Information & Ethics Committee on April 29th, 2008

Evidence of meeting #30 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 employees.

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

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

Maureen Munhall Director, Human Resources Services, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Patricia Kosseim General Counsel, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

4 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

Are you positive about that? I'm from New Brunswick. The people in my office watch the Government of Canada service for jobs every day of the week. I'll have to go back and ask, but I have never seen or had brought to my desk any information suggesting your commission is looking for workers.

4 p.m.

Director, Human Resources Services, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Maureen Munhall

We have actually hired someone and relocated that person from Nova Scotia, just last year. We have another person coming in from Toronto. So we are reaching them. I can't explain why—

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

I can't help but be amused, though, by your putting that as an example. You know, “one time we hired someone from Nova Scotia”, “maybe someone came from Toronto”.

You know, we are a national government, and when you restrict employment to certain geographic areas in a job as demanding as yours.... Have you hired someone from Saskatchewan lately?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Human Resources Services, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Maureen Munhall

The area from which people can apply is not restricted. It's open to all Canadians across Canada. So the results have indicated that the qualified person has been from a certain geographical location, but—

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

In the last six months, how many job opportunities have there been?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Human Resources Services, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Maureen Munhall

In the last six months?

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

The yellow here seems to indicate you have a lot of new hires each year. It would appear that in the years 2007 and 2008.... Would that seem to be 50-some new hires?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Human Resources Services, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Maureen Munhall

Yes, I would say. All the jobs that are open to the public, excluding the clerical positions, have an area of selection open to all Canadians.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

Could we have a few examples of your advertisements, your job postings, so we might see how they have gone?

Say if you hired 60-some, you must have had 50 or so postings. Could we see maybe ten of them to see how they applied across the country?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Human Resources Services, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Maureen Munhall

We can provide that back to you, yes.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB

Good. Thank you, Maureen.

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Could I perhaps direct your attention to page 4, where we talk about the fact that we've developed web-based written exams and that we even have, as candidates, Canadians who are in India and Malaysia, who successfully wrote our exams? I just wanted to assure this committee that we are trying to bring Canadians, not only from all across Canada, because we do our investigations and we serve Canadians all across Canada, but from places where Canadians are travelling.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo

Mr. Wallace.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

Charles, after the next election, if you need a reference letter, I'll give you one.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Newton—North Delta, BC

You'll probably need one more.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

It's a little joke. It's hot in here.

I always appreciate getting numbers. I'm having difficulty already with the first chart. In the estimates, you talk about 154 and then it goes down to 150, but in this chart we're showing 145 as the target. Which is more accurate? Is it the 150 that's in the plan, spending estimates, full-time equivalents, or is the 145 more accurate? Are they both accurate? You can explain the difference.

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

That's a good question. I don't have that other table. They are both accurate.

4:05 p.m.

A voice

One is last year; one is this year.

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Okay, it's not the same.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

So this chart is saying 2007-08 at 145, and I see in forecast spending full-time equivalents of 154, and this is actual. So I'm assuming that's targeted. The actual is 122. That is accurate, right? I think you told me 122 at the last meeting. Is that correct?

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Yes.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

I'm just pointing out that there seems to be a discrepancy right there.

If I look at this correctly, from 2004-05 to 2007-08--which is I guess what we just finished up--you've had a 58% increase in staffing. Is that driven by changes in workload?

4:05 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

In terms of the target, I would say 45%, but I'm not an accountant.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

Well, I'm taking the actuals, not the projected.

4:10 p.m.

Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Jennifer Stoddart

Okay, what we're funded for....