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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 11:15 a.m., in Room 340-S, Centre Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Peter Van Loan, John Duncan and Dominic LeBlanc; Mrs. Stella Ambler; Mrs. Nycole Turmel; Mr. Philip Toone

Acting Secretary to the Board: Marc Bosc, Acting Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present: Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Richard Denis, Deputy Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Mark Watters, Chief Financial Officer; Benoit Giroux, Director General, Members’ Services; Robin Kells, Secretariat

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting of February 3, 2015 were adopted and approved for tabling.

Business Arising from Previous Meeting

The Board reviewed correspondence distributed since its last meeting.

Harassment

The Board approved the proposed amendments to the House of Commons Policy on Preventing and Addressing Harassment that applies to Members and House Officers as employers and their employees and to Research Office employees.

Use of House Resources

The Board reviewed the House Administration’s analysis of certain mailings prepared for and sent by Members to determine whether these mailings complied with the Board’s By-laws and policies.

After discussion, the Board agreed that with respect to certain ten percenters which Members produced using House of Commons Printing and Mailing Services, no further analysis was required. However, with regard to certain externally produced printed materials, the Board directed the House Administration to examine these in more depth and return with its analysis.

The Board confirmed that the use of quick response codes should be consistent with its policy on Web sites.

Members’ Allowances and Services

National Caucus Research Office Employees at Dissolution

Further to its decision of November 4, 2014 , wherein the Board agreed that national caucus research office employees will be provided with 60 days’ notice of termination on the day of dissolution and that this would be working notice and, as such, the employees could either continue to work or take leave during this period, the Board approved various policies related to the impact of dissolution on employees of some House Officers and the national caucus research offices. Specifically, the Board approved that:

  • the Members By-law be amended to ensure that the employees of Opposition Party Leaders, Opposition House Leaders and Chief Whips of recognized parties are treated in the same manner as research office employees;
  • the additional salaries of these particular House Officers be continued during dissolution in order to ensure proper oversight and accountability for the actions of their employees;
  • to remain in compliance with the Canada Elections Act and the Parliament of Canada Act , the work performed by the employees of research offices, Opposition Party Leaders, Opposition House Leaders and Chief Whips of recognized parties be limited to administrative activities related to any contracts for goods and services entered into before the date of dissolution and the closing of files and other matters related to the previous Parliament, including internal office administration and the organization of paper and electronic files;
  • the salary cost allocations be made to the appropriate pre- and post-election budgets.

The Board further directed the House Administration to provide an analysis of options related to employee leave during the dissolution period.

Constituency Office Leases

In order to reduce costs and ease administration following an election, the Board directed that constituency office lease agreements include new clauses assigning the leases to the House Administration on the day of the election instead of terminating them. Effective immediately, Members will be required to include the revised assignment clauses, as approved by the Board, in all new constituency office leases and to amend all existing leases accordingly upon renewal.

Impact of New Electoral Boundaries on Members’ Constituency Assets

In light of 30 constituencies being added for the first general election called after May 1, 2014, the Board directed that the following principles for asset redistribution be approved unless an exceptional case is presented:

  • Assets will follow the re-elected Member. If the Member is not re-elected, the assets will stay in their current location and will be assigned to the newly elected Member.
  • In the case of constituency offices to which no assets will be transferred, newly elected Members will be able to purchase standard furniture and equipment to furnish their office as a charge against a House central budget to a maximum amount approved by the Board.
  • Some re-elected Members will need to move their primary or secondary constituency office if they are located outside the new constituency boundaries. In these circumstances, a House central budget will pay for all relocation expenses, if they are incurred within 120 days following the election. Should Members decide to move their offices prior to the election or after the 120-day period following the election, all related costs will be charged to their respective Member’s Office Budget.

The meeting was adjourned.

Marc Bosc
Acting Secretary to the Board