Information & Ethics Committee on Nov. 1st, 2006

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Basically what happens is that the employment benefits plan is based on the actual salary you forecast. As well, it's also based on a percentage that's pre-established by Treasury Board. In previous years it was 20%. This year it went down to 19%, so it's an adjustment.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Okay, so there was an internal adjustment for that.

And I'm voting today on what you spent in this budget year, or what you're planning to spend up to the end of March. Is that correct?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Yes.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

That's correct. Okay.

You've highlighted the two things, the two memoranda of understanding. What I don't understand--and it's not really a budget question, in a sense--is whether you were paying another source for those services you're getting from the Library or from the House of Commons prior to your signing these memoranda of understanding.

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Last year we had some flexibility in our budgets. We didn't use up all the salary dollars we were allocated. Therefore, what we ended up doing instead of doing supplementary estimates to cover these agreements was use the flexibility we had within our budget.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Okay, that wasn't my question, though. Prior to these memoranda of understanding, were you paying somewhere else for these services that they actually provide?

[Robert Benson]

If I may, that was in our initial year--our transition year--and a bit into the second. We were getting services from Industry Canada, where the old office was housed, for information technology and so on.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Okay, and was there an internal transfer of the costs for those, or did you have to actually pay for them?

[Robert Benson]

We had to pay for those services.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

You paid for them. And is that included in the $4 million--whatever it was--the $4.6 million?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Actually, for Industry Canada there was only a $60,000 payment last year, but most of the chunk was paid out of the 2004-2005 budget.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

So with regard to the additional 10% you've added this year for these two services you're getting--and Dr. Shapiro indicated that it has been good value--how were you able to do the work before you bought those services?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

In the previous years, in 2004-2005, we were included within Industry Canada, because before its creation, the organization was within Industry Canada. We maintained those service levels. We did the work internally, but basically, Industry Canada was our contact with Public Works, for example, because on a monthly basis we have to submit trial balances and so on.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

You don't consider this additional 10% new services, then. These are just transferred to a different source.

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Yes.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Have you started working on next year's budget for your program?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Yes, we have.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Does that include Bill C-2 passing?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

No. Once again, our 2007-2008 main estimates will be based on our operational requirements of the moment. If Bill C-2 passes, we will have to go for supplementary estimates at that point in time.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

But supplementaries--well, maybe because of the election I may be wrong--come in the fall, do they not?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

Exactly, but unfortunately, because the main estimates for 2007-2008 are due to Treasury Board in the middle of November and haven't passed, we cannot anticipate the costs.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Right. So you submit your budget requests, or estimates as we call them here, in November of this year for April 1 of next year. You submit those to the Treasury Board, and they then get filtered to the House, because the House pays you. Is that not how it works?

[Lyne Robinson-Dalpé]

It goes through Milliken, the Speaker of the House, and then to Treasury Board.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Wouldn't it be wise to have in advance of supplementaries next fall at least an idea of what it will do to your budgets if that legislation happens to pass?

[Bernard Shapiro]

The answer is yes.