Evidence of meeting #37 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Am I out of time? I think I trust our clerk more than I trust my colleagues.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Specifically, the defence procurement strategy.... First, let me say how much I appreciate getting the performance reports at the same time as the estimates. This was one of the recommendations made by the comprehensive study that this committee did on our treatment and study of the estimates. It's very helpful for us in following the dollars to be able to see the performance report. The performance report states that a new defence procurement strategy “represents the most fundamental shift in federal procurement in thirty years”, etc. They've put together an independent arm's-length Defence Analytics Institute. This is news to me, frankly, so I guess my question is, how much funding is allocated to the defence procurement strategy in 2013-14? Given the high-profile and controversial nature of the military procurement going on, how was this funding part of the overall defence procurement strategy?
Who would want to handle that?
November 27th, 2014 / 9:15 a.m.
Claire Caloren Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the question.
Indeed, as you outlined, the defence procurement strategy was announced in February 2014. Its three primary objectives are: delivering the right equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian coast guard; leveraging purchases of defence equipment to create jobs and economic growth in Canada; and streamlining the defence procurement process.
The defence procurement strategy itself represents, as you outlined, a new whole-of-government approach aimed at ensuring the timely delivery of equipment to our armed forces. The strategy itself is funded within existing departmental reference levels, so the various departments that are involved in delivering the strategy—of course the Department of National Defence, Industry Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the coast guard—are all leveraging existing reference levels.
An interim Defence Procurement Secretariat has been put in place at PWGSC, with a planned staffing complement of some 20 resources for this fiscal year. Again, this secretariat is funded currently through existing reference levels in the department.
Going forward, specific elements of the strategy, for example, the Defence Analytics Institute which you referred to, Mr. Martin, may require funding, and the resource requirements in the funding model for that institute will be determined once the government has made a decision on the mandate and structure of that institute.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us today.
At the outset, I just want to remind committee that the motion that was agreed to by all members was that the minister and/or officials appear on the supplementary estimates (B).
9:15 a.m.
An hon. member
Point of order.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
On a point of order, Chair, what happens behind closed doors in our in camera planning sessions is not to be released publicly, and also, it is wildly inaccurate. If we are going to spill out what we talked about at in camera meetings, we could at least be accurate, that we fought aggressively for the motion to say “the minister”, not “and/or” anybody he or she chooses to send.
For God's sake, get your story straight. If you're going to break committee confidence, you should be hauled up before the bar in front of the Speaker and condemned for it, but at least have the decency to be accurate.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
You're compounding the insult to this committee. First, the minister is not here, and now you're making up stories about what happened during in camera meetings, and we can't defend ourselves.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault
He is referring to the outcome of the in camera meeting, not the discussion that the committee had. The invitation was indeed—
9:15 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
He said all committee members agreed that it should be “and/or the minister”.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault
Let me finish. He is referring to the outcome of our meeting, not the discussion we had.
Is there another point of order?
9:15 a.m.
NDP
9:15 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
On a point of order, I'm not finished this point of order. Maybe we should go in camera and discuss with Mr. Butt what the rules are. Maybe we could get a briefing on the policy and rules about in camera confidentiality at committee hearings.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Yes, I move that the committee go in camera to discuss this further.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault
I heard your point of order, but you can't propose a motion on a point of order, as you know, Mr. Martin.
Mr. Butt, please continue.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'll continue with my questioning, which is really why we're here today. This is our role, as parliamentarians, to have the officials in and to go over the supplementary estimates to make sure that we understand exactly how taxpayers' money is being spent, so instead of filibustering my time, I will actually do my role as a parliamentarian, which is to ask these questions and not filibuster during my five minutes.
I'd like to ask Shared Services Canada to give me some more detail—
9:20 a.m.
NDP
