I am pleased to be here today to seek approval from the Board of Internal Economy to update certain provisions of the advertising and hospitality expense policies.
The first item relates to the current policy, which provides that advertising costs incurred at third-party events cannot exceed $500 per event. This limit has not been revised since it was established in April 2014. On the other hand, MPs' office budgets are increased annually in line with the consumer price index. Therefore, the administration recommends that the Board of Internal Economy increase the limit for advertising to $660, in line with increases in members' office budgets since April 1, 2015. In addition, it requests that the Board of Internal Economy authorize that the chief financial officer may review the limit on an annual basis in the future and amend it as necessary. The chief financial officer will then inform the Board of Internal Economy of any changes to the limit.
The second item relates to tickets for events.
Under the current policy, members may claim the cost of a ticket for a community event, inclusive of a meal. In recent years an increasing number of organizations have started to charge an entry fee for their activities and organized virtual events without meals. The administration recommends that the board approve a policy change to allow the reimbursement of event tickets regardless of a meal.
Also for your information, on April 1, 2022, the maximum rate for tickets increased from $125 to $140. The chief financial officer would review this rate, along with the advertising limit, on an annual basis and adjust it accordingly.
Mr. Speaker, this concludes my presentation and I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.