Evidence of meeting #12 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pandemic.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Justin Vaive
Charles Robert  Clerk of the House of Commons
André Gagnon  Deputy Clerk, Procedure, House of Commons
Patrick McDonell  Sergeant-at-Arms and Corporate Security Officer, House of Commons
Stéphan Aubé  Chief Information Officer, Digital Services and Real Property, House of Commons
Daniel Paquette  Chief Financial Officer, House of Commons
Kevin Leahy  Director, Parliamentary Protective Service
Antonia Francis  Director, Human Resources Services, Parliamentary Protective Service
Michel Patrice  Deputy Clerk, Administration
Michelle Laframboise  Chief Human Resources Officer, House of Commons
Marc LeClair  Senior Advisor, Métis National Council

12:20 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Okay.

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota

Next we have Dr. Duncan, please.

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to all of you. I think you've heard a resounding thank you from everyone in the committee for the tireless work you've done to allow virtual sittings, so I add my thanks as well.

We work with tremendous people in the parliamentary precinct, and like you, all of us want to make sure we're doing everything to protect them.

Mr. Speaker, have there been any cases within the parliamentary precinct, please?

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

I'm sorry. Can you clarify? Any cases of...?

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Have there been any cases of COVID-19 in the parliamentary precinct?

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

There have been.

How many did we have altogether?

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

If you could table that—

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

It was in the thirties. We'll get that information and table it to you so that you have it.

It was all very well documented and very diligently taken care of. As soon as someone had any inkling of either being exposed to someone or actually testing positive, they went into quarantine and did not come back until their time had expired. Therefore, it worked out very well.

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know how diligent you all are. Regarding the number of cases we had, were they linked? Were they in certain professions? While protecting everyone's privacy, I want to know whether there was additional spread.

Following any cases, was there an audit or an evaluation of the protections, please?

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

Okay. I'll let Monsieur Patrice answer this question. He'll have better access to that information.

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

12:20 p.m.

Deputy Clerk, Administration

Michel Patrice

First, if the committee agrees, we'll provide you more detailed data following this meeting. However, our occupational health and safety team has been very active and working closely with the various public health agencies, be they from Ontario or Quebec, because we have people living in both jurisdictions.

As the Speaker said, the cases number in the thirties. In some of the cases, some people who tested positive did not contract the virus on the premises. Some who tested positive had never even been on the premises. However, in our parliamentary family, in the House of Commons family, there have been some cases on the premises, and we're very active in contact tracing and assisting the people in the surroundings.

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

We just want to make sure that our parliamentary family is all looked after. From what you're saying, I can gather that these are community cases.

Who was providing the health advice to the parliamentary precinct, and when is the last time there has been consultation with them, please?

12:25 p.m.

Deputy Clerk, Administration

Michel Patrice

We have a head nurse, an occupational safety nurse, who is actually in daily contact with the public health authority, be it the Ottawa public health services or the similar service on the Quebec side. As I said, we are continuing to update as new information arrives. Obviously, we are also attuned to advice and recommendations that the Public Health Agency of Canada is offering.

For clarity, some of the cases happened in the precinct, but a limited number. It was not necessarily contracted in the precinct.

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

However, you will be sharing that.

12:25 p.m.

Deputy Clerk, Administration

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Thank you.

Is there a way to consult, for example, the pages and the employees about the COVID-19 protections? Is there a formal or informal mechanism?

I know it exists for the members, but is there one for all the employees in the parliamentary precinct, and of course, anyone within the precinct?

12:25 p.m.

Deputy Clerk, Administration

Michel Patrice

Yes, there is.

Regarding the page program, I'll ask André to maybe add something, but we're communicating on a regular basis with all members and all staff and members' staff to provide an update as to the status of the pandemic in terms of how it affects us, and a constant reminder of the various measures to be taken, and so on. Management is reminded on a continuing basis to be attentive to the well-being of the staff.

André, do you want to add a few words?

12:25 p.m.

Deputy Clerk, Procedure, House of Commons

André Gagnon

Thank you, Ms. Duncan.

Regarding the pages very specifically, we've paid special attention to working not only with them but also to continuing to work with the health officials here at the House of Commons to ensure that their health continues to be our main priority. That's why you've probably seen a couple of adjustments.

First of all, in the House, there are much fewer pages participating in our deliberations. As well, they are seated outside the different lobbies, but always accessible to help out members or the different parties. There have also been other opportunities for them to help out.

That's how we have been adjusting to ensure that the pages operate in the safest environment possible.

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Thank you so much.

Would you be willing to table with the committee the formal and informal mechanism, with consultations with the members, all of the employees and our pages? We all want the same thing: we want everybody protected.

Thank you for the tremendous work everybody's doing.

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota

Thank you.

This ends our first panel for today's meeting. I'd like to thank all of the panellists, all of the witnesses. Thank you, of course, to the Speaker of the House Mr. Rota, to Mr. Patrice, Mr. Paquette, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Francis, Mr. Graham, Mr. Gagnon and everyone who is here today.

You brought a big team, and your answers were well appreciated. Thank you for always taking so much time out for this committee. We know you're very busy and we appreciate it.

You can log off now, I guess. We will carry on with the vote on the main estimates and the supplementary estimates.

I want to find out something from the committee members. If we do not group the votes together, we have six separate votes. If we group them together, we would have two votes. We could have one vote on the main estimates and one on the supplementary estimates.

Is there agreement to group the votes together? Is there any opposition to grouping them?

12:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

12:25 p.m.

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski Conservative Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK

Certainly from my standpoint I think that would be wise.

12:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota

Perfect. Seeing agreement, and I don't hear any opposition, we will group them together.

Should I call the first vote, Mr. Clerk?

12:25 p.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Pardon me, Madam Chair, I was going to say that I'd be happy to simply have these pass on division, if that's acceptable to the rest of the committee.