Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Members of the committee, I am delighted to be here today.
As Speaker of the House of Commons, it is my responsibility to present the 2026–27 main estimates for the House of Commons and those for the Parliamentary Protective Service.
The main estimates presented today outline the funding that enables our institutions to support the important work carried out by members of Parliament, on Parliament Hill and elsewhere, as part of their diverse duties.
The 2026-27 main estimates for the House of Commons amount to $669 million, an increase of 1.9% from the previous year. This moderate increase reflects the impact of cost pressures, which are partially offset by budget adjustments tied to the results of the last election and by efficiencies identified through the strategic internal assessment of operations, or SIAO, as it's called. The SIAO is a multi-year review of House administration services that aims to strengthen service excellence while controlling costs.
The handout you have received presents the year-over-year changes in the budget across four categories. Number one is a funding increase as part of the long-term vision and plan and new funding for the public visitor registration program. Two is cost-of-living and 2025 general election funding impacts. Three is other items. Four is the strategic internal assessment of operations.
The first category includes an increase of $1.1 million. This includes funding for the new off-site data centre on the Hill for disaster recovery, i.e., for the maintenance and life cycle of this facility. This category also includes new permanent funding to expand the team responsible for visitor registration at the Visitor Welcome Centre.
The second category, cost-of-living and 2025 general election funding impacts, represents an increase of $10.6 million. This includes a 2.8% increase, or $5.9 million, to the members' and House officers' office budgets, the constituency office budget and the travel status expenses budget, based on the adjusted consumer price index, or CPI.
The adjustment to the office budgets of members and House officers also accounts for a net reduction of $2.7 million to reflect the impacts of the general election. This includes a $4-million reduction to the House officers' budgets following the shift from four recognized parties to three and an increase of $1.2 million to the elector supplement for members representing densely populated constituencies.
This category also includes the annual salary adjustment for members of Parliament provided for in the Parliament of Canada Act. At approximately 3.3%, it took effect on April 1, 2025, and amounts to $2.3 million.
Finally, it includes $5.2 million for salary increases for House Administration staff and pages.
For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the Parliamentary Protective Service, or PPS, is not requesting additional appropriations under the main estimates. The PPS can bill for services, and we intend to use this additional revenue to offset expenses. However, the PPS is considering making some adjustments to the employee benefits plan.
For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the amount for the statutory employee benefit plan increased by $1.3 million, for a total budget of $120.9 million.
The three other adjustments to the PPS employee benefit plan are as follows.
First, funds will be transferred from operating and maintenance to increased overtime expenses. This change better aligns budgets with expenses and increases the employee benefit plan by $179,802.
Second, there is an increase in revenues for services offered, from $1.5 million to $2 million. The monetary impact of this change is an increase of $164,000 to the employee benefit plan.
Thirdly, this is an increase for the employee benefits plan, as required by the Treasury Board Secretariat. This increase, from 15.3% to 16.4%, amounts to $969,687.
Overall, these adjustments have no impact on the PPS’s appropriations, which would remain at $106 million. It is the PPS’s intention not to seek additional funding, while maintaining a level of security service essential to the entire parliamentary community.
Mr. Speaker, this concludes the overview of the 2026–27 main estimates for the House of Commons and the Parliamentary Protective Service. We would be happy to answer your questions.
