Evidence of meeting #80 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was office.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Layla Michaud
Three or four years ago, we made a request for permanent funding to the government.
Liberal
Layla Michaud
It was for $4 million for the first three years. If memory serves, I would say that we asked for $1.5 million on a permanent basis.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
The annual funding that you estimated or expected was initially—
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
In other words, the $1.5 million was in addition to your request for $4 million, for subsequent years. Is that correct?
Liberal
Liberal
Layla Michaud
Our annual budget is about $10 million. A few years ago, we submitted a budget asking for roughly $4 million over three years, in addition to our budget of $10 million. We then asked for a permanent amount of $1.5 million per year, for a total annual budget of $11.5 million.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
So the $4 million was simply to get the ball rolling, so to speak.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
In the past three or four years, give or take $100,000, what was your annual budget?
Layla Michaud
Our overall budget is $10 million or $11 million, year after year.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
It was not exactly the additional $4 million you had requested, but it was close enough.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
That addressed your request for support to process the additional files.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
You mentioned additional cases by saying that there could be as many as 2,400 complaints this year. Without going into the details of those cases, could you tell me what they were about and what the explanation is for this significant increase?
Layla Michaud
They are extremely varied. A few years ago, we received a lot of complaints from journalists, whereas now, most of the complaints we receive come from the public at large. If the trend keeps up, we will have 2,400 complaints this year. I think Canadians want to have more information from their government.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
Very well.
I'll go back to a question my NDP colleague asked earlier. He said that the funding was a way to show the government's commitment to settle certain cases. How can you then explain the fact that the funding has not been spent?
Layla Michaud
Eighty per cent of the expenditures is earmarked for the staff we hire. In the government, we have to have a competition to replace staff, which takes at least three or four months. People also go on maternity leave, transfer to another department, or decide to work part-time, four days a week, which is leave with income averaging.
