Procedure and House Affairs Committee on April 18th, 2013

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Are you talking about the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie?

Yes.

It will be held in 2014.

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

The reductions for committees, parliamentary associations and parliamentary exchanges amount to $3.4 million. That includes both years. So there are $2.6 million and $700,000 for this year.

Could you tell us in a little more detail where those cuts are being made?

As committees, parliamentary associations and exchanges cover a lot of things, I would like you to tell us what the reductions affect in particular.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

In terms of parliamentary associations, the overall envelope that's provided to the JIC, the Joint Interparliamentary Council, is being affected. Subsequent to that, the JIC will make decisions on the allocation of resources within its envelope. Subsequent to that, each parliamentary association will make decisions on how to manage its budget.

It would be difficult, from the Board of Internal Economy's perspective, to predict how those will affect each association, but no doubt each association and the JIC overall will have decisions to make based on the levels of funding they'll be receiving.

As for parliamentary committees, this is funding that the committees have not used in previous years. We are talking about eliminating funding underutilization here.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

I have a supplementary question on this subject.

I know you administer the budget and that the Joint Inter-Parliamentary Council makes the decisions, but when special committees are added, which involve travel, for example, and that is not approved in the budget, does that automatically become a deficit for the House, or does it become an addition and a reduction is made elsewhere?

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

In the case of special committees, if the liaison committee doesn't have the existing funds in its existing envelopes, then it would require additional funds beyond what's provided to the liaison committee.

But I'm not sure if that's been required in the past or not, because some of the funds were underutilized.

[Audrey O'Brien, Clerk of the House of Commons, House of Commons]

Mr. Chair, what happens in the case of a special committee is that funding is provided to start the work. The committee then determines its budget and submits it to the Board of Internal Economy.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

I understand that, but I am talking about a special committee or a special trip that would not be included in current spending. Even if the budget is submitted to the Board of Internal Economy—

[Audrey O'Brien]

Pardon me, but those are two different things. A special committee is one thing, but I believe you referred to a special trip that a standing committee might wish to take. The committee's budget is managed by the Liaison Committee, the committee of committee chairs, and that is where we would draw the funding for travel. The Deputy Clerk, Mr. Bosc, could confirm that and give you more details on the subject. I see that Mr. Bosc is giving me his consent.

If there was not enough funding and it was considered necessary, we could always include that in supplementary estimates.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

There are still two minutes left.

Mr. Cullen.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I would join my colleague across the way in complimenting you, Mr. Speaker, and your team for what I think is sometimes a difficult job. You were given a directive to become an “austerity Speaker”, I suppose, in a way.

I'm just adding up some of the $3.5 million from committees and the $6.5 million from House administration. The $600,000 that's been recouped back from MPs' pensions, the pension contribution from the House—that's every year those savings will be realized? That's a go-forward and not a one-time?

Is that right, Mr. Watters, through the Speaker? Everyone is agreeing.

I almost wonder if the Speaker's office would be interested in taking over the F-35 project to rein in some of the costs. But perhaps that's a little bit beyond your mandate, Speaker.

I have a small question on the pages program. I agree with you in your comments; they are some of the brightest and best young people I've interacted with. The $22,000 is a very small part of the overall budget. You mention here it's in direct relation to tuition fees going up at the two local universities.

Is that derived from government policy or is that something the House itself has adopted over the years, that if tuition goes up then we seek to compensate the pages accordingly?

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

It was a board decision. The board, in overseeing the page program through the House administration, recognizes certain realities. Pages have to pay for tuition, and I would venture to say that's their single biggest cost in being in Ottawa for school.

In order to attract bright people willing to work here, we lessen the financial hardship and compensate them adequately for the work they do. When the tuition rates go up, it creates a natural pressure on the page, so from time to time the board takes a look at that and makes adjustments when it feels it is necessary.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you, Mr. Cullen.

Mr. LeBlanc.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and my thanks to you, Mr. Speaker, Madame O'Brien, and Mr. Watters.

I agree with my colleague Mr. Cullen. I think the board and you, Mr. Speaker, with your senior officials, have found the right balance to respect the expenditure reductions that Parliament and the government asked of other departments or agencies of government.

I think the House of Commons had to be prepared to do its share. I think you've done it well. You've found the right balance of administrative costs, asking members also to see where we can reduce our expenses. At the same time, you've preserved the essential importance of being able to serve our constituents and fulfill our responsibilities.

When you're dealing with parliamentary budgets, you're dealing with some of the biggest egos in the government. You've found a very good way to do that, Mr. Speaker. You're an austerity Speaker, but you haven't become an austere Speaker.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Thank you.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

I wanted to pick up on Nathan's comments.

I want to compliment you and the senior staff, Mr. Speaker. I think you've done this well and in a collegial way. I know that my colleague who sits on the Board of Internal Economy has found it very constructive.

I don't have any questions, but when I listened to your discussion of the page program, I realized it's a neat idea the board has come up with to try to assist these young women and men with the high cost of tuition. That's a great idea.

Let's also think about the parliamentary guide program, not necessarily in terms of their salaries, as many of them are summer jobs or part-time jobs. I think they're some of the best and brightest bilingual people around. They can show Canadians their Parliament, and make them appreciate the role of the House of Commons and the work we do, together with the Senate.

My question is not about their remuneration. This is anecdotal from my riding, but perhaps it extends to other colleagues as well. I'm finding I have schools that want to come. They all want to come in June, when the weather is nice and they can organize bus trips. A number of schools from New Brunswick want to come to visit Parliament—often grade 8 classes—and they're trying to book visits depending on the bus schedules. Six or seven months before they come, they're told that, unfortunately, there's no space available. It's not possible for them to get a guided tour at that time.

I recognize it's a function of the size of the hallways and the traffic that has to be managed when people come through the building. Is it a function of the physical space of the building and the sequence of the tours, or could the problem be alleviated? I just feel bad for these students who want to come and are told in November or December that it's not possible during a certain window of time. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if it's a function of not having enough tour guides.

The practical reality is that you're going to get members of Parliament showing groups through themselves. You're going to find members of Parliament, me included, who are going to be trying to shepherd around 40 kids. We are not trained to do this and lack the information the guides would have. Your security personnel won't like the chaos this will cause.

Recognizing the physical limitations of the buildings, is there a way we can increase the staff available or extend the hours of the tours? I just find it unfortunate: they come to Ottawa and they see Sparks Street, but they can't get into the building for a proper guided tour. They are stuck with somebody like me trying to drag them into the library and through the lobby, which isn't the ideal way for them to appreciate Parliament.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

I certainly appreciate the point you're making, and I agree with you that the guides are a very professional group of people who are very well-versed in the history of the buildings. They offer a great service to visitors and help enhance their experience of visiting Ottawa and Parliament Hill.

As to the management of the tours, that is not something the Board of Internal Economy would oversee. That's done out of the library, which is its own entity. They have their own challenges in meeting certain strategic operating review targets.

I don't want to venture a guess on what would be causing the backlog you're describing. It could be a simple function of not enough hours in the day, or of having a certain limit on how many people can be physically accommodated in the hallways at the same time, or of the number of guides they have.

I can certainly bring that up with the parliamentary librarian.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would be grateful if in some conversation with the librarian—

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Yes.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

—or perhaps Madame O'Brien.... I just hope that we've made every effort to accommodate the maximum number of people and haven't fallen into some bureaucratic thing where at 6 o'clock we close down some door.

I just want to try to maximize the chance people have to see Parliament.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Sure. I can absolutely agree.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

That to me is a worthy expenditure, if you're paying some student a few more hours a day or hiring a few more students.

Anyway, if somebody has a chance with the librarian or the appropriate authorities, I would be interested to know that we're doing everything we can to maximize that. That's all.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

I can absolutely have a conversation with her about that.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I'd like to point out that Monsieur LeBlanc would like to handle the midnight tours.