentary functions.


PAYMENT OF THE LEGAL FEES OF TWO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

The Board approved the payment of the legal fees of a Member of Parliament, up to $25,000.00, calculated at the Board’s pre-established rates and subject to the accounts being reviewed by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.

The Board also approved the payment of the legal fees of a Member of Parliament, up to $30,000.00, at the rates of outside counsel and subject to the accounts being reviewed by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.


The meeting was adjourned at 1:01 p.m.

Eric Janse
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy