Public Accounts Committee on Dec. 4th, 2012

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Sorry, it's January 30. You're listening better than I am. Okay?

[Rubin Friedman]

Yes.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Mr. Byrne, is that okay?

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and if it would be possible for you to commit to the committee that we will not engage in any discussion or consideration of a draft report until we find that information—

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

I knew this was coming and that's why I was trying to work my way around this.

Let's go with the January 15 timeframe. I went with that because I can't imagine we will be looking at a draft report before then. If everything comes together, we won't need to go there. It takes us into a new policy area. It looks like an area that we're going to have to talk about, given other discussions. But for now, I don't think it's reasonable for the committee to shut down its own ability to study this and leave it open-ended as to when this information is coming. That's why I built in a reasonable length of time and a procedure for Mr. Friedman.

Now, if we get information from Mr. Friedman that suggests it may take longer, I will make sure the committee is seized of that to decide how they want to move forward and whether or not they're going to wait for it.

I don't expect those at the end of the table to understand what we're talking about. It's internal stuff related to other report writing.

The key thing for you, Mr. Friedman, is if you could get us that information by January 30 next year, you would be helping us a lot.

[Rubin Friedman]

That's fine. I just want to make sure I have the question formulated correctly. If you could send it to me in writing, it would be better.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Yes, we can send you the Hansard from this meeting, which will make it very clear what was sought. Between you, the clerk, and Mr. Byrne, we'll make it very clear as to what you need to provide and then hopefully you can provide that in a timely fashion.

Mr. Byrne.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Since it looks as though we may be examining the question in a very technical and precise way, I'd amend it by suggesting if any communication, as you have described it, that would have been forwarded from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to any representative of the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, not just the minister himself, regarding nomination or recommendation of individuals, members, to the board since 2008....

[Rubin Friedman]

Okay.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Does that work for you, sir? Are you clear?

I want to be clear again. I keep mucking up these dates and months.

The deadline is January 15, 2013, based on a stretched out 30 days.

[Rubin Friedman]

Yes, that's fine. Thank you.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

What is it now?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, North Vancouver, BC]

Let's say January 13, 2015.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Don't do this to me, Andrew. It's too close to the end of the session.

Mr. Byrne.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

For the benefit of the witness and for the benefit potentially of each and every one of us, this information would be conveyed as if it were privileged information and held within the context of communication to a parliamentary committee.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Yes, it's the usual procedure.

We're all good on that, then, folks. Very good.

We'll move along now to Mr. Shipley. You have the floor, sir.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Thank you, witnesses, for coming.

In the report regarding the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, with respect to the strategic planning process, paragraph 50 refers to the corporate objectives in the strategic plan and lists four items: clear objectives, activities to be delivered, staffing and resource requirements, and performance measures and targets.

The report states, “The Foundation's activities are mainly outreach and awareness activities, which are intended to contribute to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination.” With respect to systems and practices, the report states, “The progress of all the Foundation's activities is reported in detail at the Board's meetings....” It also states, “These reports provide management and the Board with enough information to monitor activities and make any necessary adjustments.”

In your presentation, Mr. Friedman, there's a lot about the activities that are going on and the risk management in terms of the foundation funding and the endowment that is there.

I wonder if you could help me a little bit in terms of where I would find more information about results analysis. Whenever there are seminars and round tables, all of us who are elected have these, and at the end of the day, we usually put together in one form or another the details of the results, how the objectives are going to be met, and the numbers.

In this case, I'm looking for more than the general comments about all the meetings and stuff. Rather, where, over the 15 years, are the charts showing the results, which would indicate what's been effective in different cultural areas and different areas across the country?

Maybe you could help me with that.

[Rubin Friedman]

I think we have evaluations of each of our activities. That surely exists. I know that because I just looked at one from the award of excellence dinner.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

What would that be, for example?

[Rubin Friedman]

Well, that would basically look at the success of the event itself: who it reached, how it reached, comments on how we could do better in the future, the impression of the people who participated, who they are going to take the information to, that kind of thing. That's the kind of evaluation we have.

If you're asking whether we have changed Canadian society, it's a little hard to do such an evaluation without looking at what else has gone on in the world over the last 15 years.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I'm not trying to put it in a box. Our intention is to contribute to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination. It leads me, then, maybe to...because I'm not getting that answer.

When I look at the mandate of the organization, it is fairly generic.

I'm wondering about your thoughts in terms of the mandate. Rather than being very generic about having a number of discussions around the country with different groups, do you think—in terms of speaking for the board, as you're the representative today—that maybe that mandate needs to be refocused a bit, and tightened up? Maybe it's because I don't have all the information here with the studies and where the actual result analyses are moving because you do talk a lot about being in partnership with other organizations, also.

[Rubin Friedman]

We are constantly focusing and refocusing our activities. I mentioned that, I think, already. We've already refocused our activities to things that we can do with the resources we have.

Does that mean we should change the mandate? That would be acting too soon because perhaps in the future we'll have more resources and maybe we wouldn't want to let drop aspects of the mandate simply because we can't realize those total objectives in exactly the same way now as we could 10 years ago because we had more resources.

I think the people who created the foundation had the intention that it maintain its vision and direction over a long period of time, and that yes, with time, our resources would expand and contract, and we would have to direct our attention to what we consider to be the greatest priorities. I guess that's what we're doing presently.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Thank you.

I'm going to try to get one more in. We were a few minutes late getting started, so we have a couple of minutes. We'll get one more in and then we'll conclude.

Madame Blanchette-Lamothe, you have the floor.

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I wish to thank the witnesses for being with us.

I represent a riding that is very rich in its cultural diversity. In my riding there are several major issues related to your mission, for example, children who cannot play on local soccer teams because they wear a turban. I think that your mission is very important and an interesting one, and I am very happy to welcome you to today’s meeting of the committee.

I have a question regarding the selection of members of the board. You mentioned more than once that the members of the board were appointed by the Governor in Council on the minister’s recommendation.

Could you give me your opinion on this? Could you tell me whether, in your opinion, there might be better ways of going about appointing members of the board? Do you feel this creates obstacles? I would like to hear your comments on this.

[Rubin Friedman]

As far as the appointment of members is concerned, I think this is the normal way of going about it, as is the case, if I am not wrong, with all crown corporations. Given that we are a crown corporation, this is the only way of doing it.

In fact, we have had the support of the minister in several cases concerning our work. So we follow the normal procedure that applies to any crown corporation with regard to recommendations and appointments.