Evidence of meeting #20 for COVID-19 Pandemic in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
When will the government give the Auditor General the funds she needs to do her job?
Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
First, Mr. Chair, I would like to offer my congratulations to the new Auditor General for her appointment.
On behalf of the government, I would also like to offer her our full support and collaboration—
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
I share the minister's wish to congratulate the new Auditor General on her position. I will now ask him again when he will give her the funds she needs to do her job.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Chair, her role is essential to our democracy. We are eager to work with her. She's more than welcome to share her concerns directly with the government. I can assure her that my—
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Mr. Chair, I didn't ask him if he would like to work with the Auditor General. I asked him if he will give the Auditor General the money she needs to do her job.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Chair, our government has added 38 permanent staff positions to her office, while the Conservative government, under their leadership, cut the funding for more than 60—
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Mr. Chair, through you, I caution the minister to not mislead this House. If he will look at the committee transcripts of the time, he will know that it was the Auditor General's decision to reduce their own budget. The Conservatives did not cut positions. That is a matter of fact.
The point is that the Auditor General now does not have the money to do her job. She has cut performance audits and she has stopped work on performance audits. When will this government give the Auditor General the money she needs to do her job?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
With us, it was 38 new positions, Mr. Chair. With them, it was 60 positions fewer.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Mr. Chair, this government has drastically expanded its spending and is avoiding accountability in every way it can.
The finance committee yesterday, with the support of Liberal backbench MPs who are on that committee, unanimously passed a motion to fund the Auditor General in full so that her office can do her job. If this minister will not listen to me, will he at least listen to his own backbenchers?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Chair, our government is fully committed to supporting the important and ongoing work of the Auditor General, an independent officer of Parliament. If the Auditor General identifies the need for additional resources, we will work with the Office of the Auditor General to ensure that they have all the resources they need to continue fulfilling their mandate efficiently and effectively.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Mr. Chair, the Auditor General has consistently, since 2018, told this government that the office doesn't have enough funds. It's not a mystery. The Auditor General has told the public accounts committee that it cannot do its job. It's the first time in history that the Auditor General has had to tell public accounts that they don't have the resources to do their job.
It's not a matter of “if” the Auditor General needs more funds. The Auditor General couldn't be more clear. When will this government actually do the right thing and fully fund the Office of the Auditor General?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Chair, maybe I'm not making myself clear in English. I will switch to my native tongue, French, in case it becomes clearer.
If the Auditor General identifies a need for additional resources, we will work with her to ensure that her office can continue to deliver its mandate efficiently and effectively.
In addition, our government worked with the Auditor General to increase funding in 2018-09. With this increase, the office was able to add the equivalent of 38 new full-time staff to its team. That's 38 more employees—
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Mr. Chair, this isn't an “if” situation. The Auditor General has already told this government that her office does not have funds. This has been ongoing since 2018.
I would ask the minister to please stop with the platitudes and actually just say yes or no. Will the government give the Auditor General the money that the Auditor General has already asked for?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Chair, we have already increased the budget of the Office of the Auditor General in the 2018-19 period.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota
Before we continue, we're going to suspend for a second to bring in the next chair.
Liberal
The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès (Brossard—Saint-Lambert, Lib.)) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
There's a point of order.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Madam Chair, I know that no member would knowingly mislead the House. No member wants to do that. It's always customary to give members a chance to correct the record, so I call upon the minister to do so now, and perhaps even the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister misled the House in his response to a question. I have here the transcripts of the public accounts committee, and they will confirm that the—
Liberal
The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
This is beginning to sound a bit like debate. We will proceed.
Mr. Ste-Marie, you have the floor.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
First, I would like to take this opportunity to say hi from Portugal. I would also like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with my colleague and friend, the member for Lac-Saint-Jean. Obrigado.
While Quebec estimates its additional health care costs related to COVID-19 at $3 billion, Ottawa is transferring around $115 million, which is not even 4%.
Does the government recognize that this is clearly insufficient?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, as the member opposite knows, we invested an initial $500 million in transfers to the provinces and territories to manage the extreme pressure put on health care systems as a result of their supporting people living with COVID and in preventing COVID.
We want to thank the provinces and territories for their work, and as the member opposite knows, we will continue to be there for the provinces and territories. This is a significant transfer, and we think—
Liberal
The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
Mr. Ste-Marie, you have the floor.