Evidence of meeting #15 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sparrow.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON
Have you been advised by anyone as to the parameters? Have you been given instructions or parameters within which you must make your decisions, or do you just have kind of a full and free rein over these decisions?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
In the last six months, I believe it was 22% of media inquiries that were altered. I think that's the number you previously quoted. I would suggest that's actually quite a low figure.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
You said that in the past six months, 22% of inquiries were altered. You also said you were the person who receives all inquiries from the media. Is that right?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
I'm involved with overseeing the final approval of all media inquiries, yes.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
You oversee the final approval of the inquiries. Who receives media inquiries in the minister's office?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
If they go to the minister's office, it will be myself or the press secretary. If they go to the department, there's a departmental media line.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Correct.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
So, in the 51 cases where changes were made... The minister appeared before us. Furthermore, you confirmed the fact that there were 235 calls and that 51 of them required changes. That means that 22% of them needed changes. Is that right?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Yes.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Would it be possible to submit those media inquiries, as well as the 22% that were changed?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
I don't have those with me at this time.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Is it possible to submit them to the committee so we can examine them and see the procedure you follow?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
I believe they're available through access to information.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Sparrow, the member has politely asked if you could table them. I suspect the next thing is to ask the chair to order you to produce them.
Yes, they are available, and I realize that, and I think it's the request of the member that in fact you are ordered to provide them to the committee. Will you do that?
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
I'm unaware of the rules pertaining to that, so I'll have to...
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
You can check the rules, but the committee has asked you to do that and in fact ordered you to do it under our right to call for persons, papers, and records, okay?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Now to the extent...or unless there is a reason why they are not... But this is a request for information.
Conservative
Conservative
