Debates of June 8th, 1999

John Williams St. Albert, AB

Mr. Chairman, far from the reservations expressed earlier by the Speaker regarding the title, could the President of the Treasury Board please confirm that this bill is in its usual form and explain the specific changes relating to the long title of the bill and schedule 2 of the bill.

Marcel Massé President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Chairman, the form of this bill is essentially the same as that passed in previous years.

John Williams St. Albert, AB

Mr. Chairman, I did ask the President of the Treasury Board to explain the specific changes relating to the long title of the bill and to schedule 2 of the bill.

Marcel Massé Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Chairman, an additional schedule has been added to this appropriation bill. Schedule 2 contains Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada Agency which is the first agency to be granted multi-year appropriation authority. This was provided for in the Parks Canada Agency Act, Statutes of Canada for 1998, chapter 31, subsection 19(2) which states:

The unexpended balance of money referred to in subsection 1 appropriated by any act of parliament for the purpose of making operational expenditures of the agency lapses at the end of the fiscal year following the year in which the money was originally appropriated or at the end of any longer period that may be specified in the act.

Pursuant to this provision, the authority provided through the program expenditure vote for the Parks Canada Agency will not lapse until March 31, 2001.