Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Minutes of Proceedings - March 21, 2019
OTTAWA, Thursday, March 21, 2019
(72)
[English]
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8 a.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Sabi Marwah, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Batters, Bellemare, Black (Alberta), Dawson, Dean, Forest, Housakos, Marshall, Marwah, Moncion, Munson, Plett, Saint-Germain, Tannas, Tkachuk and Wetston (16).
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:
The Senate of Canada:
The Honourable Senator Lucie Moncion;
Natalie Strittmatter, Transformation Lead, Human Resources Directorate;
Monique Daigle, Lead, Employee Experience, Human Resources Directorate;
Pierre Lanctôt, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement 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/2019-03-21/548(P)|211| – Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings
The committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, February 28, 2019, public portion.
The Honourable Senator Dean moved:
That the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, February 28, 2019 be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-03-21/549(P)|295| – Report from the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets
The Deputy Chair of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets, the Honourable Senator Tannas, presented the twenty-fourth report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, March 21, 2019
The Subcommittee on Committee Budgets of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
TWENTY-FOURTH REPORT
Fiscal Year 2018-2019:
For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the Senate approved a budget of $2.382M for Senate committees. Of this amount, each year $500,000 is set aside for certain expenditures which are charged to a central budget managed by the Committees Directorate. These expenditures include travel expenses for witnesses and video conferencing fees.
The number of witnesses who have appeared before Senate committees in the 2018-2019 fiscal year as of March 1 is the highest it has been since 2014-2015. This is due in part to the creation of 3 special committees, along with overall increases in the number of meetings and hours that committees have met over the same period. As of March 1, 2019, already $442,806 has been spent.
Based on the anticipated witness claims still to be received for the months of February and March 2019, it is estimated that an additional $50,000 will be required to cover expenses to the end of the fiscal year, but it is difficult to predict an exact amount. There is however a surplus in the $1.8M budget for committee travel which could be transferred to cover the remaining expenses required from the centralized budget.
Your subcommittee therefore recommends that the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration approve a transfer of funds from the surplus in committee budgets to the central budget for witnesses and other expenses to cover expenses to the end of the fiscal year 2018-2019 by an amount not to exceed $75,000.
Fiscal Year 2019-2020:
Your subcommittee recommends the release of the following amounts for fiscal year 2019-20:
Transport and Communications (legislation)
|
Activity 1: Prince Rupert and Terrace, British Columbia |
$136,640 |
|
Total |
$136,640 |
(including funds for public hearings for 12 senators and 3 senators’ staff to travel)
Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (legislation)
|
Activity 1: Western Canada |
$280,888 |
|
Activity 2: Eastern Canada |
$211,204 |
|
Total |
$492,092 |
(including funds for public hearings for 14 senators and 2 senators’ staff to travel; including funds for a charter airplane (sole source))
The total funds available for all of 2019-2020 will be $2.382 million, less $500,000 for witness expenses, leaving $1.882 million for release for individual committee budgets. Today’s recommended release is for a total of $628,732 for 3 travel activities, leaving $1.25 million for the remainder of the fiscal year.
As in past years, the subcommittee notes that typically, committees’ actual expenditures are closer to 40% of their total budget request.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT TANNAS
Deputy Chair
The Honourable Senator Tannas made a statement and answered questions.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Tannas moved:
That the report be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
CIBA/2019-03-21/550(P)|390| – Report from the Subcommittee on Human Resources
The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain made a statement and answered questions on proposed amendments to the revised second report from the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Saint-Germain moved:
That the proposed amendments be adopted;
That the report as amended be adopted; and
That the report be tabled in the Senate.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
CIBA/2019-03-21/551(P)|232| – Motion 328 – Appointment Process for Clerk of the Senate
The Chair presented a draft report on motion 328 pertaining to the appointment process for the Clerk of the Senate as follows:
Thursday, March 21, 2019
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
THIRTY-EIGHTH REPORT
On December 6, 2018, the Senate authorized your committee to recommend “a process by which the Senate could submit to the Governor in Council its recommendation on the nomination of a person or list of persons with the skills and capacities required for the position of Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments”.
Your committee notes that the Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments is appointed by the Governor in Council under the provisions of the Public Service Employment Act.
Your committee recommends as follows:
1. That the search process for the Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of Parliaments be led by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Proceeding (Steering Committee) of the Standing Committee of Internal Economy Budget and Administration in collaboration with the Speaker of the Senate;
2. That the Steering Committee and the Speaker be supported by an executive search firm throughout the process leading to the interview of a short list of candidates; and
3. That recommendation of one (or a list of) candidate(s) be made by the Steering Committee and the Speaker to the Governor in Council for the official appointment to take place.
Respectfully submitted,
SABI MARWAH
Chair
The chair made a statement.
The Honourable Senator Batters moved:
That the draft report be adopted and that it be presented in the Senate.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-03-21/552(P)|386| – Senate Emblem Policy and Guidelines
It was agreed that this item be deferred to a subsequent meeting of the committee.
CIBA/2019-03-21/553(P)|377| – Payroll System Conversion
Monique Daigle made a statement and, together with Natalie Strittmatter, answered questions on the timeline for the implementation of the ADP payroll solution.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Munson moved:
That the committee endorse the recommendation of implementing the ADP payroll solution for the first pay period of January 2020.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-03-21/554(P)|236| – Advisory Working Group on Senators' Pension Plan – Mandate and Members
The Honourable Senator Moncion moved:
That the Advisory Working Group on the Review of the Senators’ Pension Plan be established from the membership of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Administration and Budgets, as follows: 2 members from the Independent Senators Group, 2 members from the Conservative caucus and 1 member from the Senate Liberal caucus;
That quorum be three;
That the mandate of the advisory working group be to examine the current Senators’ Pension Plan and make recommendations for improvement; and,
That a report be tabled no later than June 30, 2019.
After debate, it was agreed that the motion be amended by replacing the words “2 members from the Conservative caucus and 1 member from the Senate Liberal caucus” with “2 members from the Conservative caucus, 1 member from the Senate Liberal caucus and 1 representative of the Government in the Senate (non-voting member)”.
The question being put on the motion as amended, it was adopted.
The Honourable Senator Moncion informed the committee that the two Conservative members will be the Honourable Senators Marshall and Tannas, that the representative of the Government (non-voting member) will be the Honourable Senator Mitchell and that she will be one of the two members from the Independent Senators Group.
CIBA/2019-03-21/555(P)|230| – Report from the Audit Subcommittee – Result of Special Audit on Process and Timeliness of Senators' Expense Claims
The Chair of the Audit Subcommittee, the Honourable Senator Moncion, tabled the fourteenth report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, March 21, 2019
The Audit Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to table its
FOURTEENTH REPORT
Your subcommittee has reviewed the Senator Expense Claims - Policy and Performance Review report and now tables the report for information. This review of the policy adherence and performance over service levels of Senators’ expense claims included reviewing existing policies and service level standards, and testing the administrations’ adherence to the policy and service level targets. The review was conducted by the professional services firm of KPMG.
Four recommendations were provided by KPMG.
The first touches on training of the office staff of senators in an effort to reduce the number of incomplete applications that are submitted. The second is to make it mandatory for the staff from Senators offices to use the electronic claims software to reduce repayment delays. The third and fourth recommendations are for administration employees to further document the reasons for incomplete applications, which will allow multiple users to easily do follow ups on incomplete claims.
The members of the Audit Subcommittee assessed the responses provided by the Senate Administration and were satisfied with the proposed corrective measures.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIE MONCION
Chair
The Honourable Senator Moncion made a statement and, together with Pierre Lanctôt, answered questions.
CIBA/2019-03-21/556(P)|230| – Report from the Audit Subcommittee – Third Quarterly Financial Report
The Chair of the Audit Subcommittee, the Honourable Senator Moncion, tabled the sixteenth report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, March 21, 2019
The Audit Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to table its
SIXTEENTH REPORT
Your subcommittee received the information on the financial highlights and results for the third quarter of operations, including the summary of budgetary authorities, the analysis of current expenditures and forecast expenditures. Your subcommittee informs you that the third-quarter financial results are compliant. We have reviewed and discussed the risks and uncertainties associated with the institution’s operations.
Your subcommittee has approved and now tables the attached Quarterly Financial Report of the Senate of Canada for the quarter ended December 31, 2018.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIE MONCION
Chair
The Honourable Senator Moncion made a statement and answered questions.
CIBA/2019-03-21/557(P)|280| – Paperless Credit Card Account Statements
Pierre Lanctôt made a statement and answered questions on paperless account statements for credit cards.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Moncion moved:
That the sending of the paper copy of senators’ AMEX monthly account statements be discontinued; and
That senators be informed to register and create their AMEX online account (My Account).
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted, on division.
At 9:40 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 9:44 a.m., the committee resumed in camera, pursuant to rule 12-16. (1).
At 10:18 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
Gérald Lafrenière
Recording Secretary