ARCHIVED - 2008-09 - Main Estimates

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Parliament

The Senate
House of Commons
Library of Parliament
Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Senate Ethics Officer

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Ministry Summary

Vote	(thousands of dollars)	2008-2009	2007-2008	Difference
		Main Estimates	Main Estimates
	Parliament
	The Senate
1	Program expenditures	58,467	56,258	2,208
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	6,717	6,518	199
(S)	Officers and Members of the Senate - Salaries,
	allowances and other payments to the Speaker of the
	Senate, Members and other officers of the Senate
	under the Parliament of Canada Act ; contributions
	to the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances
	Account , and Members of Parliament Retirement
	Compensation Arrangements Account	25,048	24,254	794
	Total Agency	90,232	87,030	3,202
	House of Commons
5	Operating expenditures	269,001	263,640	5,361
10	Capital expenditures	8,093	. . . . .	8,093
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	34,944	35,047	(103)
(S)	Members of the House of Commons - Salaries and
	allowances of Officers and Members of the House
	of Commons under the Parliament of Canada Act
	and contributions to the Members of Parliament
	Retiring Allowances Account and the Members of
	Parliament Retirement Compensation Arrangements
	Account	113,014	111,844	1,170
	Total Agency	425,052	410,531	14,521
	Library of Parliament
15	Program expenditures	34,971	32,058	2,913
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	4,721	4,629	92
	Total Agency	39,692	36,687	3,005
	Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics
	Commissioner
20	Program expenditures	6,338	4,577	1,761
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	790	563	227
	Total Agency	7,128	5,140	1,988
	Senate Ethics Officer
25	Program expenditures	689	828	(138)
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	102	126	(24)
	Total Agency	791	954	(163)
Note: Details in the “Ministry Summary” and “Program by Activities” tables may not add to totals due to rounding.

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The Senate

Strategic Outcome

To enable the Senate to carry out its constitutional role and to administer the affairs of the Senate.

Program Activity Descriptions

Senators and their Offices

Provides Senators with the statutory services set out in the Parliament of Canada Act and the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act. Operating costs of Senators' offices are provided in accordance with established policies and guidelines. Costs included under these two categories are: Senators' sessional indemnities and allowances as well as contributions to the Senators' pension plan; retiring allowances; travel and communication expenses; Senators' research and office expenses, including staff costs and the cost of goods and services incurred for the operations of Senators' offices; and Caucus research funds.

Chamber Operations

Provide the support and services Senators require for their work in the Senate Chamber, which includes debate and approval of legislation, presentation of petitions, discussion of Committee reports and ceremonial events. These functions are carried out in accordance with the Rules of the Senate, parliamentary procedure and precedents and the Speaker's rulings. Costs included under this program activity are: salaries for additional duties of the Officers of the Senate; staff costs and the costs of operating the offices of Officers of the Senate; salaries and other operating expenses of the Clerk of the Senate, Deputy Clerk, Parliamentary Counsel and Usher of the Black Rod; journals, reporting of debates and publications service in both official languages; Senate Pages; and parliamentary exchanges.

Committees and Associations

Provide support for the work of Senators on standing, special and joint committees. Committees are delegated the task of conducting in-depth studies of bills and approving or amending legislation based on testimony from expert witnesses and advice and counsel from legal experts. They investigate policy matters and make recommendations as well as examine the Government's spending proposals. Senators also participate in parliamentary associations and friendship groups, representing Canada in international forums where issues of importance to Canadians are discussed. Costs included under this program activity are: committees and parliamentary associations; reporting of debates and publications service; and broadcasting committee proceedings

Administrative Support

Provide the on-going support services required for the effective, efficient and economical delivery of operating programs outlined under the other three program activities of the Senate. Administrative Support provides accommodation and other facilities and tools, information, goods and services, and expert advice on all aspects of operations. Costs included in this program activity are: financial services and materiel management; human resources; protective services; communications and information services; information technology management; accommodation planning, maintenance and upkeep of premises; postal, messenger and printing services; and repairs, trades and transportation services.

Program by Activities

(thousands of dollars)		2008-2009 Main Estimates				2007-2008
		Budgetary			Total	Main
	Operating	Capital	Grants	Contributions		Estimates
				and other
				transfer
				payments
Senators and their Offices	39,316	419	167	. . . . .	39,902	39,136
Administrative Support	29,853	2,065	. . . . .	. . . . .	31,918	30,291
Committees and Associations	11,753	. . . . .	. . . . .	380	12,133	11,493
Chamber Operations	6,279	. . . . .	. . . . .	. . . . .	6,279	6,110
	87,201	2,484	167	380	90,232	87,030
Transfer Payments
(dollars)				2008-2009	2007-2008
			Main Estimates		Main Estimates
Grants
(S) Pensions to retired Senators (R.S., 1985 c. M-5)				167,000		167,000
Total grants				167,000		167,000
Contributions
Contributions to Parliamentary Associations				380,000		289,600
Total contributions				380,000		289,600
Total				547,000		456,600

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House of Commons

Strategic Outcome

Effective administrative and professional support of Members, both individually and collectively, in their roles as legislators and representatives of 308 constituencies, in the Chamber, in committee and in Caucus.

Program Activity Descriptions

Members and House Officers

Members assume the roles of legislators and elected representatives of their constituency. In their constituencies, Members participate in events and activities and discuss with constituents about their concerns. In the Chamber, Members participate in debates, study and vote on legislation. Members sit on standing committees and special or joint committees, since the House of Commons delegates in-depth consideration of bills and the thorough scrutiny of the government's programs and policies to its committees. Members also participate in parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups, and are members of delegations in parliamentary exchanges. Finally, in caucus, Members develop strategy, discuss policy and examine important issues with fellow party members, and direct the work of party research offices. Some Members also assume additional functions such as: the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, House Leaders and Chief Whips.

House Administration

House employees are responsible for providing services to the Members elected during a Parliament, and in addition, serve the House as an institution on a permanent basis by providing: continuity from one Parliament to another; access to parliamentary records; and a stable infrastructure to support Members in the democratic process. Advice and support are provided in a wide variety of services such as: procedural, legislative, legal, information technology and management, building management, security, food, finance, human resources, health and safety. The staff of the House of Commons strives to support the institution and the members in their roles as legislators and representatives of 308 constituencies, in the Chamber, in committee and in Caucus.

Program by Activities
(thousands of dollars)		2008-2009 Main Estimates				2007-2008
		Budgetary			Total	Main
	Operating	Capital	Contributions	Less:		Estimates
			and other	Revenues
			transfer	credited
			payments	to the vote
Members and House Officers	247,797	4,562	. . . . .	. . . . .	252,359	248,822
House Administration	169,095	3,531	940	873	172,693	161,709
	416,892	8,093	940	873	425,052	410,531

Transfer Payments

(dollars)	2008-2009	2007-2008
	Main Estimates	Main Estimates
Other Transfer Payments
Payments to Parliamentary and Procedural Associations	940,055	904,623
Total	940,055	904,623

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Library of Parliament

Strategic Outcome

Parliamentarians make informed decisions on issues of concern to Canadians.

Program Activity Descriptions

Information, Research and Analysis

To provide parliamentarians with information, research and analysis services that will help them fulfil their roles as Members of one or other House, committees and parliamentary associations, and as the representatives of a region or riding. Information is also made available to authorized clients.

Strategic Outcome

Institutional memory of Parliament is preserved for future generations.

Program Activity Descriptions

Information Resource Management

To design, develop, maintain and promote a varied collection of sources of knowledge, thereby enabling parliamentarians and those who assist them in their work to obtain the information they need.

Strategic Outcome

Canadians gain a better understanding of Parliament.

Program Activity Descriptions

Public Outreach

To support parliamentarians in their efforts to make Parliament accessible to the public. To provide the public with information about Parliament.

Program by Activities
(thousands of dollars)		2008-2009 Main Estimates			2007-2008
		Budgetary		Total	Main
	Operating	Capital	Less:		Estimates
			Revenues
			credited
			to the vote
Information, Research and Analysis	24,406	450	. . . . .	24,856	21,908
Information Resource Management	10,890	225	. . . . .	11,115	11,209
Public Outreach	4,646	75	1,000	3,721	3,570
	39,942	750	1,000	39,692	36,687

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Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner

Strategic Outcome

The public can feel confident that public office holders and MPs are meeting the requirements of the conflict of interest compliance measures.

Program Activity Descriptions

Operations

This activity encompasses all the actions taken by Office employees to ensure MPs and public office holders comply with the planned measures. A compliance letter is issued when all the conditions are met. A public registry containing all the disclosure summaries by MPs and public office holders is available at the Office, and a certain portion is posted on our Web site. The operations of the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner benefit from the work that the Communication and Policy services do in fulfilling their mandate. The Commissioner is also required to report to Parliament annually on the Office's activities.

Inquiries

Inquiries are sometimes undertaken on the basis of allegations made by MPs or senators. The Commissioner may also initiate an investigation on his/her own authority if he/she deems it necessary based on the information available to him/her.

Program by Activities
(thousands of dollars)	2008-2009 Main Estimates			2007-2008
	Budgetary		Total	Main
	Operating	Capital		Estimates
Operations	6,001	50	6,051	3,628
Inquiries	1,077	. . . . .	1,077	. . . . .
Communications	. . . . .	. . . . .	. . . . .	809
Policy	. . . . .	. . . . .	. . . . .	703
	7,078	50	7,128	5,140

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Senate Ethics Officer

Strategic Outcome

Senators meet their obligations under the Conflict of Interest Code in a manner that contributes to the integrity of the Senate as an institution.

Program Activity Descriptions

Administration

The mandate of the Senate Ethics Officer is to administer and interpret the Code for Senators that sets out standards of conduct for Members of the Senate. The primary functions of the Senate Ethics Officer are:

• to provide confidential opinions and advice on any matter respecting Senators' obligations under the Code;
• to review confidential annual disclosure statements (listing sources of income, assets, liabilities, government contracts, financial and other interests), advise Senators on possible conflicts and compliance measures, and prepare public disclosure summaries;
• to conduct inquiries and investigations, if necessary, regarding compliance with the Code.

Program by Activities
(thousands of dollars)	2008-2009 Main Estimates			2007-2008
	Budgetary		Total	Main
	Operating	Capital		Estimates
Administration	791	. . . . .	791	954
	791	. . . . .	791	954

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