Ministers have offices on Parliament Hill, as well as constituency offices
that are both administered under the House of Commons guidelines and budgets and
are completely separate from departmental headquarters offices and ministers'
regional offices; these are outlined below.
The entitlements related to being a member of Parliament are explained in
detail in the Members' Allowances and Services Manual published by the
House of Commons, and questions related to these entitlements should be referred
to the Comptroller's Office, House of Commons.
Office requirements of the minister in the department's headquarters are
normally accommodated within the space allocated to the department. The
minister's requirements are normally co-ordinated by the deputy minister.
Public Works and Government Services Canada, in consultation with the
departmental facilities management group, is responsible for initial fit-up of
this space based on the functional and operational requirements and applicable
cost guidelines. Changes to existing offices (during a minister's tenure or on
appointment of a new minister) are funded by the department.
Ministers' regional offices have been established for the use of all local
and visiting ministers and their officials in conducting government business in
regions. These offices are not intended to duplicate the functions of the
constituency offices and other support provided by the House of Commons.
Public Works and Government Services Canada is responsible for the
establishment and operation of ministers' regional offices, including common
operating costs, construction, rent, fit-up, parking, etc.
There are ministers' regional offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary,
Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montréal, Quebec City, Halifax, Moncton, and St.
John's. Therefore, the establishment of an individual ministerial office outside
the headquarters area requires specific approval from the Treasury Board prior
to project initiation.
Ministers are responsible for funding the direct cost over and above the
common costs (such as added costs for regional exempt staff, resident exempt
staff, hospitality, additional services, and accommodation) of their use of the
MROs.
Office furniture and furnishings for a minister's personal office are not
subject to the Treasury Board policy. The furniture for the minister's private
secretary, which would generally be located within the minister's anteroom and
waiting area, is not subject to Treasury Board policy either. However, the
offices of ministers' staff located in premises occupied by the department are
subject to the Treasury Board Materiel Management Policy, which can be
found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/Pubs_pol/dcgpubs/MaterielManage/siglist_e.asp.
The Department of Public Works and Government Services Act gives the
minister of Public Works and Government Services the mandate to acquire materiel
for departments and thus the Act's provisions apply, regardless of who uses the
furniture and furnishings.
The department funds the acquisition of office furniture, fixtures and
equipment, and their operation and maintenance costs.
These offices are subject to the provisions of the Materiel Management Policy
governing of office furniture and furnishings. As a rule, all furniture and
furnishings purchases are considered overhead or common costs.
The Treasury Board Materiel Management Policy applies to general
office equipment and supplies for ministers' departmental offices. Letterhead
and stationery is covered by the Federal Identity Program.
Ministers' staff should refer to the House of Commons Members' Allowance
and Services Manual, which outlines in detail the equipment standards and
services required to facilitate House of Commons operations.
The Federal Identity Program (FIP) is the Government of Canada's corporate
identity program. The government has an obligation to make evident to Canadians,
wherever they reside, how their taxes are used to provide programs, services,
and infrastructure. The government must project a consistent and coherent
presence and identity to ensure that Canadians recognize, at a glance, their
government at work for them. The Secretariat's FIP establishes standards and
requirements for managing the government's corporate identity. In 1998, Treasury
Board ministers established nine additional FIP requirements aimed at
strengthening the presence and visibility of the Government of Canada in all of
its activities.
Each institution is responsible for managing its own corporate identity, in
compliance with the FIP policy, and related Treasury Board decisions. This
information and the FIP design standards are available at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/sipubs/tb_fip/fip-pcim2_e.asp.
Ministers are required to write to the president of the Treasury Board on all
matters related to establishing titles of institutions. Institutions must adopt
an approved title (referred to as the "applied title") for their
corporate signature and use this title consistently when identifying the
institution, except when there is a specific requirement for the legal title.
Ministers must also write to the president regarding government-wide use of
special symbols, decisions on FIP symbols (flag symbol or Coat of Arms) in
corporate signatures, and for exemptions from the FIP policy.
The design of stationery for the offices of ministers is subject to FIP
policy and design standards. The present design consists of a 40 per cent
screened black Coat of Arms, black text, and a black "Canada" wordmark
with a red flag printed on white, recycled permanent paper. Further information
is available at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fip-pcim/man_2_1_e.asp.
Institutions must use the standard news release form and information kit
folder. The Government of Canada's "no-frills" publishing guidelines
call for streamlined government publishing and a common look for various
communications products. The "no-frills" guidelines are available at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/ciopubs/TB_CP/nofrills1_e.asp.
Order in Council P.C. 1963-27/1260 entitles ministers and either their chiefs
of staff or their private secretaries to a private telephone paid for by public
funds, given that these persons deal with government business beyond normal
working hours. Ministers exercise this privilege in any one of the following
locations: their constituency residence, their country residence, or their
National Capital Region residence. Chiefs of staff or private secretaries may
have a telephone installed in either their National Capital Region residence or
their country residence.
Ministers also receive codes giving them access to the government's
cross-country telephone facilities from anywhere in Canada. Only the person
assigned the code is authorized to use it or should know what it is.
Special-purpose equipment may be available from the department to meet
operational requirements, if the need for it can be justified and documented.
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