Evidence of meeting #16 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chairman.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I guess I'm concerned, and some other committee members, because your predecessor—
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Rightly so, yes.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
—got into trouble. So naturally, as politicians—and this isn't a slight against you—we're a little nervous about those sorts of expenses.
I would appreciate the analysis of the line items for the 2006 hospitality, if you can get it.
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
For hospitality?
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I don't know if, through the chair, you could send it here
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
The travel and hospitality, yes. The figures I read out were both those figures.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Madam Commissioner, the line items for the 2006 hospitality include, as you indicated, the External Advisory Committee dinner. It includes a dinner for the director of the American Civil Liberties Union. It includes a farewell dinner for the Commissioner of Official Languages. In your elaboration, what I'd appreciate is that you tell us how those expenses fit in with your mandate to protect the public from improper disclosure of private information.
I'd like to turn to a comment that was raised by Mr. Wallace. It had to do with the National Post article, which places you second.
It was interesting. There was a comment made by Professor Michael Geist. He says, “I think [this report] says far more about how badly privacy is protected worldwide than about how well Canada is doing.” That's an interesting observation, although he is part of your advisory committee, and it's an impressive list of people. You have everybody from Perrin Beatty to Ed Broadbent to a former Supreme Court justice. It's quite an impressive list.
My question has to do with those people. Are they paid?
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Yes, they are, honourable member, yes.
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
They have a per diem of $250 a day.
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Twice a year.
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
They advise us on our ongoing objectives, on policy positions, on our education program, and so on. They serve as advisers. We phone many of them up on different issues when we need advice.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
And not necessarily as a group, but as individuals, perhaps, in their own individual expertise?
5:05 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Yes. Sometimes we consult them informally, yes.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Ten seconds. It's probably impossible.
The issue of lawsuits brought in Federal Court with respect to dissatisfied complaints was raised. You indicated in your annual report that there are numerous unsatisfied complaints--James R. Gairdner v. Jennifer Stoddart et al, Gauthier v. the Privacy Commissioner, etc. What law firm do you retain to defend those claims?
5:10 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
We use our own staff.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
No, and in many of the cases, we hire a Mr. Steve Welchner.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
