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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, March 1, 2018

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at 11:20 a.m., in Room 237-C, Centre Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Geoff Regan, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Bardish Chagger, Dominic LeBlanc and Candice Bergen; Mr. Mark Strahl; Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau

Secretary to the Board: Charles Robert, Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present: Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration; Philippe Dufresne, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Pierre Parent, Chief Human Resources Officer; Myriam Beauparlant, Manager, Respectful Workplace Program; Benoit Giroux, Chief Operations Officer, Parliamentary Precinct Operations; Guillaume LaPerrière-Marcoux, Secretariat

NEW MEMBER OF THE BOARD

Pursuant to subsections 50(2) and 50(5) of the Parliament of Canada Act, Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau was sworn in as a member of the Board (February 5, 2018).


MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting of December 7, 2017, were adopted and approved for tabling.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

The Board noted correspondence distributed since its last meeting


HARASSMENT PREVENTION IN THE WORKPLACE

Michel Patrice and Pierre Parent presented an update and answered questions on the policy framework currently in place for Members of the House of Commons, House Officers, Research Offices and their employees to prevent and resolve alleged harassment in the workplace.

The Board approved the following:

• That the application of the House of Commons Policy on Preventing and Addressing Harassment, adopted by the Board on December 9, 2014, be amended to include staff employed by NDP Members;

• That information regarding the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Commons: Sexual Harassment and the House of Commons Policy on Preventing and Addressing Harassment be provided to employees of Members, House Officers and Research Offices (including interns and volunteers) as part of their onboarding process, more specifically with their letter of offer; and

• That the classroom training on harassment that is currently being developed be made mandatory for Members and House Officers, and that the training session be made mandatory for employees of Members, House Officers and Research Offices (including interns and volunteers).


LEGAL FEES POLICY

Philippe Dufresne presented the Legal Fees Policy and answered questions.

The Board approved the Legal Fees Policy, effective March 1, 2018.


AMENDMENTS TO A BOARD OF INTERNAL ECONOMY BY-LAW

Philippe Dufresne proposed amendments to the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Board of Internal Economy prescribing the circumstances when the Board shall meet in camera, and answered questions.

The Board approved the proposed amendments which provide that the following matters must be discussed by the Board in camera:

i) matters subject to solicitor-client or litigation privilege; and

ii) sensitive matters respecting the health or family situation of an identifiable individual.


BOARD OF INTERNAL ECONOMY – WEB PRESENCE MODERNIZATION

Charles Robert presented the redesign of the Board’s website.


MODERNIZATION OF PRINTING AND MAILING HOUSEHOLDER FORMATS

Benoit Giroux presented an update and answered questions on the modernization of printing and mailing householder formats.

The meeting was adjourned.

Charles Robert
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy