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Board of Internal Economy meeting

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Meeting Minutes

Thursday, June 12, 2025

A meeting of the Board of Internal Economy (Board) of the House of Commons was held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 11:02 a.m., in Room 225-A, West Block.

In the Chair: The Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of the House of Commons

Present: The Honourables Steven MacKinnon, Mark Gerretsen, Arielle Kayabaga and Andrew Scheer; Mr. Chris Warkentin and Mr. Yves Perron

Secretary to the Board: Eric Janse, Clerk of the House of Commons

Also Present:

House of Commons: Tom Kmiec, Chair, Working Group on the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) and the Centre Block Rehabilitation; Benoit Dicaire, Chief Information Officer; Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer; José Fernandez, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; Mélissa Côté, Deputy Director, Resource Management; Carolyne Evangelidis, Chief Human Resources Officer; Stéphan Aubé, Chief Executive Administrator; Michel Bédard, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; Jeffrey LeBlanc, Deputy Clerk, Procedure; and Natacha Flanagan, Secretariat

KPMG: Andrew Newman, Audit Partner and Office Manager, Ottawa; and Jonathan Généreux, Audit Senior Manager

PSPC: Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister

NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Pursuant to subsection 50(2) of the Parliament of Canada Act, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon and the Honourable Arielle Kayabaga were appointed as representatives of the King’s Privy Council.

Pursuant to subsection 50(5) of the Parliament of Canada Act, the following Members of Parliament were recently sworn in as members of the Board: Mr. Yves Perron (on December 16, 2024), the Honourable Steven MacKinnon (on February 24, 2025), Mr. Chris Warkentin (on May 22, 2025), the Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia (on June 11, 2025) and the Honourable Arielle Kayabaga (on June 12, 2025).

The Honourable Andrew Scheer and the Honourable Mark Gerretsen—previously sworn in on September 21, 2022 and on October 24, 2023, respectively—continue their appointments to the Board.


APPOINTMENT OF A BOARD SPOKESPERSON

Pursuant to Standing Order 37(2), the Honourable Steven MacKinnon and Mr. Chris Warkentin were appointed as spokespersons for the Board, replacing the Honourable Karina Gould and the Honourable Kerry Lynne Findlay.


RECORD OF DECISIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING

On February 28, 2025, the Board approved the following:

Additional salaries of certain House Officers during dissolution

• that the additional salaries and allowances of Opposition Party Leaders, Opposition House Leaders and Chief Whips of recognized parties be continued during the dissolution of the 44th Parliament; and

• that the House Administration prepare the necessary briefing materials to promptly review and address this matter in the new Parliament.


Payment of legal fees of a Member of Parliament

The reimbursement of legal fees incurred by a Member of Parliament, up to an additional amount of $40,000, at the rates of outside counsel and subject to the invoices being reviewed by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.

Minutes of previous meeting

The tabling of the minutes of the Board meeting of December 5, 2024.


On March 31, 2025, the Board approved the following:

Ratification of a collective agreement

The ratification of the tentative agreement reached between Unifor and the House Administration, which includes a 2.5% economic increase, effective April 1, 2025.

Process amendment in the House of Commons’ Security Screening and Access Policy

• the process amendment in the Security Screening and Access Policy to streamline the required security screening for prospective employees, contractors, students, interns and volunteers in the offices of both Members and House Officers, as well as in Research Offices; and

• the update of the terms and conditions of employment, contracts for Members’ staff and for professional services and of the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual to reflect the process amendment.

LTVP Working Group’s recommendations

• the “Working Assumptions” and “Design Principles,” as part of the Centre Block Chamber Seating Design plan, to continue developing the evolved concept before inviting Board members to test the mock-up in December 2025;

• the proposed Parliamentary Office Unit (POU) contingency space strategy (Option 3) to mitigate potential disruptions; and

• to proceed with integrating the approved parking and land acknowledgement elements as part of the Centre Block Landscape Design, and to schedule a follow-up review to finalize the proposal for trees in the upcoming design update.


BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Board took note of the Quarterly Financial Report for the Third Quarter of 2024–2025 and the Annual Report on the Members of the House of Commons Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy 2024. It also took note and discussed correspondence distributed since its last meeting.

Emergency decisions by the Speaker during dissolution

Pursuant to subsection 52.1(2) of the Parliament of Canada Act and section 8 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Board of Internal Economy, the Speaker reported to the Board that, during dissolution, his predecessor provided the required certifications on the Board’s behalf to support the issuance of the Governor General’s special warrants for House of Commons expenditures. This information had previously been communicated to the Board members through letters dated March 24 and April 16, 2025.


LTVP WORKING GROUP UPDATE

Tom Kmiec, Chair, Working Group on the LTVP and the Centre Block Rehabilitation, provided an update on recent activities of the House of Commons Working Group on the LTVP, and answered questions with Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Benoit Dicaire, Chief Information Officer.

The Board approved the 2024 LTVP update and the recommendation for the dedicated space for Indigenous cultural and ceremonial purposes.

The Board also agreed that

- PSPC would provide information on the historical context of the Queen Elizabeth II Equestrian Monument; and

- stakeholders would be advised that the stated possibility of a reduction in parking spaces by 50% in the plan has raised serious concern and that such an outcome is not desirable.


UPDATES TO THE ACCEPTABLE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES POLICY

Benoit Dicaire, Chief Information Officer, presented a proposal to update the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy and sought to obtain the Board’s support to increase the adoption rate of the cybersecurity and foreign interference training for Members of Parliament and their staff.

The Board approved the policy updates and endorsed the provision of the cybersecurity and foreign interference training at least once per Parliament.


REPORT TO CANADIANS 2025

The Board approved the report for tabling in the House by the Speaker.


RATIFICATION OF A COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

The Board ratified the renewal of the collective agreement reached between the House Administration and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada for the Procedural Clerks and Analysis and Reference bargaining unit, which includes a 2.5% economic increase, effective April 1, 2025.


2024–2025 ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AND REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF BUDGET CARRY-FORWARD TO 2025–2026

Paul St George, Chief Financial Officer, presented the 2024–2025 Annual Financial Report with the audited financial statements, and a proposal to include an operating budget carry-forward in the House of Commons’ Supplementary Estimates (B) for 2025–2026. Andrew Newman, KPMG Audit Partner and Office Manager, Ottawa, presented the House of Commons Summary of Audit Findings for the year ended March 31, 2025. Paul St George answered questions.

The Board approved that the operating budget carry-forward of up to $22,376,620 be included in the House of Commons’ Supplementary Estimates (B) for 2025–2026.

The Board agreed to proceed in camera, without the participation of House Administration officials, to allow its members to discuss the audited financial statements and address any questions or concerns from the auditor and members.


At 12:08 p.m. the meeting was suspended.

At 12:10 p.m. the meeting resumed in camera.


PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

The Board approved the following:

• the reimbursement of the legal fees of a Member of Parliament and the Member’s two employees that were incurred or are to be incurred, up to $40,000.00, at the rates approved by the Board for legal counsel and subject to the accounts being reviewed by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; and

• the payment of the legal fees of a Member of Parliament, up to $30,000.00, at the rates of outside counsel and subject to the accounts being reviewed by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.


The meeting was adjourned at 1:11 p.m.

Eric Janse
Secretary to the Board of Internal Economy