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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, June 2, 2022

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, June 2, 2022, at 11:02 a.m., in Room 225-A, West Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Mark Holland and Steven MacKinnon; Ms. Ruby Sahota, Mr. John Brassard, Mr. Blaine Calkins, Ms. Claude DeBellefeuille, and Mr. Peter Julian

Secretary to the Board: Charles Robert, Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present: Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Eric Janse, Deputy Clerk, Procedure; Francis Drouin, Chair, Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie; Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs; Michelle Laframboise, Chief Human Resources Officer; Robyn Daigle, Director, Members’ HR and Business Partner Services; Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; and Michelle Tittley, Secretariat

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of May 19, 2022, were approved as amended for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

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


JOINT INTERPARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL – ASSEMBLÉE PARLEMENTAIRE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE, 49TH ANNUAL SESSION, MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC, JULY 4–9, 2024

Francis Drouin, Chair of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, presented a proposal to host the 49th Annual Session of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie in Montréal, in July 2024, and, with Jeremy LeBlanc, Clerk Assistant and Director General, International and Interparliamentary Affairs, answered questions.


The Board agreed to the proposal to host the annual session in Montréal in July 2024 with funding as follows (excluding employee benefit plans):

• $19,448 for 2022–2023

• $214,357 for 2023–2024

• $1,460,165 for 2024–2025

The temporary funding for fiscal year 2022–2023 is to be absorbed by the anticipated surpluses in the budget for associations. The total cost is to be shared using the usual formula (30% Senate, 70% House of Commons) between the Senate ($508,191) and the House of Commons ($1,185,779).


PAY EQUITY ACT

Michelle Laframboise, Chief Human Resources Officer, presented information on the implications of the Pay Equity Act (the Act) for Members and House Officers in their role as employers.

The Board took note of the implications of the Act and the measures taken by the House Administration to help Members and House Officers meet their obligations in this regard.


ANNUAL REPORT ON THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WORKPLACE HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION POLICY FOR 2021–2022

Michelle Laframboise, Chief Human Resources Officer, presented the Annual Report on the Members of the House of Commons Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy for 2021–2022 and, with Robyn Daigle, Director, Members’ HR and Business Partner Services, answered questions.


TEMPORARY COVID-19 FINANCIAL POLICIES

Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer, presented a submission to extend temporary financial policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic and, with José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, answered questions.

The Board approved the extension of the temporary policies cited below until March 31, 2023:


A. The inclusion of the following content in Members’ advertisements, householders, constituency mail and externally printed materials produced in fewer than 5,000 copies:

• information (i.e. website addresses, phone numbers and logos) and/or COVID-19–related messages from local community, government or not for profit organizations of interest to their constituents; and

• solicitations of donations to registered Canadian charities on matters related to COVID-19.

B. The reimbursement of reasonable costs for residential high-speed Internet service incurred by Members’ employees who are working from home in support of parliamentary functions through the Member’s Office Budget.


At 11:44 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:46 a.m., the sitting resumed in camera.


COVID-19 PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

The Board discussed the current status of the COVID-19 preventative measures.


EXPANSION OF THE PRECINCT

The Board authorized the Administration to participate in working groups established to discuss potential security and governance options with respect to Parliament Hill and the parliamentary precinct of the parliamentary precinct. The Administration will report back to the Board on the progress of the work of these groups.


ECONOMIC INCREASE FOR THE MANAGEMENT GROUP

In alignment with the economic increase granted by the Treasury Board to its executive group, the Board of Internal Economy approved an economic increase for the House of Commons’ Management Group—specifically, employees in jobs classified as ADG-A and HCX (levels 1 to 5)—as follows:

• a 2.8% retroactive increase to base pay effective April 1, 2018;

• a 2.2% retroactive increase to base pay effective April 1, 2019;

• a 1.5% retroactive increase to base pay effective April 1, 2020; and

• a 1.5% retroactive increase to base pay effective April 1, 2021.

Every effort will be made to manage the 2022–2023 costs within existing funding; however, it was agreed that, should it be required, funding in the amount of $3,953,219 will be requested through the 2022–2023 Supplementary Estimates and that permanent ongoing requirements to fund economic increases to the House of Commons Management Group and Governor in Council appointees, in the amount of $1,131,455, will be included in the 2023–2024 Main Estimates.


LEGAL FEES POLICY

The Board approved amendments to the Legal Fees Policy of the Board of Internal Economy effective immediately, and which will apply to any request received after June 2, 2022 and to modify the existing policy by:

• extending the scope of the Policy to include Members’ employees assisting Members in carrying out their parliamentary functions;

• allowing requests for reimbursement to be made at the outset of a legal process, subject to certain conditions; and

• granting limited delegation of authority to the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel for the approval of reimbursements up to $10,000 in accordance with the Policy’s eligibility criteria.



The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy