Finance Committee on May 17th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Are there any other questions on this division?

Okay. I want to thank our officials for being here tonight. If there is anything further, please submit it to the clerk of the committee and we will ensure that all members of the committee get it.

Colleagues, I wonder if I could suspend for a few minutes and if I could talk just very briefly to Ms. Glover, Ms. McLeod, Ms. Nash, and Mr. Brison.

We'll suspend for about five minutes.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I call this committee back to order. We are going to do as much as we can tonight. We have a little less than an hour and a half.

We are moving to division 25, Salaries Act. We have officials here from PCO.

I welcome you to our committee and I will ask you to give a brief overview of this section. We will have questions from members after that.

We look forward to your remarks.

[Eileen Boyd, Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel, Privy Council Office]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Clause 468 of the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act will repeal section 1.1 of the Salaries Act, which provides for the establishment of the Public Appointments Commission, including its mandate and appointment provisions for the commissioners.

In 2006, authority to constitute the Public Appointments Commission was added to the Federal Accountability Act to take action on the commitment made by the government to increase the rigour and transparency of the Governor in Council appointments process.

Over the past five years, the government has significantly improved the rigour and transparency of the Governor in Council appointments process, particularly with respect to full-time and leadership positions. Dissolution of the commission and its secretariat would generate savings of approximately $1.1 million under the fiscal framework during this period of fiscal restraint.

Given the progress the government has made in improving and strengthening the appointments system, it was determined that a separate body to review appointment processes was not the best use of public funds at a time when savings are being sought across the public sector.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much for your presentation.

We'll have questions from members.

We will begin with Mr. Caron.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

The secretariat had a specific role to play. For various reasons, however, it was never able to carry out its mandate. We could probably spend a lot of time discussing the subject, but I do not wish to do so.

In the secretariat's absence, how will the Governor in Council be able to make these appointments while achieving the objectives that the secretariat would have achieved? You mentioned transparency and a process that would lead to accountability and transparency.

[Eileen Boyd]

Thank you.

With respect to the appointment processes, I should first state that the Public Appointments Commission would not have made appointments. In fact the Governor in Council would have continued and continues to make the appointments we are talking about.

Over the past number of years the government has undertaken a number of measures to strengthen the appointment process. A couple of examples I can provide are that since 2006 we have a dedicated website where leadership positions and full-time positions are publicly advertised. We undertake recruitment and selection processes for these leadership and full-time positions. The government has increased the transparency of the appointment system using this dedicated website. It has also enhanced training and orientation for appointees. We have also provided strength and support, which the Privy Council Office does provide in making Governor in Council appointments.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Are there any aspects that would have been included in the secretariat's operation that can still be used and others that will be lost? I am thinking more particularly of the transparency of the process used in appointing individuals.

[Eileen Boyd]

With respect to the elimination of the Public Appointments Commission and the closure of the secretariat that had been established to support an eventual commission, this will not have an impact on the government's commitment to make qualified appointments that are following rigorous, open, and competency-based selection processes. So a lot of the improvements that the commission would have made if it had been established have already been made. For example, as I mentioned, the leadership and full-time positions are publicly advertised. We have selection criteria that are identified. It's a competency-based process and we have a fairly rigorous process that we put in place.

Another example is for part-time positions. For example, on crown corporation boards there have been profiles developed for each organization that help ministers and officials determine what the skill sets are that are required by that board. These board profiles are posted on the public website. So when a vacancy comes up the board profile would identify what skills are needed in order to strengthen the board and the governance by the board, and these are the profiles that are used now in order to identify what appropriate potential candidates the minister should be recommending to the Governor in Council.

Overall, I would say that there's certainly a lot more rigour and a lot more transparency in the appointments process, which is what the commission was originally established to achieve. So the government, in determining savings as part of this budget, determined that given the improvements and the savings that could be achieved, the elimination of the commission was appropriate at this time.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

You have one minute left.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

I'm going to let Mr. Mai continue.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

You can take this or you could have another round.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

We have some figures here. This is interesting. We will save $1,084,400 a year. How many jobs will be eliminated by shutting down the commission, the role of which is to see that government is more transparent and rigorous?

[Eileen Boyd]

With respect to the Public Appointments Commission, in fact since June 2011 the secretariat itself has not been operational. So as a result there are no actual employees of the commission. So in answer to your question, there are no individuals who are actually losing their jobs.

Do you want to know the number of positions?

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Yes.

[Eileen Boyd]

According to the budget, there are approximately four people for the secretariat.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Are there any other questions?

No? Okay. Thank you.

I want to thank you for coming in tonight. We appreciate your time and your presentation to our committee.

[Eileen Boyd]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We will quickly move to division 26, which is the Seeds Act. It's on page 323 of the budget bill.

I want to welcome you to the committee tonight and ask you to make a brief overview of the amendments that are in the bill.

[Neil Bouwer, Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm here today to describe the amendments to the Seeds Act proposed in Bill C-38, the Act to implement the budget.

First, I would like to say that these amendments will in no way reduce the effectiveness of Canada's food safety assurance system.

In general, the amendments would provide the legal authority to license private persons to carry out seed crop inspections in support of Canada's seed certification program. The amendments would also provide the legal authority for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency oversight of these persons. This would apply only to non-safety aspects of inspection. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will not use private persons to fulfill any of its safety-related functions.

I'm prepared to go through clause by clause, if you wish, Mr. Chair, or, as has been the practice, I can just pause there and take questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I think members would appreciate that practice.

We'll begin with Monsieur Caron.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Thank you very much.

In fact, Mr. Bouwer, you say there is no impact. What are the costs and benefits of transferring inspection to the private sector? Ultimately, what savings does the government expect to make with this decision?

[Neil Bouwer]

This initiative is $700,000 per year. It's a relatively small initiative.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Where are you going to save $700,000? Is it by transferring positions that are currently in the public sector to a private inspection business?

[Neil Bouwer]

The savings will result from the agency's having the flexibility to look at alternate arrangements with other providers that will be able to carry out the function. The savings that we foresee will be handled through attrition and other measures over time. We are taking the next while to further develop the proposal in its specifics. In general, we see this as a more effective way to deliver the program while maintaining the regulatory oversight role that CFIA provides.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

That doesn't entirely answer my question. I asked you whether the anticipated saving of $700,000 comes from transferring activities from the public sector to the private sector.