THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL ECONOMY, BUDGETS AND ADMINISTRATION
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Thursday, October 23, 2025
(5)
[English]
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA) met this day at 8:00 a.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Lucie Moncion, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Audette, Boehm, Boyer, Forest, Francis, Housakos, LaBoucane-Benson, MacAdam, MacDonald, Mohamed, Moncion, Osler, Oudar, Saint‑Germain, Smith, and Tannas (16).
Other senators present: The Honourable Senators Al Zaibak and Wilson (2).
Participating in the meeting: Shaila Anwar, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments; Gérald Lafrenière, Deputy Clerk, Legislative Services; Pascale Legault, Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration; Julie Wellington, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; senior Senate officials and other support staff.
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.
WITNESSES:
The Honourable Senator Éric Forest, Chair, Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets;
Isabelle Ricard, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement Directorate;
Nathalie Charpentier, Comptroller and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Procurement Directorate;
Julie Lacroix, Director, Corporate Security Directorate;
Josée Labelle, Director General, Property and Services Directorate;
Adam Khamphoune, Manager, Major Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) Project Planning and Delivery;
Julia Zayed, Senate Accessibility Officer, Communications, Broadcasting and Publications Directorate.
Ernst & Young LLP:
Sonia Leblanc, Partner, Assurance Services (by videoconference);
Niguel Givogue, Senior Manager, Assurance Services (by videoconference).
Parliamentary Protective Service:
Chief superintendent Mitch Monette, Director;
Albéric Bilodeau, Chief Operations Officer.
Public Services and Procurement Canada:
Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch;
Jean-François Robert, Director General, Centre Block, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch.
The chair made a statement.
The senators introduced themselves.
CIBA/2025-10-23/052(P) — Consent Agenda
The chair made a statement regarding the consent agenda.
The Honourable Senator Boyer moved that the consent agenda, which is comprised of the following items, be adopted:
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Minutes of Proceedings from October 2, 2025 (In Public and In Camera).
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2025-10-23/053(P) — Report from the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets — Audited Financial
The Chair of the Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets, the Honourable Senator Forest, presented the First Report of the subcommittee as follows:
Thursday, October 23, 2025
The Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FIRST REPORT
Your subcommittee has reviewed the Financial Statements of the Senate of Canada for the year ended March 31, 2025 as well as the audit results report. The audit was conducted in accordance with generally accepted Canadian auditing standards by the professional services firm of Ernst & Young, LLP.
The audit resulted in an unqualified auditor’s report indicating that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Senate of Canada as of March 31, 2025 and the results of its operations and cash flows in accordance with Canadian public sector accounting standards.
Your subcommittee recommends that these audited financial statements be approved and tabled in the Senate.
Respectfully submitted,
ÉRIC FOREST
Chair
The Honourable Senator Forest made a presentation.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Forest moved that the subcommittee’s First Report be adopted, that the financial statements be tabled in the Senate, and that, as per the division of responsibilities between CIBA and the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight (AOVS), the internal Financial Highlights Report of the Senate of Canada’s Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended March 31, 2025, and the Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2025, as well as the Audit Results for the year ended March 31, 2025, be shared with the members of the AOVS Committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 8:07 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 8:09 a.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1), the committee resumed in camera.
At 8:25 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 8:27 a.m., the committee resumed in public.
The Honourable Senator Olser made a statement regarding CIBA’s practice for document distribution to members.
After debate, if was agreed that this item be further discussed at the next CIBA meeting.
The chair advised members that item 3 was withdrawn from the agenda.
The Honourable Senator Saint-Germain made a statement in relation to Senators’ Office Management Policy and requested that the matter be discussed in camera.
It was agreed that this item would be considered during the in camera portion of the meeting.
CIBA/2025-10-23/054(P) — Annual Update from the Parliamentary Protective Services
Chief superintendent Monette made a statement regarding the services provided by the Parliamentary Protective Service.
Julie Lacroix answered questions.
At 8:45 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 8:46 a.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1), the committee resumed in camera.
At 9:11 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 9:12 a.m., the committee resumed in public.
CIBA/2025-10-23/055(P) — Update on the Long Term Vision and Plan
Josée Labelle made a statement regarding the Long Term Vision and Plan project.
CIBA/2025-10-23/056(P) — Annual Report on the Senate Accessibility Plan
Julia Zayed made a statement and answered questions regarding the proposed 2026-2028 Accessibility Plan.
After debate, the Honourable Senator Saint-Germain moved that the 2026-2028 Accessibility Plan be approved.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2025-10-23/057(P) — Membership to the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage
The chair made a statement regarding the membership to the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage.
The Honourable Senator Tannas moved that, pursuant to the motion adopted on June 19th, 2025, regarding the creation of the Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, the following senators be named as members of that group:
The Honourable Senator Ataullahjan;
The Honourable Senator Black;
The Honourable Senator Cardozo; and
The Honourable Senator Cormier.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
CIBA/2025-10-23/058(P) — For Information Items sent via email
The chair made a statement regarding items sent via email to members for information purposes.
CIBA/2025-10-23/059(P) — Value and Ethics Code for Senators’ Employees
The chair and the Honourable Senator MacDonald each made a statement regarding the Values, Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators’ Staff Members.
After debate, it was moved by the Honourable Senator MacDonald:
That the Subcommittee on Human Resources be authorized to establish a consultative process on revisions to the Code of Values and Ethics for Senate Staff which includes engagement through the caucus and group Chairs (Senators) and with the Working Group on Senators’ Services (WGSS);
That implementation of the Code of Values and Ethics for Senate Staff, adopted on June 19, 2025, be suspended pending completion of the review and presentation of recommendations by the Subcommittee on Human Resources and that the most recent version of the Conflict of Interest Code for Persons Employed by the Senate be reinstated for Senators’ staffers in the interim;
That the deadline for written submissions on the Code of Values and Ethics for Senate Staff be extended to a date as determined by the Subcommittee on Human Resources once an engagement process has been adopted by the subcommittee; and
That the Senate Administration, provide the necessary administrative support for an independent consultative process with staff working in senators’ offices under the direction of the WGSS.
The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.
At 9:45 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 9:47 a.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1), the committee resumed in camera.
At 10:02 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