QUESTION PERIOD — Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Business of Committee
March 21, 2019
Thank you, Your Honour.
My question is to the chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
Senator Marwah, in the past 13 months I have asked in February 2018 and, again in November 2018, how much public funding has gone to legal representation for senators and Senate officials who are the subject of complaints of harassment, including bullying and sexual harassment.
While CIBA has technically “replied,” there actually remains no substantive answer on the record. Instead, Blacklock’s Reporter may have been more helpful. In an article regarding the Senate’s new harassment policy, it was noted that severance payments to staff more than doubled from fiscal year 2016/2017 to fiscal year 2017/2018.
My question has two parts: One, is any portion of the more than doubling of severance payments referred to in the Blacklock’s article to staff related to complaints of harassment, including bullying and sexual harassment against senators and/or Senate officials? Two, given that the Senate legal assistance and indemnification policy allows for legal representation to senators and Senate officials who face complaints of harassment, including bullying and sexual harassment, will the new harassment policy tabled today, expected to come into effect in the coming month, provide funding for complainants to access legal representation or other advocacy services to ensure equality in this process? If not, why not?
Thank you, senator, for that question.
As you’re aware, all proceedings that are taken at steering committee are in camera and are protected under the Senate rules by confidentiality. Hence, I respond to you that those amounts could not be divulged because even divulging amounts in aggregate may inadvertently violate the spirit of confidentiality that exists. That is our response. Asking me the question the third time is not going to change my response.
On the second part, which is Blacklock’s, I honestly cannot comment on why or how Blacklock’s got that number, nor do I intend to try and find out. Blacklock’s has their sources; somebody leaks it. I honestly have no idea.
Your third question was about whether the new Senate policy will cover certain procedures or requirements to compensate or not compensate. That I honestly don’t know.
Senator Saint-Germain and Senator Tannas are not here. They are members of the steering committee that approved the report, and I’m sure they will take it under advisement.
Senator McPhedran, before you go to your supplementary, I want to remind senators that when we do not have a minister here, we have agreed that senators can ask a question and a supplementary. When you ask two or three questions in your first question, you’re probably using up your supplementary. But for today, Senator McPhedran, go ahead.
Your Honour, thank you very much for your generosity. It is a quick supplementary question, and it is to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, and it is whether the committee has or will undertake any kind of a review, in the context of the new harassment policy, to look at the impact of the way you currently respond, both to questions but also to complaints, to cases of harassment, and the impact on the complainants, a different lens than a focus on Senate, Senate officials and senators.
Thank you, senator, for the supplementary. I guess I would say that given your question, I think we will now.
