Evidence of meeting #41 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 audit.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Actually, it would be Parliament that would change the mandate.
12:50 p.m.
Bloc
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and through you to Ms. Fraser.
I noted your comment that environmental considerations are integrated through all aspects of your work, because what struck me was that in any organization, as we would find in the Canadian population, you will have individuals who have a different level of intensity of concern about the environment. So it's pretty hard to ensure that their look at issues is going to involve a consistent and even level of concern.
It strikes me that when you look at whether or not you should have a separate Commissioner of the Environment, the question is whether we consider this issue important enough that it warrants, as government and Parliament have decided privacy and official languages warrant, a separate structure. And is it worth—I think it was Mr. Warawa who was talking earlier about it—the cost? If we feel that privacy is important enough to warrant spending some dollars and having a separate office, and I think it is, as is official languages, then why do we not feel that the environment is important enough to warrant a separate office? Perhaps what he's telling us is that his party doesn't feel that it's important enough to warrant that.
I guess this brings me to this question: If the Privacy Commissioner is not within the Office of the Auditor General, then should it be, and if not, then why should the Commissioner of the Environment be within it? When Parliament looks for someone to be the Commissioner of the Environment, their top consideration will be whether this person is going to be focused very strongly on the environment above all else. It's a different consideration, obviously, from what Parliament looks for in filling your role. I think what I'm trying to get at is whether it should be separate on that basis.
12:50 p.m.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Quite frankly, Mr. Chair, if Parliament decides to create a separate Commissioner of the Environment, that will be the decision of Parliament. The only point I am trying to make is that the Commissioner of the Environment, to date, has done audit work, according to professional standards, and that there seems to be an expectation or a desire for the commissioner to do different kinds of work.
I just wanted to make the committee cognizant of the fact that auditors cannot get into the kind of work that some would wish us to do, and that should be part of your consideration in looking at this motion. So in defining what the functions would be, it is very important to keep the policy advice and future-oriented analysis separate from audit. That was strictly all we were trying to bring forward.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Thank you.
Are there any other questions?
Thank you very much, Ms. Fraser and Mr. Thompson. I'm sure we'll see you again, as honorary members of our committee.
Thank you very much.
The meeting is adjourned.
