Evidence of meeting #2 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was computers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
In fact, my question is for Mr. Bard, Mr. Chairman.
My understanding was that the computers were replaced in order to provide more memory for the new Vista software. The old computers were not Vista-compatible. I noticed that our computers were changed, or upgraded, and that the new Vista software was installed.
Since we do network, will Vista also be installed in our constituency offices? Or will it be installed only on the Hill?
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, when equipment nears the end of its life cycle, we always replace it with the most up to date software. Whether it was going to be Vista or some other software, it was the right time to take the plunge. All constituency offices are now coming to the point where they will have to upgrade and this software has been very successful. We have also received many compliments from the caucuses.
When we sold the Board on the idea last year, we also supplied all constituency offices with three copies of the software and with the necessary support for installation. However, the software is not mandatory, and you can continue to use XP and your current equipment. Members can use their constituency office replacement budget if they wish to replace their own computers. Training and installation programs are available. All Members have to do is ask for them.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
We have no choice but to co-exist with computers, even if we don't know much about them. When decisions are made in Ottawa, is anyone thinking about the riding? For instance, if Vista does not work on our computers, we are forced to replace them if we want to keep up with technology and not fall behind.
Today, we network. You're saying that our equipment in Ottawa, even with all of the changes that have come about with the installation of Vista, is still compatible with the computers in our constituency offices, even if they do run on XP.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
Absolutely, Mr. Godin. The equipment is all compatible and works well together.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
And yet, when we took the database that came with Vista and tried to consult it on the computer at our riding office which runs on XP, it did not work.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
Each time a migration is done, whether for a riding office or for a Hill office, we analyse the environment and applications specific to that office. Then, we work with the Member to develop a transition plan and we indicate the steps to follow. We also do whatever we can to help the Member out with his constituency office. As a rule, we stay until the Member's computer is up and running. We also provide personalized transition plans for the Members' offices.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
I have a question for you, Mr. Speaker. You mentioned that you had just gotten a new computer because the new software could not be installed on your old computer. So then, replacing the system did entail some costs.
Did I understand correctly that you said your own computer had been recently changed?
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Oh, because it broke. I had understood it was because of the new system.
Liberal
Peter Milliken Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
It just exploded; it broke down completely. They had to send it away to get the hard drive copied onto something else. It wouldn't work. It was junk.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
But my question is this. In some cases, even with the explanation Mr. Bard has given, when new software is being purchased for the Hill to assist the different personalized plans for the riding offices to ensure that their system there will be compatible, in the event that all or some of the computers in the riding offices are not able to take these new software systems and it requires the purchase of a new computer.... My question is on the automatic increases that are voted on to increase our MOBs. There's a section for equipment that's permitted to use for our ridings. Does it take into account the plan, for instance, of the House of Commons to upgrade the computers on the Hill, the software on the Hill, and that in that particular year some members may have equipment in their offices that will not be compatible and may have to make capital expenses to upgrade?
My question is, as MPs, does our budget for riding equipment take into account plans of the House of Commons that may cause capital expenses that may not have been envisaged? We were not aware that you were going to, in 2009, make these expenditures and allow us to determine whether or not our equipment is compatible. And if it isn't, does our budget take that into account?
That's my question. It's quite long, but I think everyone understands it.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
That's an excellent question, Mr. Chairman.
The replacement programs that we propose have components that are destined for Members' Offices on the Hill, for senior House officials and for constituency offices. I'm referring to the software programs.
We stress training and transparency, to ease the migration process. The only step that is the Member's responsibility is the actual replacement of the computers, if necessary. Under the program, which we run every four years, we block off the rest of the current fiscal year, the following year and the start of the year after that to complete the replacements. The program runs over three budget periods. However, we don't have an exact figure for you in terms of equipment replacement. Each Member has access to a central equipment upgrade fund of $5,000 per year. The money is earmarked for the replacement or purchase of computer equipment.
We believe this environment affords Members enough flexibility to make enlightened decisions about equipment replacement. It is important to us to allow the Member to choose the moment when he wishes to replace his computer. We really try to respect the Member's wishes.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just noticed on page 176 of the supplementary estimates, about three-quarters of the way down, in 10(b), capital expenditures for $8 million. That was in the main estimates, and now the $8 million has been removed in these estimates. I'm wondering if there are no capital expenditures planned and what these funds will now be apportioned for.
It's on page 176, about three-quarters of the way down, 10(b): capital expenditures, $8.093 million, and then the corresponding figure in the adjacent column.
Clerk of the House of Commons, House of Commons
Mr. Chairman, through you to Mr. Albrecht, Treasury Board has a reporting requirement that a separate capital vote must be established only when the capital expenditures exceed $5 million. Our House capital expenditures total approximately $3 million, so a separate capital vote is no longer required, which is why that adjustment comes out to zero.
December 2nd, 2008 / 11:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Madame DeBellefeuille?
Mr. Godin, is there anything else from you? No?
Mr. Cuzner.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
First let me tell my colleagues, especially Michel, that I have a roommate, a colleague from Cape Breton, who thinks the yellow Post-it notes are high-tech, so you don't have to apologize for your discomfort with new technology.
Marlene's question answered what I was looking at, but let me ask this, Mr. Speaker. Does your budget look after the physical aspect of the Hill as well? What I'm getting at is this. Are we showing leadership on some of the environmental initiatives, energy efficiencies, those types of things? Are there some things you can share with the committee as to where we are with that? I think there is an onus on everybody, and I don't think we should be any different from anybody else. Are we showing leadership in those areas?
Liberal
Peter Milliken Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
The ones I can tell you about off the top of my head are things like the buses, where we are working on making more energy-efficient buses. Some of them are hydrogen buses now. We are moving in that direction. Whether they are all going to switch, I couldn't tell you, but there have been moves there. We have also moved to more energy-efficient light bulbs in many cases around the Hill. I think we are replacing the light bulbs in some of the fixtures here and there. Certainly, when renovations to this building take place, if and when that ever happens—we've been working on it for 20 years or so—then there will be changes in that respect as well.
Those are areas where we are working. We have certainly moved on the use of more environmentally friendly paper than we used to use. Certainly there has been a substantial increase in documentation being sent online rather than by paper.
I'd say we are moving in that direction. Those are the general comments I'd make. I'm not an expert in this area, of course, but those are areas in which I notice changes that are taking place.
Clerk of the House of Commons, House of Commons
If I might also add, Mr. Speaker and Mr. Chairman, through you to Mr. Cuzner, through the Partners for a Green Hill, working with the Senate and the Library of Parliament, the three administrations have banded together to raise awareness among our employees, so the whole question of recycling is something that's very much looked after. You might see on some of the messages you get on e-mail, “Do you really need to print this? Save paper!”--that kind of thing.
I think every little bit helps. Certainly, one of the things we have been very proud of is the work that has been done through great partnership and great leadership by the team at the printing plant, where they are using now—again, my scientific background fails me—environmentally friendly inks and that kind of thing, so there is less harm in the waste that comes from that. They have won prizes for the work they have done relative to printing.
We are very aware of that, and at the same time we're trying to work within the limits we have, because we are tenants of the building and not the actual landlords. So things like energy efficiency are sometimes difficult to gauge. Nonetheless, as the Speaker said, we do what we can.