Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 25th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

You have about 30 seconds, if you think you can....

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

It's okay. We saved it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

All right.

Mr. Albrecht.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have a couple of different questions. I'll give all three and then possibly allow you time to answer all three of them.

On page 6, Mr. Speaker, you talked about the IT security. One of the issues we often face is that when there's new technology available, many months or sometimes years pass before we can use that technology on the Hill because of security concerns. A new technology that came to light for me recently, with the recent banning of cellphones while you're driving in Ontario, was a little piece of technology called the iLane, which actually reads your e-mails to you while you're driving. You don't have to look at it or pull over to look at it. I'm wondering if there's been any progress made in perhaps the earlier adoption of these new technologies.

Then on your point on page 8, where you talked about how the members in our constituency offices will have access to the same data that we have here in Ottawa--and I think this has been a frustration that's been expressed around this table for some time--do we have any idea as to the timeline for when that might be available?

Finally, I have a follow-up of a question that was asked earlier about the fact that we're going to have buses off the parliamentary precinct. Will that impact our ability as members to get here in time for votes if there are traffic concerns across the way? Will the Ottawa police be involved? How will that whole piece fall into place as well?

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

I've never heard of this technology, so I'll let somebody else answer that.

[Audrey O'Brien]

One of the continual challenges that's faced by information technology and our chief information officer, Louis Bard, whom I've asked to come to the table, is this whole question of new applications coming on the market and so forth. He'll be in a better position to answer that, as well as on the timeline for the constituency communication network.

With regard to the time for votes, I should say that the Sergeant-at-Arms and I are meeting on a semi-regular basis with the whips to look at issues related to the moves to Promenade Building and the different committee rooms. What I've been suggesting to date is that we wait and see how it works, not least of all because you've got the situation where most votes are predictable; they're deferred to a certain time. So if you get a situation where, for instance, committee clerks are asked to remind their chairs that there is a deferred vote that night, then people can leave in good time to get to the chamber.

The other thing, of course, is because the chief government whip and the chief opposition whip come in together to indicate that they're ready to take a vote, that will allow for saving time. We will monitor it very closely, and it may be that the Standing Orders would have to be changed to give a little bit more time. But given the fact that most votes are deferred, I think that should actually work. And if it's not a deferred vote, then it comes at a time of day when there isn't the usual kind of traffic jam; this is not at the end of the day.

That's all I would have to say on that, but perhaps Louis could talk to you about the....

[Louis Bard, Chief Information Officer, House of Commons]

Very shortly, based on your specific question, sir, in terms of interfaces using the car for mobile device, we've assessed a number of solutions. Members are using a variety of solutions today. I think the Bloc was one of the first to introduce new technologies for these kinds of devices, and the security aspect is not as extensive as when you're trying to access the internal network. In your particular situation, I would be very pleased to look at what you were considering. Normally we have a very quick turnaround time for this kind of question or evaluation. I will follow up with you after and make sure we understand your requirements.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Okay. And on the matter of constituency access, what is the timeframe?

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

What is the turnaround time? Is it a week, a month, a year?

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

That was my question in terms of the constituency access.

[Louis Bard]

As you know, we have quite an extensive offering right now across Canada for every constituency office, and also we launched around three months ago an extensive pilot with around 20 members of Parliament in terms of allowing access at distant airports, when you travel from cottage, from home, and this and that. We've been very, very successful in launching that project over the last month or two.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

As a member who's not part of that, how soon could I possibly expect to have access?

[Louis Bard]

Ideally, the plan was for us to complete the pilot and go to deployment as soon as September.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Great. Thank you.

Monsieur Guimond or Madame De Bellefeuille.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, Ms. O'Brien.

I'd like to go back to the personnel budget. Unless I'm mistaken, the $9 million difference is not an increase, but rather back pay that was not paid. It can also be said that the real frozen amount is $320,109,000.

I have a specific question to ask concerning pay equity. We know that the government has chosen to make it a negotiable right. It's strange to say that because a right is not supposed to be negotiated, but it is acquired.

I would like to understand a little. With regard to your personnel expenditure, how did you decide to negotiate this pay equity matter with your personnel? Is it an issue that poses a problem? Have you conducted your analysis of what the pay equity file might cost? Have you analyzed the file in light of the recent decisions the government has made in the matter?

[Audrey O'Brien]

Mr. Chairman, through you, I must say that we have not been particularly affected by the government's decision. Consequently, a few years ago, in view of our pay equity concerns, we began a major classification project by conducting a thorough review of all classifications, of all positions at the House of Commons, to ensure that, in the classification method and in the points given for various aspects of a position, the pay equity issue was taken into consideration regarding men and women.

Under this classification system which is still in effect, we have been able to ensure that the infrastructure of our positions respects pay equity, and we rely on that.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

So you were visionaries, and you didn't have to make any corrections in other departments?

[Audrey O'Brien]

Let's say we were as lucky as we were visionary. We saw that there was really a fundamental problem that had to be more fundamentally corrected than we had thought at the outset. That's why we reviewed the classification.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Was that reclassification conducted under your guidance, Ms. O'Brien?

[Audrey O'Brien]

No. I worked on it, but it was under my predecessor's guidance.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, could you give us a brief explanation of the savings you are achieving and that we find under the heading Professional and Special Services? There is a saving of $306,000. Perhaps you could give us some idea on that point.

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

I wrote that in my remarks?

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Would you like to have the table that we received?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It's in the library documents.