THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL ECONOMY, BUDGETS AND ADMINISTRATION
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Thursday, April 20, 2023
(22)
[English]
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 9:01 a.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Lucie Moncion, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Bovey, Boyer, Carignan, P.C., Dalphond, Dean, Loffreda, Mégie, Moncion, Moodie, Plett, Quinn, Saint-Germain, Seidman and Smith (14).
Other senator present: The Honourable Senator Tannas (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.
WITNESSES:
The Honourable Senator Patricia Bovey, Chair, Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group;
The Honourable Senator Tony Loffreda, Member, Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets;
Shaila Anwar, Clerk Assistant, Committees Directorate;
Tamara Dolan, Curator, Heritage and Curatorial Services;
Maxime Fortin, Principal Clerk, Committees Directorate;
Josée Labelle, Director General, Property and Services Directorate;
Pierre Lanctôt, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement 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.
The Chair made a statement.
The senators introduced themselves.
CIBA/2023-04-20/234(P) – Adoption of Minutes of Proceedings from March 30, 2023 (public)
The committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings from March 30, 2023 (public).
The Honourable Senator Dean moved that the Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday, March 30, 2023 (public), be adopted.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2023-04-20/235(P) – Report from the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage
The Honourable Senator Bovey made a statement regarding the Third Report of the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage.
CIBA/2023-04-20/236(P) – Report from the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets — Quarterly Financial Reports
The Honourable Senator Loffreda, member of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets, tabled the subcommittee’s Thirteenth Report as follows:
Thursday, April 20, 2023
The Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to table its
THIRTEENTH REPORT
Your subcommittee received the financial highlights for the second and third quarters for the fiscal year 2022-23.
After debate, your subcommittee has approved and now tables the attached Quarterly Financial Report of the Senate of Canada for the quarters ended September 30 and December 31, 2022.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIE MONCION
Chair
The Honourable Senator Loffreda made a statement regarding the Thirteenth Report.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Loffreda moved that the Thirteenth Report be approved.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2023-04-20/237(P) – Report from the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets
The Honourable Senator Loffreda, member of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets, presented the subcommittee’s Fourteenth Report as follows:
Thursday, April 20, 2023
The Subcommittee on the Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FOURTEENTH REPORT
Your subcommittee met on April 18, 2023, to consider two budget requests for the 2023-2024 fiscal year as follows:
1. Indigenous Peoples (APPA)
(Special study on the constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples)
| General Expenses | $ 8,850 |
| TOTAL | $ 8,850 |
2. Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA)
(Special study on the Canadian foreign service)
| Activity 1(a): London, (U.K.) | $ 106,240 |
| Activity 1(b): Oslo, (Norway) | $ 37,032 |
| Activity 1(c): Berlin, (Germany) | $ 101,252 |
| TOTAL | $ 244,524 |
(includes funds for fact-finding missions and 7 senators and 1 senators’ staff to travel)
Summary
For your information, the total funds in the budgetary envelope available for Senate committee budgets (except for the Audit and Oversight Committee) for 2023-2024 is $2.2 million, less $320,820 for witness expenses, leaving $1.882 million for release to individual committee budgets. Today’s recommended release of $253,374 brings us to a total of $289,594 for two committee travel activities, one general expenses budget and one approved budget of $116,933 that has not yet been presented to the Senate, leaving $1,475,473 for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The budgets approved by the Senate for each travel activity are the maximum amount that can be spent for that activity. Typically, committees’ actual expenditures are closer to 40% of their total budget request. Any funds remaining at the conclusion of a travel activity will be clawed-back and can be made available for allocation to committees for other activities.
Copies of each committee’s budget application are appended to this report.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY LOFFREDA
Member
The Honourable Senator Loffreda made a statement regarding the Fourteenth Report.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Loffreda moved that the Fourteenth Report be approved.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2023-04-20/238(P) – Information Management Policy First Year Review
David Vatcher made a statement and answered questions regarding the first year review of the Information Management Policy.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Saint-Germain moved that the updated Information Management Policy be approved.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2023-04-20/239(P) – Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure – Decision reported to CIBA
The chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, the Honourable Senator Moncion, tabled the Sixteenth Report as follows:
Thursday, April 20, 2023
The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to tabled its
SIXTEENTH REPORT
Your subcommittee wishes to report on the following decisions taken on April 13, 2023.
1. Proposed New Model for Senate Clippings
It was agreed that the Senate would not renew the contract with the Library of Parliament for Senate media clipping at an annual cost of $159,100 and instead would enter into a sole-source contract with Critical Mention for one year pilot project at a cost of $25,000 USD (approx. $35,000 CAD).
2. Membership of the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage
It was agreed that the Honourable Senator Burey be named to the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage.
3. Membership of the Subcommittee on Communications
It was agreed that the Honourable senators Bovey, Boyer, Carignan, P.C., Jaffer and Smith be named as members of the Subcommittee on Communications.
4. Membership of the Working Group on Credit Cards
It was agreed that the Honourable senators Cordy, Deacon (Ontario), Quinn and Sorensen be named to the Advisory Working Group on Credit Cards and that a Senator from the Conservative Caucus be added by notice filed with the clerk of the committee by the Leader (or his delegate).
5. Other types of expenses in the Senator’s Office Management Policy
It was agreed that the maximum amount, for frame related costs and other types of office expenses not explicitly mentioned in the Senator’s Office Management Policy, be increased from $250 to $350 per individual item.
Respectfully submitted,
LUCIE MONCION
Chair
The chair and Gérald Lafrenière answered questions regarding the Sixteenth Report.
After debate, it was agreed that the Senate Administration prepare a report six months following the implementation of the new model for Senate clippings.
CIBA/2023-04-20/240(P) – Update on the Translation Bureau Services
Gérald Lafrenière and Maxime Fortin each made a statement and, together with Shaila Anwar, answered questions regarding Translation Bureau Services.
CIBA/2023-04-20/241(P) – Other Matters
The chair informed the committee that in accordance with the division of responsibilities between CIBA and the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight (AOVS), the second and third quarter financial reports for fiscal year 2022-2023 would be shared with members of the AOVS.
At 10:09 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 10:12 a.m., pursuant to 12-16(1), the committee proceeded in camera.
At 11:00 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