Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Nov. 24th, 2020

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Okay.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you.

Mr. Blaikie, you have six minutes.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you very much.

Thank you to our witnesses for sharing their time with us today.

Those of us who were here in the last Parliament remember the collective bargaining process with PPS as being one in which the PPS members felt quite disrespected and had to fight really hard to make headway. Ultimately, that went to arbitration, and they did get a raise through the arbitration process.

I'm wondering if someone could confirm for us whether the back pay for 2015 to 2018 has been paid out to PPS members, or if they're still waiting for that back pay to be issued.

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

I know there's been a lot of change in the morale around the Hill with the PPS, but what I'll do is maybe pass this on to Mr. Leahy and he'll be able to give us more details on that.

[Kevin Leahy, Director, Parliamentary Protective Service]

I'm wondering, Madame Francis, if you would have an update on the status of the back pay as a result of the arbitration decisions.

[Antonia Francis, Director, Human Resources Services, Parliamentary Protective Service]

I do, Director Leahy. Most individuals have been paid out. We do have some individuals whom we expect to have the pay process completed in December, and that is due to the retroactivity challenges with the Phoenix pay system. That is what's taking some time. We recently sent out an update to the individuals who are currently being paid by the Senate for us, on our behalf, and they're the ones whom we have outstanding payments for and an adjustment to their premium. We do anticipate that to be completed in December 2020.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you very much.

I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if you might inform the committee on what steps you're taking to try to ensure a less antagonistic bargaining process, because the agreement determined by arbitration will expire and the parties will be back at the table. I think we would like to see a much better process where members of the PPS feel they're being respected by those whom they are negotiating with. I just wonder if you've begun any initiative to try to change the bargaining strategy of management in order to conduce a more amicable negotiating process.

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

As I mentioned, we've already started that. There is a better relationship between both management and PPS members. I'll pass that one back to Mr. Leahy or Ms. Francis to give us some information on it.

[Kevin Leahy]

Mr. Speaker, Madame Chair, Mr. Blaikie, the relationship that we have with the members of our union and their representatives has been a priority of mine and the rest of the team since my arrival at PPS in June 2019. We've worked very, very hard over the last 15 to 18 months to create an atmosphere where there's respectful, cordial and collegial work done with the representatives of the workers. I think we've made great progress in that regard, to the point where just very recently we issued a joint statement with the president of the union following recent mediation where collectively we resolved to turn resolutely towards the future with the confidence that our relationship has been reset on a solid and positive foundation. We collectively committed to working together in a determined manner to maintain a positive relationship from now on and to co-operate in order to promptly address and constructively resolve differences that may arise in the future.

My team and I are one hundred per cent committed to continuing to work to maintain that relationship and the progress that we've made over the last 18 months.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you for that commitment and for the work you're doing to make that real. Please know that there are many members who are watching this closely and would like to see you succeed in that endeavour.

Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that's arisen in parliamentary life as a result of the pandemic has been the question for some members of what to do when they travel home from Ottawa. It's an ongoing question. At one time, Ottawa was one of the hot spots in the country in terms of COVID-19 cases, whereas other places had less instances of COVID-19. I think it's fair to say that no member wants to be responsible for bringing the virus back into their community during a period where cases are relatively low.

Many of us have made room in our travel budget by being in Ottawa, and less as a result of the hybrid Parliament. I'm wondering if you've put your mind to the question of whether members might be able to use some of their travel budget to self-isolate in their own city upon return from Ottawa, particularly if self-isolating at home would mean massive disruption to family life, where there's a spouse who has a job, children who are in school, and where self-isolating at home means pulling the family out of their work and their school obligations. Has there been some thinking on that, because it wouldn't involve extra financial exposure for the House if it were coming out of existing travel budgets. Has there been some thought put to allowing MPs to use their travel budget for that purpose?

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

Maybe I'll pass this one on. I'll just comment a little bit on it at first, though, because it's one of the things that we have been working on with individual members to make sure that their equipment is up to date. Also, if they are using equipment, it has to be mainly the House equipment so that we can interject and make sure it's working correctly.

As far as requests for money from the travel budgets is concerned, I don't think we've had any of that requested yet, but it's certainly something that could be considered. I'll pass this on to Monsieur Paquette since it involves financial decisions.

Monsieur Paquette.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Reply very quickly, please.

[Daniel Paquette]

Yes, for sure.

We've been looking at our various policies and have gone to the board to adjust and add the flexibility needed for the COVID pandemic situation.

I'll be honest that this is new to me today, so I will take this away and we can look at it and come back to the board, and possibly look at some of these options here to consider if it is feasible to use the travel budgets of members who are isolated at home or be on travel status, in essence, when they are in their constituencies.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

I am sure, Mr. Blaikie, that Mr. Christopherson, who used to be a member of this committee at one point before you, would very much appreciate the line of questioning you just asked. He had a flair and a passion for many things, but that was definitely a concern he did share. I was thinking about him right now. He served from 1990 all the way to 2019, first in the legislature in Ontario and then here from 2004. He was a really passionate member, and I definitely learned a lot from him.

If you do see him—and I am going to try to get in touch with him again—please say my hello.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

I will.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Next we have Mr. Tochor for the second round. You have five minutes, Mr. Tochor.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thank you to our Clerk and Mr. Speaker and to all of the officials who are here today. I appreciate the hard work you're doing during these trying times.

My line of questioning is around cost savings. I'd like to hear from the Clerk if he has asked for any official cost savings review of any of the departments.

[Charles Robert]

Not per se. We have been careful about how we supervise our expenditures to make sure that we are able to provide the support and services that members need.

Mr. Tochor, as you may realize, when we went into “hyper mode”, if you like, or warp speed to bring about the virtual and the hybrid sittings, overtime expenditures were incurred to make that possible. Without that kind of effort, we would not have been able to provide the support the House and parliamentarians need.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Speaker, have you asked for any official review of savings, because there are going to be natural savings from less travel when operating Parliament during COVID. Have we asked formally for any review, or are you not interested in that?

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

That's something that's done on a regular basis, just to see where we can save.

In these times when you're spending like we're doing, you look at everything and try to maximize whatever you are putting into it.

I'll pass this on to Mr. Patrice, who can maybe give us a little more detail on some of the actions that have been taken to date.

[Michel Patrice, Deputy Clerk, Administration]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are continually monitoring the cost savings and expenditures in relation to COVID that we have been having since the start of the pandemic. The administration gave a report to the board in early October on the status of the expenditures and savings that we have noticed since the start of the pandemic. We are going to provide a further update to the board at the meeting in December.

Obviously, as you can imagine, there were savings in relation to travel costs for members, but we had some technology offset costs in preparing for the virtual hybrid Parliament and committees.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Thank you very much.

To the Clerk, have there been any layoffs of your staff due to the pandemic?

[Michel Patrice]

Yes.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

And how many individuals?