Evidence of meeting #21 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Yes. The budget is approximately $5,183,000.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Okay. Excellent.
According to the Treasury Board rules, any contracts valued at over $25,000 need to be disclosed. The new rule was introduced on October 21, 2005, if I am not mistaken.
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Yes.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy prepared a report to assess what measures ought to be made available to us to achieve the objectives by 2050, and these closely resemble the objectives that the new government has adopted. The firm that prepared the report is ICF International, which is based in Washington in the United States.
How come this contract with a U.S.-based company, which of course has a small satellite office in Toronto, but which mainly receives contracts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is not among the contracts that need to be disclosed?
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Thank you very much for your question.
On a point of information, I can answer questions concerning the activities and operations of our department, but not questions about the portfolio. I was under the impression that the questions would really pertain to our department.
I can ask my colleague, who is in charge of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, the NRTEE, to answer this question.
Conservative
Director, Strategic Development Policy Coordination Branch, Department of the Environment
No, I am not her colleague from the national round table, Mr. Chairman, but we will pass the question on.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Yes, okay. You will get that back and send it to the clerk. Thank you.
Mr. Lussier, do you want to carry on?
Bloc
Marcel Lussier Bloc Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Yes.
Ms. Ruta, I refer you back to page 12 of your main estimates, in which you mentioned adjustments of $34 million.
How come this $34 million adjustment has been transferred under the heading "The impacts of climate change..." which initially had been approximately $19 million and was suddenly increased to $34 million?
What process led to increasing this $19 million budget item to $34 million? Did it involve breaking down the adjustments under different themes?
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Thank you very much for this question.
It's somewhat technical, but as you know, the previous government was in a position to assess all climate change programs. This review enabled us to determine to what extent the programs would go forward. The $34.5 million and the amounts that were allocated to the climate change programs were approved by the current government.
As for the bridging program as such, I would ask Mr. Hani Mokhtar to provide further details.
Director General, Financial Services Directorate, Department of the Environment
Approximately 15 or 16 months ago, a decision was taken to do a full review of all climate change programs. This review was carried out by the Treasury Board Secretariat with considerable input from the department. There was a rather systematic process: 95 initiatives were reviewed. This process is what led to the recommendations made to the government or the department with respect to future changes.
The process had been scheduled for completion in the fall of last year, to allow for the time needed for it to be included in the main estimates for all departments.
In view of the elections, the process was not completed until the new year, and that is why some amounts did not appear in the main estimates and now appear in the supplementary estimates that were just tabled Monday.
If there are any differences, then, it is because some of the items appear in the supplementary estimates, at least for our department. This may be different for other departments.
Bloc
Marcel Lussier Bloc Brossard—La Prairie, QC
All right.
We thus have the four major program activities. Are there specific activities that combine significant amounts? What are the largest programs that you are currently studying?
Director General, Financial Services Directorate, Department of the Environment
I'm not sure I understood your question properly.
Bloc
Marcel Lussier Bloc Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Of the 95 points you reviewed, which were the largest from the budgetary standpoint, in terms of the amount?
Director General, Financial Services Directorate, Department of the Environment
For our department?
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
For 2006-2007?
Director General, Financial Services Directorate, Department of the Environment
Can we return to this question later? The list is rather long and it will take me a few minutes to find it.
Director General, Financial Services Directorate, Department of the Environment
Once again, I need to check. Can you give me a few minutes?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Mr. Lussier, I suggest that the easiest way is to send that to us and have it distributed it to everyone.
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Thank you.