Information Technology

Information technology (IT) represents a vital link between Parliamentarians and a range of services and information. IT supports Members directly, by providing them with increasingly sophisticated computer-based tools, as well as indirectly, as virtually every service in the House is increasingly dependent on information technology. In fact, IT has become a utility, as important to the functioning of the House as heating, plumbing and electrical systems — enabling Parliamentarians to carry out their work in all four lines of business.

Over the past five years, the House of Commons has made major investments in IT, with over 5% of the total budget of the House devoted to improving and upgrading some key elements. The Precinct-wide, integrated planning for IT adopted over the last two years is essential for the ongoing upgrading of constantly evolving technologies, while minimizing the physical and visual intrusion to the heritage fabric of the Precinct.

The renovation and development of the Parliamentary Precinct provides a vital opportunity to maximize the significant investment made in information technology to date, building the foundation required by the Precinct for the next 100 years. To ensure that Members have access to IT services, infrastructure must be provided and maintained Precinct-wide. Renovation of the Justice Building will see the implementation of the IT standards already approved — providing a model for all other buildings in the Precinct. Equally important is the requirement to upgrade and expand specific systems that support other essential services including security and television services.

Background

The roots of Information Technology go much further back than the relatively recent appearance of computers within the Precinct. A number of IT "firsts" originated within the Parliamentary Precinct.

• In 1867 … Electric (battery-powered) call bells were installed in the original Centre Block with separate systems to serve the Senate and House of Commons — systems eventually extended to the East and West Blocks.⁸³
   
• In 1877 … Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie made the first commercial telephone call in Canada from room 310 West Block to the Governor General’s residence — one year after the telephone’s invention.

• In 1927 … The first ever Nation-wide radio broadcast originated on Parliament Hill, in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation and dedication of the Peace Tower and Carillon.⁸⁴
   
• In 1928 … The first Trans-Atlantic telephone call was made from the Centre Block to Cardiff, Wales. The Hon. James Malcolm, Minister of Trade and Commerce presented a speech to the British Empire Exhibition 3,500 miles away.
   
• In 1957 … The opening of Parliament by the Queen was not only the first time a reigning monarch in Canada had opened Parliament, it was also the first time that the entire opening ceremonies were broadcast, and the first time the Queen had used live television to address any of her subjects in any country of the Commonwealth.
   
• In 1959 … Simultaneous translation (interpretation) was introduced to the floor of the House of Commons and the press gallery — six years later, the service was provided in the public gallery.⁸⁵
   
• In 1977 … Regular TV and radio broadcasts from the House of Commons Chamber began.

Recent IT history

The modern concept of Information Technology within the House of Commons began to take shape in the late 1970s. The special House committee on TV and Radio Broadcasting of the House and its Committees had already addressed technical issues regarding the electronic capture and distribution of House and Committee proceedings to the Canadian public and now focused their attention on distributing this information to Members located within the Precinct.⁸⁶

At the same time, electronic data processing support groups began to form in several areas within the House. As isolated, unlinked pockets of support, these groups were primarily devoted to the production of printed documents (for the Legislative Services Directorate) and information retrieval (for the Law Branch). Most of the computational work was carried out off-site on computers owned and maintained by other government and non-government entities. By the early 1980s, the House of Commons’ Computer Systems Branch had adopted "stand alone word processors," which were perceived to be "the best immediate alternative to meet Members’ needs." ⁸⁷

These early trials with information technology led to the establishment of the first IT infrastructure for the House of Commons, and ultimately, for the Parliamentary Precinct. Called OASIS (Office Automation Services and Information System), this network was intended to fill the dual roles of distributing radio and television programming — both commercial and institutional — and, to a more limited extent, to support the distribution of computer data throughout the Precinct. The Senate and Library of Parliament were soon connected to the network for access to radio and television channels. Each institution, however, used separate data channels for at least another decade. It was not until 1996 that all three institutions shared the network for data distribution purposes.⁸⁸

By the early 1990s, the full impact of the technology shifts of the last two decades had made a major impact on the use of physical space within the Precinct. Document creation for Members, previously achieved through large secretarial pools, became the domain of Members’ personal staff.⁸⁹ Document storage presented a constant challenge — there was an ongoing search for technology to relieve the strain.⁹⁰ In fact, the whole IT function was coming under heavy criticism, with two consecutive Auditor General reports calling for the development of long-term IT plans, as well as for integration of communications equipment across the Precinct.⁹¹

Current and Future Situation

Today’s IT services are vastly different from those criticized in the early 1990s. A major restructuring of IT services in 1993/94 resulted in some fundamental shifts in direction — changes that permitted the development of Precinct-wide services with significantly improved capacity in several areas. The key changes included:

• A major, continuous investment in IT infrastructure and services — in fact, since 1993/94, annual investment has been in the order of 5%-7% of the total budget of the House.

• Consolidation of IT support groups under a single directorate that better facilitated the coordination of development efforts and sharing of knowledge.

• Migration toward a standardized IT environment to ensure consistency, compatibility, connectability and security of the myriad computers and software applications required to support Members in their four lines of business.⁹²

• Creation of Information Technology Blueprints (1995 and 1998), and the setting out of longer-term plans for system and service development.

• Agreements between the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons for the House to provide network services for all three Parliamentary institutions.

• Development of an IT "charter" — an agreement between the Senate, House of Commons, Library of Parliament and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) aimed at building a Precinct-wide IT network environment — as an integral part of the long-term renovation of the Precinct to ensure that infrastructure is designed to protect the heritage character of both the buildings and site.

There was strong agreement across all institutions that the House of Commons Information Services Directorate would serve as the coordinating body for these major Precinct-wide initiatives.

One result of this major investment is that Parliamentarians are now equipped as small "business centres," with tools to access and transfer information and data with speed not imagined a decade ago. At the same time, developments provided political parties with the strong trust they needed to use the technology to support their identities as caucuses. Their support is reflected in the continuous allocation of funds to build and develop the infrastructure and equipment.

Efforts have also been recognized independently — the 1997 Audit of Informatics lauded both the "strategic investment"as well as its results.

At the crossroads

In terms of Information Technology, the House is truly at a crossroads. With 200 newly elected Members in 1993, and 100 in 1997, the clients of House IT services are increasingly computer literate. Their expectations are higher and different than those of past Members. Interest and discussion about taking advantage of a wide range of internal and external electronic services — including such services as video over the Internet, electronic voting and video conferencing — are widespread and will only continue to grow. In turn, these services will put increasing pressure on the infrastructure. As the backbone of IT, this infrastructure will need continuous development to provide the needed flexibility to accommodate changing technologies.

Up to now, IT efforts have been devoted to developing a solid network foundation and equipping Members with the tools to access and process data and information. As well, a range of new services now available to Members has changed the way they do their work. Remote access from constituency offices, I-net services, and electronic access to the resources of the Library of Parliament and the Senate, aid Members as they perform their Parliamentary duties.

Some parallel systems — including elements of security, television services, and the electronic notification system that calls Members to vote — are based on 20-year-old technology and must be brought up to current standards and converged with other systems to meet future demands.

The required route is clear — maintain the infrastructure and build on the enormous investment to date, by developing systems that will continuously improve service to Members and meet their evolving needs. Integration must also be achieved in a way that minimizes impact on the heritage fabric of the Precinct. Flexibility must be the hallmark of all future IT developments.

Requirements

In order to ensure that Members, in all lines of business, in all buildings in the Precinct have access to the same high-quality services, the following requirements should be addressed:

• Design and equip the Justice Building (to house Members’ offices) with the data networks and parallel systems that meet IT standards already established for the Precinct, but not yet implemented fully in any building. The Justice Building, when completed, will serve as an IT prototype for all buildings in the Precinct.⁹³
   
• Ensure that the same level of infrastructure flexibility and access to services — the standards achieved in the Justice Building — are provided in every building and work environment of Members in the Precinct, including provision of up-to-date presentation and multi-media services.
   
• Migrate parallel IT support systems for security, television, telephone and electronic notification systems to the new infrastructure.
   
• Establish and locate appropriate IT pathways, interfaces, tools and services (including media support for such events as budget night) to support the full range of special events held in the Precinct, and to respond to the special needs of Members and visitors (including visual and hearing impairments).

National Archives PA191923

W.L. McKenzie King at the microphone, 1927.




 

National Archives PA188947

First Trans-Atlantic telephone call, 1928.












House of Commons Collections

Microphones suspended from the Chamber ceiling, late 1970s.

National Archives PA110832

An early broadcast of a committee in the Railway committee room in the Centre Block.

Clearly, the investment in IT has paid off — in fact, it was a key strategic business decision by the House’s Board of Internal Economy — cutting across party lines to build a solid foundation for the benefit of Members for decades to come.