Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Minutes of Proceedings - June 14, 2018
OTTAWA, Thursday, June 14, 2018
(59)
[English]
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:30 a.m., in room 160-S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable Larry W. Campbell, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Campbell, Carignan, P.C., Cordy, Dawson, Forest, Jaffer, Marshall, Mitchell, Moncion, Plett, Saint-Germain, Tannas, Tkachuk and Verner, P.C. (15).
Other senator present: The Honourable Senator Dalphond (1).
Also in attendance: Pascale Legault, Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; Richard Denis, Interim Clerk of the Senate; Jacqueline Kuehl, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; and other senior Senate officials.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
WITNESSES:
The Senate of Canada:
Brigitte Desjardins, Director General, Property and Services Directorate;
Julie Lacroix, Acting Director, Corporate Security Directorate;
Pierre Lanctôt, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement Directorate.
House of Commons:
Charles Nahimana, Deputy Director, IT Project Office.
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.
CIBA/2018-06-14/454(P)|211| – Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings
The committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, May 31, 2018, public portion.
The Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved:
That the Minutes of Proceedings Thursday, May 31, 2018, public portion, be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2018-06-14/455(P)|283| – Move to the Government Conference Centre
The Honourable Senator Tannas made a statement about the move to the Government Conference Centre and, together with Brigitte Desjardins, answered questions.
The Honourable Senator Tannas moved:
That a phased move take place, beginning in the fall of 2018, with the Senate becoming fully operational and secured in its new spaces in January 2019; and
That this decision be contingent on Public Services and Procurement Canada meeting its most recent commitment to hand over the Government Conference Centre on August 1, 2018, 40 Elgin on August 31, 2018 and 95 Noël in mid-August 2018.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2018-06-14/456(P)|216| – Eleventh Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure
The chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, the Honourable Senator Larry Campbell, presented the eleventh report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, June 14, 2018
The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
ELEVENTH REPORT
With the adoption of the Senators' Office Management Policy on April 13, 2017, your subcommittee was authorized by the committee to clarify and determine any ambiguous, uncertain, or challenged interpretation of any part of the policy, as necessary, and to report its decisions.
Your subcommittee requests that CIBA consider the following changes to the policy:
That section 7.4.6 of the policy be amended by adding the words "Travel costs to get to and from the Parliamentary District, for employees who usually and mainly work in the Parliamentary District, are not eligible for reimbursement." to the end of the section; and
That section 7.8.5 of the policy be amended by adding the words "Living expenses in the Parliamentary District, for employees who usually and mainly work in the Parliamentary District, are not eligible for reimbursement." to the end of the section.
Respectfully submitted,
LARRY W. CAMPBELL
Chair
The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain made a statement and answered questions.
The Honourable Senator Cordy moved:
That the report be adopted and that the changes be made to the policy.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2018-06-14/457(P)|283| – Twelfth Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure
The chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, the Honourable Senator Larry Campbell, presented the twelfth report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, June 14, 2018
The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA) has the honour to present its
TWELFTH REPORT
Your subcommittee received a request dated April 26, 2018, from the Senate Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament (BILI), the Honourable Senator Moncion, seeking authorization for the following items:
- To reimburse witnesses for child care and/or personal attendant care expenses;
- To order working meals; and
- To have the Senate's 30% share of witness, videoconference and catering expenses be paid from the existing central envelope administered by the Principal Clerk, Committees.
Your subcommittee examined these issues and requested the views of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets. Following the receipt of their recommendation, your Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure recommends:
- That the committee approve the request from BILI to reimburse dependent care expenses for witnesses, on the basis that the Senate would cover 30% of those expenses;
- That the committee authorize the Principal Clerk, Committees to certify requests for reimbursement of dependent care expenses for all committee witnesses who qualify, under the same conditions as what is currently permitted under the Senate Administration Policy on Travel (up to a maximum of $75 per day while on travel status, with receipts) for a period of one year after which a policy change be taken into consideration;
- That the committee authorize the Committees Directorate to track the number of requests and total expenses claimed by witnesses for the reimbursement of dependent care expenses;
- That CIBA grant the joint committee (BILI) an exemption from the Senate's policy to not provide working meals for committee meetings in Ottawa (decision of CIBA on May 14, 2015), on the basis that the Senate would cover 30% of those expenses; and
- That senators attending the committee's meetings, where working meals are provided, may not claim the meals as a per diem expense.
Respectfully submitted,
LARRY W. CAMPBELL
Chair
The Honourable Senator Tannas moved:
That the report be adopted.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2018-06-14/458(P)|395| – First Report of the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage Assets
It was agreed that the item be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.
CIBA/2018-06-14/459(P)|340| – Leases and Allowances for Secondary Residences
Pierre Lanctôt made a statement and answered questions.
The Honourable Senator Plett moved:
That the Finance and Procurement Directorate be authorized to pay senators' lessors directly and that senators who own a secondary residence in the Parliamentary District be paid their allowance automatically at the end of each month, upon reception of required information from senators;
That subsection "b" of section 7.9.1 of the Senators' Office Management Policy be amended by adding the following after the word "payment":
"or, at the senator's discretion, the lease shall be paid by the Senate directly to the lessor upon submission of a copy of the lease and a request for direct payment"; and
That the Senate Administration phase in this change as of September 1, 2018 for all senators who wish to opt in.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
CIBA/2018-06-14/460(P)|390| – First Report of the Subcommittee on Human Resources
The chair of the Subcommittee on Human Resources, the Honourable Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain, presented the first report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, June 14, 2018
The Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA) has the honour to present its
FIRST REPORT
On December 5, 2017, your subcommittee was given the mandate by CIBA to conduct a review of the Senate Policy on the Prevention and Resolution of Harassment in the Workplace. The subcommittee is composed of the Honourable Senators Jaffer, Moncion, Saint-Germain, Tannas and Tkachuk.
Your subcommittee held two meetings in camera with Senators, union representatives and Senate staff representatives on May 29 and June 5, 2018. During the second meeting, the subcommittee also heard from an expert witness on the subject of sexual harassment. In addition, it held a public meeting with independent experts on June 12, 2018. On June 19, 2018, the subcommittee will next be hearing from other experts to assist members in presenting to CIBA and the Senate recommendations on necessary updates to the Senate harassment policy.
In accordance with its proactive approach and based on the witness testimony it received, the subcommittee believes that there is an immediate need for mandatory and customized training in the prevention of harassment and violence in the Senate. This training should take into account the harassment training program provided by the House of Commons. It is presenting this interim report with the following recommendations:
That the Human Resources Directorate be instructed to coordinate mandatory training on the prevention of harassment in the workplace for all Senators, which takes into account the training provided to Members of Parliament, to be conducted by December 31, 2018;
That all individuals who have supervisory or managerial responsibilities within the Senate Administration attend mandatory training by December 31, 2018;
That Senators' staff, along with employees of the Senate Administration, also attend mandatory training by the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2019; and
That the Human Resources Directorate report back to CIBA on the participation rate, including the names of all participants of the mandatory training sessions, by April 30, 2019.
Your subcommittee submits that these recommendations are in accordance with the framework proposed by Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1, which, as currently written, would require the training of employers as well as their employees in the prevention of workplace harassment and violence. Your subcommittee acknowledges that further guidance with respect to training may be provided by regulatory amendments intended to come into force concurrently with Bill C-65 in the fall of 2019.
Respectfully submitted,
RAYMONDE SAINT-GERMAIN
Chair
The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain made a statement and answered questions.
The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain moved:
That the report be adopted.
After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2018-06-14/461(P)|374| – Funding of the Senate Liberals
The Honourable Senator Dawson made a statement.
The Honourable Senator Dawson moved:
That, notwithstanding the amount listed in the Schedule of the Senate Administrative Rules (Finance Rule 2018-2019 "A"), the Senate Liberals continue to receive research funds for caucuses for the fiscal year 2018-19 in the amount of $460,000, even if the caucus has less than eleven members.
It was agreed that the motion be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.
At 9:59 a.m., the committee proceeded in camera, pursuant to rule 12-16(1).
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.
At 10:15 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
Daniel Charbonneau
Recording Secretary