Information & Ethics Committee on April 17th, 2008

Evidence of meeting #29 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was complaints.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Privacy Act Reform

Main Estimates 2008-2009: Vote 20 under Parliament

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jennifer Stoddart Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Tom Pulcine Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services Branch, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Raymond D'Aoust Assistant Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

4 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

I don't really like the system around here, the way we do things. For me, when you look at these numbers for 2008, 2009, and 2010, it's flat at 150 people, which does not reflect what you really need based on the workload you're expecting. Is that correct?

4 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Yes.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

Through the estimates process, would it be helpful for you--I know it would be helpful for me--to be able to tell us about the plan, even if it's not approved yet? When I come back, and I keep these books, so let's assume I'm here three and four years from now--it's up to the voters--and I say you told us in 2008 it's going to be 150 people, but there's no future.... When will I see...? Will the first time I'll ever see this, as a member of this committee, be if you get approval and you ask for it in supplementaries?

4 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Yes, unless, Mr. Chairman, you are also a member, as I understand, of the parliamentary panel, which is composed of many of the members of this committee. I don't think its composition is fixed. There are some members of this committee, I know, who've been on the panel. We go before that panel once we've agreed with Treasury Board on the presentation.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

From a general point of view, I don't think you had supplementaries last year. I couldn't find anything. You didn't ask for any supplementary money, A or B, right?

4 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

No.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

But this year, if the plan is approved, there will be supplementaries from you. Is that correct? Do you have an idea of what kind of money that would be? How big of an increase is that if your plan gets approved?

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

If the plan gets approved, I think we're looking at something like around 30 FTEs and around $5 million.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

So it's a significant change.

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Yes. It's under discussion with Treasury Board.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

When I look in this book and it says 154, that's your approved complement, is that correct? But you're only actually at 122. Is that accurate? So how much did lapse in this year?

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

My recollection is that none lapsed, because of course we have to look at all the ways to compensate for this terrible problem of not being able to hire personnel. So we contracted out to professional and special services a lot of the--

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

So the money that would have been spent on staffing was used to pay contractors to do the work that needed to be done. Is that correct?

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

That's right, and then we have a carryover almost to the limit, I think, that we're legally allowed.

4:05 p.m.

Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services Branch, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Tom Pulcine

That would constitute or relate back to your lapse. All government departments and agencies are allowed to carry forward 5% from one year to the next year.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

It's 5.3%. Even for my MOB it's 5.6%.

4:05 p.m.

Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services Branch, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Tom Pulcine

That's right.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

I don't know if you knew that, Tom, but now you know.

4:05 p.m.

Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services Branch, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Tom Pulcine

Some people refer to that as a lapse from one year, when actually it becomes automatically a carry forward to the next year.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

And that carry forward, does that go on your base?

4:05 p.m.

Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services Branch, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Tom Pulcine

No, it's identified as temporary resources, per se.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

You can eat it up the next year, but it doesn't become part of the base from here on in.

4:05 p.m.

Director General and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services Branch, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Tom Pulcine

It doesn't, no.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

When I look at the organization chart from last year to this year, it's a bit different. There hasn't really been any change; it's just the way you presented it that's changed. Is that an accurate statement?

Last year you had the Privacy Commissioner and two assistant commissioners. This year you have the two assistant commissioners actually laid out in the chart--who they are.

So when I see public education and communications, which I circled last year, that's a director position of communications now. Is that correct?

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Yes.