Public Accounts Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2011

Evidence of meeting #12 for Public Accounts in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was projects.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

He's been complaining all along that I haven't been speaking—

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus Timmins—James Bay, ON

I'm just asking, where is it?

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

—and now he's interrupting me.

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus Timmins—James Bay, ON

Where is it?

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

This is very difficult—

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus Timmins—James Bay, ON

Where is it?

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

—for me to answer, if you keep talking over my answer, sir. So—

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus Timmins—James Bay, ON

Well, do you have it?

3:55 p.m.

NDP

The Chair David Christopherson

You have the floor. Answer the question, Minister.

Go ahead.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Thank you, Chair.

Again, the trail is very clear. The municipalities prioritized the projects. They delivered those prioritized projects to the constituency office, who then in turn, without additional review or alteration, transmitted them ultimately to the Department of Transport and Infrastructure Canada, where the responsible minister would make the decision.

All of that documentation on those 33 was, as I understand it, shared with the Auditor General. I would like to make that point clear.

3:55 p.m.

NDP

The Chair David Christopherson

Thank you.

I'm sorry; time has expired.

Mr. Kramp, you have the floor.

November 2nd, 2011 / 3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Daryl Kramp Prince Edward—Hastings, ON

Thank you, Chair.

I certainly welcome our guests here today.

First, to Madam Baltacioglu, Minister Baird has been very clear in his statement today and all through this last period of time. He's made the point that he approved the projects on the infrastructure on the recommendation of Minister Clement. He approved on the recommendation of Minister Clement.

From your perspective, is that how the professional civil service understood this process?

3:55 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Transport

Yaprak Baltacioglu

Those words do matter in the selection process. Minister Clement, as he outlined in his opening remarks, working with the local communities and the leadership, identified priority projects for funding consideration. These identified priority projects were given to Infrastructure Canada. Infrastructure Canada did an assessment of these projects against the terms and conditions of the program, and we did provide advice to Minister Baird for his approval of the 32 projects and also for him to sign the contribution agreements. Minister Baird signed the contribution agreements and any other documentation that's required, as the minister legally responsible for the fund.

Minister Clement, as the recommending minister, has also signed documents, but his involvement from our perspective was symbolic. In our view, these things were approved according to the procedures.

Following that, the documents were sent to the various proponents, and they signed. Following that, the involvement of the ministers ended there, and we ended up administering the program. We communicated with the proponents in terms of their bills and how to pay them, etc.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Daryl Kramp Prince Edward—Hastings, ON

Thanks. It's obviously very clear that this was a documented process, and it's interesting that unfortunately the official opposition would misrepresent that reality.

Actually, Mr. Angus made a very good point--

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

John Baird Ottawa West—Nepean, ON

Could I just interrupt?