Evidence of meeting #6 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was budget.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Bloc
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Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Yes.
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Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
Everything depends on the scope of the evaluation.
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Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Could you file the planned deadlines for the internal audits underway with the committee?
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Associate Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
That's in our audit plan. We can do that after the committee meeting.
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Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I'm going back to the national wildlife reserves once again because there is a lot of pressure on this subject in our ridings. I'd like you to tell me about budgets in recent years and to tell me if I'm mistaken. I was told that the budget was previously in the order of $1.9 million, but that it had undergone major cuts on Canada's national wildlife reserves.
Is it true that this program has lost a lot of its funding and that it could even lose it completely?
4:40 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
With regard to the total budget that we spend on all of our protected areas--we have national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries--our total spending is about $3.6 million annually. That is a little down from previous years just in the area of the operating budget. The salaries have stayed the same and grants and contributions have stayed the same. We're doing more ourselves, and there are groups that have
formed presenting themselves as friends of a given reserve. We occasionally give them money to do work.
4:40 p.m.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I see you refer to reserves in a broad sense. National wildlife reserves had a budget of $1.9 million, I believe.
Can you confirm that?
4:40 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
No, it's more. It's approximately $3.6 million a year.
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Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
And how big is the budget now? I want to know whether budgets have increased or decreased in recent years and by how much?
4:40 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
In the operating budget, the budget has gone down slightly. In the salaries budget, our people stayed the same.
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Bloc
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
I'd have to get the details for that particular program area. I only have--
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Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I see you have some figures before you. Can you table them?
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
They are simply the figures for this year. I've already told you that it was $3.6 million.
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
I don't know the details for last year.
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Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Can you table the figures for last year and the last two years with the committee?
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
We can do it at least for 2005 and 2006.
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NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I have a couple of small matters first, and I'm not laying any traps; I really am just looking for an answer. I'll let you know when it's different. I will.
On page 143, at vote 1a (g)--these are transfers under operating expenses--it says, “the payment to each member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada who is a Minister without Portfolio or a Minister of State who does not preside over a Ministry of State of a salary not to exceed...”, etc. Is that just for ministers related to the environment?
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Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment
I'm just trying to.... I have an excerpt here of page 143.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
It's on page 143, right in the middle of the page: vote 1a (g).
I'm assuming it's probably for ministers of state or such matters that are attached to the environment. But if not, I'd be curious to know why.
