Environment Committee on Dec. 4th, 2007

[Basia Ruta]

About $8 million. We used the $13 million in carry-forward to reallocate as well. We've had some other areas where we've put more money into programs, but we funded it through some of these—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

As a provincial minister, I can remember one social services ministers' meeting where 60 people were part of the federal delegation, and I had seven from Ontario. When it's a ministers' meeting, we try to take smaller delegations. When it's international travel, we try to look at the bare minimum. Where we can use opportunities to use resources locally, we do so. For example, there was a conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Rather than send a delegation from the department, our ambassador represented the government, and I met with Premier Campbell, who was there, to get a debriefing afterwards.

So we're constantly—

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Let me ask it in this way, then. Have any operational or core responsibilities or functions been trimmed, cut, reallocated?

I'm having some trouble understanding how you met those expenditure controls by using the very techniques you said created the $13 million. All of this connects.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Be very, very brief, if you can.

Your time is up.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

[Ian Shugart]

Mr. Chair, I think the main strategy in the previous reductions the department faced was not to affect or terminate specific programs, but to distribute, as best we could, reductions through general restraint. For example, in this last year we deferred a very substantial portion of capital, I think in the neighbourhood of $6 million. So what was part of the capital plan in the department, for example, for fleet renewal was cancelled for this year. Our objective was to reduce travel by 20% and hospitality by 10%. Our general restraint would have affected our training expenditures, for example, so conference attendance, regrettably, would perhaps have been delayed or restricted to a smaller number of people. We evaluated what meetings we might have had people at but decided, unfortunately, were perhaps less essential than others.

Those are the kinds of things that have been distributed across programs.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

None of those things—

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you, Mr. Christopherson.

Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here. You were here last week, on Thursday, and now again, so I appreciate your commitment to providing answers to this committee.

Minister, I'd like you to set the record straight. You tried to do that earlier. Some Liberal members accused you of misquoting Mr. Steiner and Mr. Gore, and I believe you have some quotes, or possibly a video.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'm not perfect, I do make mistakes, but I'm an honest person. The Liberal critic basically accused me of dishonesty, of making things up. He used two examples the other day, for one of which I gave him a written letter with a signature on it and he was still totally going full speed ahead.

He also said I “misquoted”, was the word he used. Mr. Gore said I “mischaracterized”. My response to the question in the House of Commons from which this quote was raised just simply didn't characterize it at all; here's what he said.

[Video Presentation]

[An hon. member]

It's well edited.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'll give the full videotape. The reality is, I think there could be some honour. You spoke something that wasn't true and you were caught in a lie.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I have a point of order, Chair, and I don't want this coming off my time.

We had a presentation from the minister. We were polite, we listened to your questions, some of them were not very good, but, Chair, I do not want them using our time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

We're just about finished our time. I would really like to hear the minister and give him every opportunity.

Mr. Bigras.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I understand what the parliamentary secretary has just told us, but I remind you that questions must be directly related to today's subject under study and agenda. I believe the video is unrelated to today's study. I understand my colleague's point of order, but I also ask you, Mr. Chair, to call the minister back to order when he speaks off topic.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Bigras, I've been on a lot of committees, and I know that when a minister comes we've always tried to make the range as broad as we can, and I believe that's the way most members want it.

So I would ask Mr. Warawa to continue.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Just for clarification, that's not coming off my time, right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

No, agreed, I've reduced that.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'll put the transcript of the various quotes here, which will show that it was exactly, 100% exactly, as I said and another person was exactly wrong. If they don't have the honour to apologize and take it back, that will speak to their integrity, not mine.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Minister, thank you so much for that clarification, and thank you also for providing those quotes to the committee.

Minister, on September 25 you instructed Environment Canada to provide the Canadian Wildlife Service the financial flexibility needed to deliver critical programs and services. Can you tell us why you felt it necessary to make that release?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Conservation is a significant priority for me, for the government, for the Prime Minister, for our caucus. The Canadian Wildlife Service's budget will be increased by 13% from last year. But, inevitably, from year to year, one year you may focus on certain species, on certain activities, and the next year you may focus on a different one.

Across the 8,000 people who work in the department, sometimes people may not be thrilled that their project isn't where the resources were going this year, but the bottom line is a 13% increase in spending. It's gone to $84.5 million compared to $75 million last year. This is a significant priority, and we're doing our best to meet the challenges.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you, Minister.

Funding to outside stakeholders to take action on protecting species at risk, monitoring migratory birds, preserving habitat, and supporting science has seen an increase as well. Can you tell us how much the increase is and the importance of the outside stakeholders?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Could you address that, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Could you identify yourself, please?

[Cynthia Wright, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment]

I'm Cynthia Wright. I'm the associate ADM of the Environmental Stewardship Branch.

For the area of the Wildlife Service and conservation programs, we're now spending $30 million. I think you're asking about grants and contributions, but overall the departmental grants and contributions budget also increased. That's the largest amount we've ever spent dedicated to wildlife and biodiversity.