Evidence of meeting #138 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was building.
A video is available from Parliament.
11:50 a.m.
Senior Director and Executive Architect, Real Property Directorate, House of Commons
On this project, the Senate has a parallel team to the House of Commons. They use their governance process for their approvals.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Is there no overlap on this team here with the Senate work?
11:50 a.m.
Senior Director and Executive Architect, Real Property Directorate, House of Commons
We work in partnership, but we don't provide services to them.
I'm assuming you're asking how we are, at some point, going to settle on who has what space within the building. That will have to go through a joint governance process.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
What's our percentage of the functional program completion for Centre Block right now?
11:50 a.m.
Senior Director and Executive Architect, Real Property Directorate, House of Commons
We're still working on functional program. It's in the early phases. We're currently in receipt of about 50%, but it's not quite there for sure.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
In what year was the Centre Block originally supposed to close? When this plan first started, when was it supposed to close?
11:50 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Precinct Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
The Centre Block project is essentially the apex project of the whole long-term vision and plan for the restoration and modernization of the parliamentary precinct. From its very beginning in 2001, the restoration and modernization of the Centre Block has been one of the prime objectives. Many of the other projects that have been carried out—the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, the Wellington Building, and more recently, of course, the West Block, phase one of the visitor welcome centre, and the Government Conference Centre—have really all been about being able to empty the Centre Block to carry this out.
One of the key drivers is the condition of the building, and we continue to do ongoing assessments of the building. From the very beginning, the prime objective has been getting the Centre Block emptied prior to 2019, when it was indicated through the assessments of the building condition that there would be an elevated risk of a building system failure that could impact the operations of Parliament. Of course, a prime objective is to ensure that there's no interruption to the operations of Parliament, so a key—
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I don't think we're working from the same baseline. What I'm asking about is when it was originally planned. I've been on the Hill for almost a decade, and I have heard that it was originally supposed to close in 1992. I want to know if that's true.
11:55 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Precinct Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I think if you go back in the history, there were several attempted renovations of the Centre Block in the far past, but I wouldn't be able to go into the details of those. I think it is accurate that there were some planned restoration initiatives over a number of decades that didn't quite get to the point of realization.
One of the key elements is a kind of robust swing-space strategy. The West Block, the Government Conference Centre and the visitor welcome centre provided the ability to empty the building into facilities that would support the operations of Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Not long after I started on the Hill as a staffer, a piece of rock fell off a ceiling somewhere in the Centre Block; I forget where it was. Public Works told us at the time that it wasn't sure if it could keep the building standing past about 2017. Where is the safety of the building at today?
11:55 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Precinct Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We continue to monitor the building on an ongoing basis. Health and safety is the number one priority, and it is the real reason we've been collectively putting all this effort into making sure that the building is emptied prior to 2019, when we have that assessment that there really is an elevated risk that there could be a building system failure.
Again, all the buildings are different. In the Centre Block, the elevated risks are really around building systems—so mechanical systems or electrical systems—which, if there were a failure, would impact the operations of Parliament. With regard to the West Block, structural stability was the prime, critical factor facing that building.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I'm losing the floor, so I'll come back to you later.
Thank you.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Before we go on, I just want to clarify, Ms. Kulba, one of your answers to David. Basically, you said that the final decision on the percentage of rooms for MPs, senators, visitors and media would be made by the boards of internal economy of the House of Commons and the Senate.
11:55 a.m.
Senior Director and Executive Architect, Real Property Directorate, House of Commons
That's correct.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I might start by making the comment I made to the chair earlier. Before we broke, he mentioned space for kids here on Parliament Hill. I want to say that I would personally benefit from that because my kids are four, two and newborn right now. By the time we get back here, my grandkids will be using that space. I do want to say that I appreciate that.
I want to follow up a little bit with Monsieur Aubé about the governance structure. I think you mentioned that a draft of that governance would be provided to the Speaker of the House and—I would assume—the Speaker of the Senate in the new year. Is that correct?
11:55 a.m.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
This is what we're aiming for, sir.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Then, would the Speaker have the authority to approve such a plan? Where would that...?
11:55 a.m.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
These are still discussions we are having with PSPC because the Minister of Public Services and Procurement is also accountable for the implementation of these projects. We're looking at establishing a joint governance with PSPC that would engage the minister and also the Speakers.
That's why I'm saying it's still in a draft. We're having dialogue right now, but that hasn't been finalized. It will need to be approved by both sides because, as you know, Mr. Wright has the mandate to actually deliver on these facilities. We want to make sure it's an integrated governance, recognizing that the Speakers also play key roles in the decision-making process.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
At some point, then, in the new year, there would be a decision made, ideally, by some form of joint...whether it's the minister with the Speakers making an approval of the governance structure.
11:55 a.m.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
That's what we would be proposing, sir.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Prior to that happening, would this committee see a draft of that governance structure?
11:55 a.m.
Chief Information Officer, House of Commons
I will take note of that, sir, and we can certainly have a discussion.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Perhaps we, as a committee, can follow up on that in the new year when that happens. As parliamentarians, I think we do have some questions about where the leadership will rest and where the decisions—