Fisheries Committee on May 5th, 2010

[Michael Gardiner]

With respect to the safety and planning for any contingencies around offshore oil platforms, they are with the National Energy Board and Natural Resources Canada in the first instance.

The coast guard maintains the capability to respond to ship-source oil pollution, and of course, in any urgency like that seen in the Gulf, we would stand by to put forward all the resources of the coast guard to help the lead agency to mitigate. But the planning and response for offshore oil platforms in Canada are with the National Energy Board in the first instance.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

That is not what I am asking about. You are in charge of a Department whose responsibilities include conserving the resource. An oil spill affects the resource. I am wondering how the Department is preparing for this kind of eventuality.

[David Bevan]

It is a possibility, from the government's standpoint, obviously. If a problem occurs in future, we will do what has to be done to resolve it. As for the Irving Whale, it was refloated and is no longer there; we took action to avoid there being health problems for consumers. We had to close off a small part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

We have to work with the other departments to deal with the problems and take action at the appropriate time. I cannot tell you what will happen in future, with respect to an industry that does not currently exist.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

What you are saying is that the Department may react. It will react, but it will not act.

Personally, I am not asking you to react. I am asking you to act. There is a difference.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Monsieur Blais.

Mr. Donnelly.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I apologize for being late. I understand that my colleague was here for the first round of questioning, and he may have to jump in if he's already asked these questions.

In terms of the overall department, I'm wondering if you could quickly give me the percentage of the budget that will be spent in the Pacific region, what the actual dollar amount will be, and how many FTEs that will be.

Finally, based on Minister Day's recent announcement in terms of the 5% reduction, where will this be realized in the department and where will the cuts come?

[Roch Huppé]

Basically, the funding allocated to the Pacific region as per the 2010-11 main estimates is $266 million. I don't have the details on the number of FTEs at this point.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you.

Can you just tell me what percentage that is of the overall budget?

[Roch Huppé]

Yes, I have that on another page. Actually, we went through that presentation. From a personnel perspective, I can tell you from a Pacific perspective that out of the $266 million, $179 million is affected to personnel costs--for example, salaries. Percentage-wise, we're talking about 13.5% of the overall budget.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you.

Could you forward the FTE numbers at a later date?

[Roch Huppé]

Sure.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

In terms of the cuts, do you have any information?

[David Bevan]

There's a process in place right now in which we're looking at proposals to take through a process; we need to have material going to Treasury Board on June 10. After that, there will be discussions and decisions taken by the government as to which proposals they wish to proceed with, etc. We will not have those cuts identified until budget 2011.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you.

In terms of the wild salmon policy, what funding is allocated for ensuring the implementation of the wild salmon policy?

[David Bevan]

The policy is first approved and put in place. There was funding provided. I'll have to provide that to you in writing, as I can't recall the exact amount, and we'll have to look at whether that funding has been continued in this year's budget.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Great. Thanks.

In terms of the funding for watershed stewardship, how would you describe the funding for that? Has it increased or decreased, especially in the Pacific region?

[David Bevan]

Again, we'll have to get back to you with the details. There has been money set aside for groups in the Fraser River. That has not changed and is still there, but I think your question needs a more specific response.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I'm not sure if my colleague asked a question on the coast guard.

[A voice]

Yes.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

He did? Okay. I'll move on to looking at science.

I'm wondering why there's no capital investment earmarked this year with regard to the program for healthy and productive aquatic ecosystems or, if there is an allocation for scientific research, it's somewhere else.

[Roch Huppé]

[Inaudible--Editor]...capital funding earmarked for that purpose, actually.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I'm just looking at last year's numbers and wondering if they're the same. I'm looking at the allocation for scientific research. Maybe you could enlighten the committee as to what the amount was last year and if it's the same this year or if there's an increase or reduction.

[Roch Huppé]

On the research aspects?

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Yes, for scientific research in general for the department.

[Roch Huppé]

For science-based activities, what we have as part of these numbers is basically about the same thing. All science activities relating on that basis are close; if you take a look at the main estimates, you'll see that our numbers are within a couple of million dollars.

To come back to your potential capital number, there's no actual capital from a science perspective, but there are investments in ships, for example, for science equipment. That forms part of the capital expenditures under, for example, the funding that goes into building the ships.