THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL ECONOMY, BUDGETS AND ADMINISTRATION
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Tuesday, March 16, 2021
(10)
[English]
Pursuant to the order of the Senate of November 17, 2020, the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, and with videoconference, at 10:00 a.m., the Chair, the Honourable Sabi Marwah presiding.
Member of the committee present: The Honourable Senator Plett (1).
Members of the committee present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Ataullahjan, Campbell, Dawson, Dean, Forest, Forest-Niesing, Jaffer, Gagné, Marshall, Marwah, Moncion, Munson, Saint-Germain, Seidman and Tannas (15).
Other senator present by videoconference: The Honourable Senator Omidvar (1).
Participating in the meeting: Pascale Legault, Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; Gérald Lafrenière, Interim Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments and Chief Legislative Services Officer; Philippe Hallée, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; senior Senate officials and other support staff.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
WITNESSES (by videoconference):
Senate of Canada:
The Honourable Senator Lucie Moncion, Chair, Subcommittee on Senate Estimates;
Martine Bergeron, Manager, Procurement, Finance and Procurement Directorate;
Nathalie Charpentier, Comptroller and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement Directorate;
Pierre Lanctôt, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement Directorate.
House of Commons:
Francis Drouin, Member of Parliament, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Ontario.
International and Interparliamentary Affairs:
Jeremy LeBlanc, Acting Clerk Assistant and Director General.
Pursuant to rule 12-7. (1) of the Rules of the Senate, the committee continued its consideration of financial and administrative matters concerning the Senate’s internal administration.
The Chair made a statement.
The Chair introduced all senators that were present.
CIBA/2021-03-16/114(P) – Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings from February 11, 2021 (public)
The committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings from February 11, 2021 (public).
After debate, the Honourable Senator Dean moved that the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, February 11, 2021 (public), be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2021-03-16/115(P) – Report from the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates – Credit Card for Travelling Policy
The Chair of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates, the Honourable Senator Moncion, presented the Second Report of the subcommittee as follows:
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
SECOND REPORT
Your subcommittee, which was authorized by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA), to examine and report on financial matters, including Senate policies referred to it by the committee, received a proposal to adopt the creation of a Travel Credit Card Policy from the current Corporate Credit Card Policy.
As a part of the Senate Policy Suite Renewal Project (SPSR), the current Corporate Credit Card Policy was reviewed by the Finance and Procurement Directorate. It was decided that the Corporate Credit Card Policy be separated into two distinct policies (Travel Credit Card Policy and Acquisition Card Policy) because each type of card has specific users and purposes. The Travel Credit Card Policy provides a framework for the use of travel credit cards to allow for a more convenient method to cover travel expenses, when it is efficient, economical and operationally feasible to do so.
Your subcommittee notes that there are no major policy changes included in the Travel Credit Card Policy since the content of the policy was mostly taken from the Corporate Credit Card Policy. In addition, the Finance and Procurement Directorate, when writing this policy, has consulted the House of Commons and the current Treasury Board’s Directive on Travel Cards and Travellers Cheques and the content is aligned with the practice in outside organizations. In addition, this new policy has no impact on the current authorized travel credit cardholders.
After careful review of the proposed changes, your subcommittee recommends that:
- the updated Travel Credit Card Policy be approved; and
- the policy takes effect on April 1, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIE MONCION
Chair
The Honourable Senator Moncion and Pierre Lanctôt each made a statement.
After debate, it was moved by the Honourable Senator Moncion that the Second Report of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2021-03-16/116(P) – Report from the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates – Revised Acquisition Credit Card Policy
The Chair of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates, the Honourable Senator Moncion, presented the Third Report of the subcommittee as follows:
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
THIRD REPORT
Your subcommittee, which was authorized by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration to examine and report on financial matters, including Senate policies referred to it by the committee, received a request to approve the creation of the Acquisition Card Policy from the current Corporate Credit Card Policy.
As a part of the Senate Policy Suite Renewal Project, the current Corporate Credit Card Policy was reviewed by the Finance and Procurement Directorate. It was decided that the Corporate Credit Card Policy be separated into two distinct policies (Travel Card Policy and Acquisition Card Policy) because each type of card has specific uses and purposes. The Acquisition Card Policy provides a framework for the use of acquisition cards to allow for a more convenient method to cover acquisition card expenses, when it is efficient, economical and operationally feasible to do so. The Acquisition Card Policy outlines the roles and responsibilities for administering and using acquisition cards and establishes a consistent approach that ensures effective financial controls.
Your subcommittee notes that there are no major policy changes in the Acquisition Card Policy since the content of the policy was mostly taken from the Corporate Credit Card Policy. In addition, the Finance and Procurement Directorate, when writing this policy, has consulted the House of Commons, the National Capital Commission and the PSPC Directive on Acquisition Card purchases, and the content is aligned with the practice in outside organizations. Finally, this new policy has no impact on the current authorized acquisition cardholders.
A summary of the driver, key changes, benefits and impacted groups pertaining to this policy can be found in the appendix.
After careful review of the new policy, your subcommittee recommends that:
- the new Acquisition Card Policy be approved;
- the policy comes into force on April 1, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIE MONCION
Chair
The Honourable Senator Moncion and Pierre Lanctôt each made a statement and Mr. Lanctôt answered questions.
After debate, it was moved by the Honourable Senator Moncion that the Third Report of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2021-03-16/117(P) – Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure – Decisions taken on behalf of CIBA
The Honourable Senator Marwah tabled the Sixth Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure on decisions taken on behalf of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to table its
SIXTH REPORT
Your subcommittee wishes to report on the following decisions taken on March 2, 2021.
- Sole Source Contract for Legislative Drafting Services
It was agreed that the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel be authorized to establish a sole-source contract with Mr. John Mark Keyes for legislative drafting services, on an as-needed basis, with a maximum value of $75,000.
- Annual Software Licenses Renewal
It was agreed that the following contracts, at their respective estimated values, be renewed for the specified periods:
- Advantage valued at $38,990 (2021-22),
- Blackberry valued at $91,368 (2021-22 and 2022-23),
- Global Publishing valued at $37,320 (2021-22); and
That this approval is valid as long as the actual cost of a contract is not higher by more than 10% from the estimate provided.
Respectfully submitted,
SABI MARWAH
Chair
CIBA/2021-03-16/118(P) – Request from the Joint Interparliamentary Council
Mr. Drouin made a presentation and, together with Jeremy LeBlanc, answered questions on a request to expand the scope of the 47th Annual Session of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie and its related budget.
After debate, it was moved by the Honourable Senator Plett:
That approval be granted to include the Parlement francophone des jeunes (PFJ) in the 47th Annual Session of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie in Montreal, in July 2022;
That a maximum of $100,000 of temporary funding be provided for the organization of the PFJ;
That this amount be funded by the anticipated budget surpluses of Parliamentary Associations for the 2022-2023 fiscal year; and
That the funding be shared using the usual formula (30% Senate, 70% House of Commons) between the Senate ($30,000) and the House of Commons ($70,000).
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 10:26 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 10:27 a.m., the committee resumed in camera, pursuant to rule 12-16. (1).
At 11:13 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Pascale Legault
Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Keli Hogan
Recording Secretary