The employees of the House of Commons Administration are dedicated to providing quality services to Members of Parliament and their staff every day. Together, we play an important part in support of parliamentary democracy: procedural experts advise Members in the Chamber; information technology specialists support hybrid committees; maintenance personnel keep the buildings in the Parliamentary Precinct in good working order; legislative counsel assist in the drafting of legislation. And these are just a few examples of the roles fulfilled by our diverse workforce! As Clerk of the House of Commons, I am honoured to lead this great team of individuals who share our vision of work based on impartiality, excellence, accountability, teamwork and inclusion.

The House of Commons is proud of its traditions and strives to be an exemplary parliamentary institution. Because it is built on a solid foundation of knowledge and experience, innovation and excellence are possible here. The 2021–2022 fiscal year was another opportunity for us to demonstrate our ability to meet the changing needs of an organization greatly characterized by consistency and stability. Even after two years of uncertainty related to COVID-19, continuous improvement remained a priority: the Administration continued to seek ways to better work together, whether remotely, on site or in hybrid fashion. In many ways, parliamentary business has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, and Members, their staff and Administration employees who had been working remotely have returned to their workplaces in the Parliamentary Precinct in accordance with the sanitary measures put in place to ensure their safety.

Over the past year, the Administration remained true to its mission to be responsive to Members’ needs. It offered customized and adapted support to outgoing, re-elected and newly elected Members following the 44th general election. Onboarding and swearing-in activities for elected Members, as well as transition support for outgoing Members, were made available in person and remotely: a first for our Members’ Orientation Program.

As well, technological improvements were implemented to continue to provide a hybrid environment for committee meetings, allowing for a more secure connection and a higher-quality audio feed and giving Members’ employees the ability to monitor committee meetings remotely. The Administration also made it easier to access parliamentary information. Working with the Senate and the Library of Parliament, the Administration contributed to the renewal of the LEGISinfo website, an online tool that tracks bills introduced in the Senate and the House of Commons.

To learn more about these and other initiatives undertaken over the past year, I invite you to continue reading this report. I hope it will help you better understand the work of Members of Parliament and the Administration's important role in supporting parliamentary democracy.

Charles Robert