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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, November 23, 2023

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, November 23, 2023, at 11:06 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, Steven MacKinnon, Andrew Scheer and Kerry Lynne Findlay; Ms. Ruby Sahota, Mr. Mark Gerretsen, Ms. Claude DeBellefeuille and Mr. Peter Julian

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

Also Present: Chris d’Entremont, Chair, Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation; Pat McDonell, Sergeant-at-Arms; Paul Mellon, Deputy Sergeant at Arms; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Acting Deputy Clerk, Administration; Benoit Dicaire, Acting Chief Information Officer; Jean-Philippe Brochu, Clerk Assistant, House Proceedings; Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada; Susan Kulba, Director General, Real Property; Jean-Philippe Brochu, Clerk Assistant, House Proceedings; Jeffrey LeBlanc, Acting Deputy Clerk, Procedure; Michel Bédard, Interim Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Michelle Tittley, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of November 9, 2023, were approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

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


At 11:08 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 11:10 p.m., the meeting resumed in camera.


APPOINTMENT OF EXTERNAL AUDITORS

Following a competitive procurement process, the Board approved the engagement of the firm KPMG LLP as the external auditors of the financial records of the House of Commons for fiscal years 2023–2024 to 2025–2026, with the option of an extension to 2027–2028. This appointment is subject to the Administration finalizing a contract with the supplier. The Board decided that following the conclusion of this engagement, a firm other than the one selected will be appointed as the next external auditors of the House of Commons’ financial records.


LIFE CYCLE AND MAINTENANCE OF DISASTER RECOVERY TECHNOLOGIES AND FACILITIES SERVICES

Stéphan Aubé, Acting Deputy Clerk, Administration, Benoit Dicaire, Acting Chief Information Officer, and José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer presented a proposed strategy for the House of Commons Data Centre facilities and ongoing funding to maintain, support and operate assets related to the Disaster Recovery Technologies and Facilities Services, and answered questions.

The Board approved the strategy with the following associated funding to be included in the Main Estimates:

(a) Sustaining Connectivity Assets of Data Centres

• Fiscal year 2024-2025: $3,260,663

• Fiscal year 2025-2026: $4,298,191

• Fiscal year 2026-2027: $5,393,766

• Fiscal year 2027-2028: $5,309,904

• Fiscal year 2028-2029 and subsequent years: $5,945,900


(b) Sustaining Components Assets of Data Centres

• Fiscal year 2024-2025: $375,919

• Fiscal year 2025-2026: $1,167,919

• Fiscal year 2026-2027: $849,919

• Fiscal year 2027-2028: $981,919

• Fiscal year 2028-2029 and subsequent years: $1,138,919


Should material funding variances occur over the current planning horizon, the House Administration will return to the Board for amended approvals, as required.


PARLIAMENTARY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM – PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW ORGANIZATION

Jean-Philippe Brochu, Clerk Assistant, House Proceedings, provided an update regarding the decision of the Canada Political Science Association (CPSA) to terminate its delivery agreement for the Parliamentary Internship Program (PIP) and requested the Board’s approval on a service delivery model and to negotiate an agreement with a new host organization.

The Board approved the following:

1. That the Administration identify prospective academic institutions or, as an alternative, independent charities, to host the PIP.

2. That the Administration identify a new organization from the prospective hosts and negotiate a new partnership, accompanied with a service delivery agreement, and provide an update to the BOIE, as well as seek approval of the new host in the winter of 2024.

3. That the BOIE authorize the transfer of the annual contribution approved on November 3, 2022 to the new host organization and, for the 2024-25 cohort, if the CPSA does not continue in its role beyond December 31, 2024, that it be prorated and provided to each organization based on the number of months that the CPSA and the new organization host the program.


At 11:45 a.m. the meeting was suspended.

At 12:10 the meeting resumed in camera.


SECURITY MATTERS

The Board discussed security matters and requested that the Sergeant-at-Arms return at a future meeting with proposals to address short- and long-term concerns related to security services.

At 1:19 p.m., the meeting resumed in public.


LTVP WORKING GROUP UPDATE

Chris d’Entremont, Chair, Working Group on the Long-Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) and the Centre Block Rehabilitation, provided an update on recent activities of the House of Commons Working Group on the LTVP, and with Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Susan Kulba, Director General, Real Property, Mr. d’Entremont, answered questions.


The Board approved the working group’s recommendations as follows:

• That a dedicated space be constructed on the 4th floor of the central courtyard infill with appropriate design and systems to accommodate events requiring the use of smoke.

•That 4th and 5th levels of the central courtyard infill are designed for flexible workspace available to all parliamentarians and further detailed design options will be vetted through the Working Group.

• That gallery seating in North and South Galleries be designed with benching to maximize capacity, and design development and mock-ups be brought back for input and approval. The East and West Galleries be designed to allow for future conversion to benching, and that the building be planned to allow for the future increased capacity, based on the approval of the developed benching design.

• That the proposed number, location and sizes of the Leadership Suites and standard Parliamentarian Office Units (POUs) be endorsed, so that the design can progress, knowing allocation can still be further reviewed.

• That the three proposed Art & Artefacts processes, as presented to the Board on October 26, 2023, be acknowledged.

The Board agreed that a discussion would be held at a future meeting to consider the use and name of the dedicated space that can accommodate the use of smoke.


The meeting was adjourned at 1:31 p.m.

Eric Janse
Acting Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy