Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Minutes of Proceedings - December 13, 2018
OTTAWA, Thursday, December 13, 2018
(69)
[English]
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8 a.m., in room 160-S, Centre Block, the chair, the Honourable Sabi Marwah, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Dawson, Dean, Forest, Marshall, Marwah, Mitchell, Moncion, Munson, Plett, Saint-Germain, Smith, Tannas, Tkachuk, Verner, P.C. and Wetston (16).
Other senators present: The Honourable Senators Bovey and Joyal, P.C. (2).
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 and Clerk of the Parliaments and Chief Legislative Services Officer; senior Senate officials and other support staff.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
WITNESSES:
Senate of Canada:
The Honourable Patricia Bovey, Senator;
The Honourable Serge Joyal, P.C., Senator;
Caroline Morency, Acting Director General, Property and Services;
Mélisa Leclerc, Director, Communications Directorate;
David Vatcher, Director, Information Services Directorate.
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/2018-12-13/525(P)|211| — Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings
The committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, December 6, 2018, public portion.
The Honourable Senator Batters moved:
That the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, December 6, 2018, public portion, be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2018-12-13/526(P)|231| — "Kitchen Accord" in the Senate of Canada Building
The Honourable Senators Tannas and Joyal, P.C., made statements on the commemoration of the "Kitchen Accord" in the Senate of Canada Building and, together with Caroline Morency, answered questions.
After debate, it was agreed that the item be deferred to an upcoming meeting of the committee.
CIBA/2018-12-13/527(P)|231| — Second Report from the Subcommittee on Long Term Vision and Plan
The Chair of the Subcommittee on Long Term Vision and Plan, the Honourable Senator Tannas, tabled the second report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, December 13, 2018
The Subcommittee on the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
SECOND REPORT
On March 10, 2016, the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA) gave the following mandate to the Subcommittee on the LTVP:
To supervise all steps, processes and decisions involved in moving the Senate and Senators to their new location in 2018, in coordination with the Senate Administration; and
To examine the best ways to ensure the renovations of Centre Block respect its heritage and the best interests of the Senate.
Over the past several months, the Senate Administration — working closely with the Office of the Speaker of the Senate, and members of your subcommittee — has carefully monitored the progress of the interim accommodation sites at the Government Conference Centre (now called the Senate of Canada Building), 40 Elgin (Chambers Building), 95 Noël and 1 Wellington, while planning the logistics of a potential move out of Centre Block. During that time, the installation and integration of essential systems, extensive testing and training of staff have been on-going.
Originally, the handover of all four installations had been planned for April 2018, which was then extended to August 1, 2018. However, based on several areas of concern identified by your subcommittee, the following motion was adopted by CIBA on June 14, 2018:
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 (PSPC) 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.
Since that time, several phases of the move have been fully or partially completed as follows:
40 Elgin was handed over to the Senate on October 5, 2018
95 Noël was handed over to the Senate on October 19, 2018
A "soft" handover of the Senate of Canada Building (SCB) and 1 Wellington took place on November 19, 2018
Integration of security and IT — including testing and training — is on-going in the SCB and 1 Wellington.
On December 5, 2018, your subcommittee received an important update on the operational readiness of the Senate's interim accommodations. The Senate Administration identified the following areas of concern, each with a varying degree of potential risk to Senate operations after the move to the SCB:
Ceiling Gap in Senate Chamber:
Your subcommittee would like to report on a critical design deficiency in the new Senate Chamber that could not be properly tested until a few weeks ago. In order to preserve the heritage aspects of the ceiling, one design feature was to leave a gap between the top of the wall that separates the mezzanine (outside the public gallery) from the inside of the Chamber. Although your subcommittee expressed serious concerns about this gap and the potential impact for noise transfer from the mezzanine and foyer to the Chamber, we were assured by PSPC throughout the construction phase that any noise transfer would be minimal.
As the foyer and mezzanine are expected to be high traffic areas for senators, staff, guests and the public, without a floor-to-ceiling barrier in this area, conversations, foot traffic or other noise from the foyer and mezzanine can be heard clearly from inside the Chamber. At a dress rehearsal held on November 30, 2018, the Senate Administration reported that the noise levels were significant and disruptive. Mitigation strategies that have been proposed include creating a quiet zone in areas around the Chamber to remind people to remain silent, additional signage, and implementing further controls to foot traffic in these areas.
Although we are pleased to report that PSPC has confirmed that a temporary dry-wall structure with acoustic insulation will be installed in January to fill the ceiling gap, we understand that this short-term measure will reduce, but will not completely eliminate the noise transfer. PSPC is continuing to explore other measures to further attenuate noise transfer coming from the mezzanine and foyer into the Chamber.
Additionally, there are some disadvantages with the construction of a temporary wall, which include less natural light in the Chamber, the risk of damage to the heritage ceiling, additional clean-up required due to construction dust, negative visual impact and the overall impact that further construction will have to the already compressed testing, rehearsal and relocation schedule. Despite these disadvantages, your subcommittee is of the view that this critical design deficiency must be corrected before the return of the Senate in 2019.
Recommendation 1
Your subcommittee therefore recommends that Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) implement their short-term solution to seal the ceiling gap completely and explore other measures to further attenuate noise levels from the foyer and mezzanine, before the return of the Senate in 2019. It is also recommended that PSPC propose a long-term solution to seal the ceiling gap that will be both visually refined and effective, during the spring of 2019 (for implementation before the fall of 2019).
Audio System:
The audio system is critical to all Senate proceedings in the Chamber and in committees. Without a fully functioning audio system, it is not possible to provide simultaneous interpretation or to produce official parliamentary publications. Any failure or disruption to the audio system would result in the immediate suspension of Chamber proceedings or committee meetings. Audio disruptions also have a negative impact on the ability of stenographers, interpreters and the broadcast crew to provide quality service if they cannot hear properly.
Despite significant delays with the completion of the Chamber and the subsequent need to compress the integration and user-acceptance testing and training, significant improvements to the Chamber's console and audio systems have been made in the last two weeks. Adjustments to the location of the console and the introduction of cameras to compensate for the blind spots will further improve the console operator's ability to quickly select the appropriate microphone(s). Furthermore, the construction of the temporary wall will take place in the area immediately adjacent to the console operator's booth. It is not yet known what impact this construction might have on the current testing and rehearsal schedule.
Recommendation 2
Your subcommittee therefore recommends that all further monitoring and testing of the audio system continue as scheduled, and that the Senate Administration and its partners report any issues regularly to the Office of the Speaker, the Subcommittee on the Long-Term Vision and Plan, and the Executive Committee, in order to ensure that each milestone is met so that the sound is acceptable for Senate proceedings.
Broadcasting of the Senate Chamber:
With regard to the televised broadcasting of Senate Chamber proceedings, extensive testing has already been done. A number of issues have been identified, which can be attributed to various causes. However, it is not yet known what impact the construction of the temporary wall will have on the current testing and rehearsal schedule.
Therefore, your subcommittee recommends starting live broadcasting two weeks after the Senate returns, after an appropriate testing period. (Chamber audio will continue to be available to the public during this period, as per usual.) Senate sittings that take place in the two weeks following the Senate's return will instead be video recorded and shared with senators.
Recommendation 3
Your subcommittee therefore recommends that, pursuant to rule 14-7(1) of the Rules of the Senate, the Clerk, in consultation with the Speaker and CIBA, arrange for the live broadcasting of Senate proceedings once the Senate is meeting in the Senate of Canada Building, after an appropriate testing period but no later than March 1, 2019.
Centre Block Move Decision:
The Senate Administration advised your subcommittee that the relocation of the Senate Chamber, the Speaker, the Senate leadership and Senate Administration offices from the Centre Block to the SBC can take place over the holiday adjournment. However, because the handover dates for the phased move were delayed, the subsequent installation, integration and testing of the Senate Chamber and committee rooms in the SCB and 1 Wellington, that was supposed to have occurred over a four-month period, was also delayed. This testing has had to be compressed into a two-month period in order to ensure that the key systems required to operate a sitting of the Senate and conduct committee meetings, could be operational for the scheduled return of the Senate on January 29, 2019.
There are still many important phases of installation, rehearsal and training that can only take place once the current Chamber is closed. While this was a known issue when the decision to delay the move was made, subsequent delays in the handover dates means that other aspects of the installation were delayed in consequence, which has left very little time to make additional modifications or adjustments to address any problems that may arise over the next few weeks.
Your subcommittee believes that addressing the ceiling gap is critical to the operation of the Senate Chamber. However the construction of a temporary wall will place additional pressure on an already compressed schedule to prepare for the Senate's return on January 29, 2019. Given this additional, but necessary, modification to the new Chamber, your subcommittee feels that it would be prudent to delay the return of the Senate in 2019, until we can be assured that the construction is complete, that the mitigation measures to reduce the noise transfer are acceptable and that sufficient testing and training has taken place.
Recommendation 4
Your subcommittee therefore recommends that the relocation of the Senate Chamber, the Speaker, the Senate leadership and Senate Administration offices from the Centre Block to the Senate of Canada Building proceed over the holiday adjournment.
Your subcommittee also recommends that when the Senate returns in 2019, it will do so in the Senate of Canada Building; and
That the Senate consider returning no earlier than February 18, 2019, with additional sitting days being scheduled on subsequent weeks and that the necessary authorization for committees to sit after January 28 to February 8, 2019 be given, even though the Senate may then be adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT TANNAS
Chair
The Honourable Senator Tannas made a statement and, together with the Honourable Senator Bovey, answered questions.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Tannas moved:
That the second report, and the four recommendations outlined within, be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 8:59 a.m., the committee proceeded in camera, pursuant to rule 12-16(1).
At 9:12 a.m., the committee proceeded in public.
CIBA/2018-12-13/530(P)|295| — Budget Proposal - RIDR
The Honourable Senator Munson informed the committee that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights will appear before the committee in February 2019 to appeal the decision of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets to deny funds for international travel.
The Honourable Senator Marwah made a statement.
At 9:13 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 of the committee
Gérald Lafrenière
Recording Secretary