Information & Ethics Committee on April 17th, 2008

[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?

[Jennifer Stoddart]

Yes.

[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?

[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.

[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?

[Jennifer Stoddart]

No.

[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?

[Jennifer Stoddart]

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

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

So it's a significant change.

[Jennifer Stoddart]

Yes. It's under discussion with Treasury Board.

[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?

[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--

[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?

[Jennifer Stoddart]

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

[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.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

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

[Tom Pulcine]

That's right.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

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

[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.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

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

[Tom Pulcine]

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

[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.

[Tom Pulcine]

It doesn't, no.

[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?

[Jennifer Stoddart]

Yes.