National Defence Committee on March 21st, 2011

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

The human smuggling piece is an area that goes across a number of government departments, including Immigration. We work with other countries to try to predict where migrants may be coming from and what efforts may be made. We saw this recently with the Sun Sea , which showed up on the west coast of Canada. We're trying to ensure that we're covering the operating and the maintenance budget of all these government departments. This includes the efforts that we make to gather information on where these illegal migrants are coming from, with a view to addressing the situation at its source.

So the money allocated here was for information gathering. You can appreciate the sensitivity of the process that we go about in gathering this information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Thank you very much.

It is now over to Mr. Bachand.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Vote 1c has to do with transferring funds, mainly from transport and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The amount in question is $482,000. My question has to do with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Is it for the Halifax International Security Forum?

There is also another $60,830 for the environment vote. Can you tell me which programs will be affected?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

To answer your first question....

First of all, the funds for ACOA are indeed intended for the Halifax International Security Forum. A significant portion will go to promotion and advertising for the forum. So the funds will not be used this year.

That money therefore came back to the Department of National Defence. It was in fact a refund. As a result, there is a budget from both ACOA and the Department of National Defence that is used for this particular forum. That came from ACOA. That's why it might appear unusual that we would see money coming back from a source like ACOA, but it was used for the advertising, the promoting, and some of the literature that came out of that security forum in Halifax.

The second amount you're referring to—if you'll just give me a moment—I believe this $60,830 is again the reference to the Environment Canada piece that came back for the specific gathering of weather information in remote stations. That amount lapsed. It wasn't used out of the $8.1 million for new projects in this fiscal year. That amount then comes back to the Department of National Defence in the form of unused funds.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Did you give an answer regarding the $482,800 from the transport vote?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

The $475,000 amount?

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Yes. The $482,800 for transport.

Did you answer that?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Similarly, it was money that was transferred from Transport Canada. It came back. It was money that was used for public safety initiatives under Transport Canada, and it relates to the unused funds for marine security operation centres, that $482,000. It was returned because Transport Canada was unable to staff several positions at the coastal marine security operations centre in this fiscal year, and there was a surplus of funds then for those unfilled positions, if you will. It's about 10% of what Transport Canada receives, a $4.4 million allotment specific to that marine security operations centre.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Great. Thank you very much, Mr. Bachand.

Now, if I have the committee members' permission, I will put Supplementary Estimates (C) 2010-2011 to a vote.

Shall item 1c carry?

NATIONAL DEFENCE

Department

Item 1c--To authorize the transfer of $482,800 from Transport Vote 1, $327,685 from Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Vote 5 and $60,830 from Environment Vote 1............$1

(Item 1c agreed to)

Shall item 5c carry?

NATIONAL DEFENCE

Department

Vote 5c--Capital expenditures to authorize the transfer of $136,692 from Environment Vote 5.................$1

(Vote 5c agreed to)

Shall I report the supplementary estimates (C) for 2010-2011 to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Thank you very much. What we're going to do right now is suspend for two minutes and come back in an in camera meeting.

[Proceedings continue in camera]