Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Minutes of Proceedings - June 20, 2019
OTTAWA, Thursday, June 20, 2019
(82)
[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, Dalphond, Dawson, Dean, Forest, Frum, Marwah, Moncion, Munson, Plett, Saint-Germain, Tannas, Tkachuk, and Verner, P.C. (14).
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; Philippe Hallée, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; senior Senate officials and other support staff.
Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.
WITNESSES:
Senate of Canada:
Caroline Morency, Acting Director General, Property and Services;
Blair Armitage, Principal Clerk, Committees Directorate;
Pierre Lanctôt, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement Directorate;
Martine Bergeron, Management of Procurement, 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/2019-06-20/628(P)|211| — Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings
The committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, June 13, 2019, public portion.
The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain moved:
That the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, June 13, 2019 be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-06-20/629(P)|217| — Subcommittee on Communications — Long Term Vision and Plan Engagement Strategy
It was agreed to defer this item to an upcoming meeting.
CIBA/2019-06-20/630(P)|231| — Update to the Quarterly Governance Framework of the Long Term Vision and Plan
The Honourable Senator Tannas made a statement and answered questions on the quarterly governance framework of the Long Term Vision and Plan.
After discussion, the Honourable Senator Tannas moved:
That the updated governance framework be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-06-20/631(P)|295| — Report from the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets
The Chair of the Subcommittee on Committee Budgets, the Honourable Senator Verner, P.C., presented the twenty-eighth report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, June 20, 2019
The Subcommittee on Committee Budgets of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
TWENTY-EIGHTH REPORT
Your subcommittee recommends the release of the following amount for fiscal year 2019-20:
Agriculture and Forestry
(special study on how the value-added food sector can be more competitive in global markets)
Activity 1: Press Conference in Charlottetown, P.E.I. $16,090 Total $16,090 (include funds for a press conference and for 3 senators to travel)
The total funds available for all of 2019-2020 will be $2,382,000, less $500,000 for witness expenses, leaving $1,882,000 for release for individual committee budgets. To date, $793,082 has already been recommended for release to fund four travel activities and other general expenses for committees. Today’s recommended release brings us to a total of $809,172 for committee activities, leaving $1,072,828 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,
JOSÉE VERNER, P.C.
Chair
The Honourable Senator Verner, P.C., made a statement.
The Honourable Senator Verner, P.C. moved:
That the report be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-06-20/632(P) — Dependent Care Witness Expenses
Blair Armitage made a statement and answered questions on witness expenses for dependent care.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Tkachuk moved:
That the pilot project be concluded and the practice of covering dependent care for witnesses be confirmed.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-06-20/633(P)|302| — Amendment to Procurement Policy
Pierre Lanctôt made a statement and answered questions on the proposed amendments to the Senate Procurement Policy.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Forest moved:
That the Senate Procurement Policy be amended in Section 2.17 by replacing “may be waived as authorized by this policy or by the Clerk of the Senate or the Committee” by “may be waived as authorized by this policy and by the Clerk of the Senate and the Committee” and;
That the policy be further amended in Section 3.2 by replacing “reviewing requests for exceptions to the competitive process up to $100,000 or submitting such requests to the Committee or Steering Committee for review and decisions” with “reviewing requests for exceptions to the competitive process for up to $100,000 and submitting such requests to the Committee or Steering Committee for review and decisions.”
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-06-20/634(P)|302| — Procurement Process
Pierre Lanctôt made a statement and answered questions on the procurement process.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Dalphond moved:
That the proposed approach to inform CIBA members of the results of request for proposals (RFP) processes be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2019-06-20/635(P)|239| — Financial Statements — Appointment of External Auditor
The Honourable Senator Moncion informed the committee that, further to a competitive process, Ernst and Young has been appointed the external auditor for the Senate financial statements for the three next fiscal years and answered questions.
CIBA/2019-06-20/636(P)|322| — Sole Source Contract for Access and Circulation in the Senate of Canada Building
The Honourable Senator Batters followed-up on a request to obtain the record of decision on the Arlington Group contract regarding access and circulation in the Senate of Canada Building.
Richard Denis indicated that the documents were available for consultation.
At 8:34 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 8:35 a.m., the committee resumed in camera, pursuant to rule 12-16(1).
At 8:50 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