Evidence of meeting #51 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
That's from a total of how many?
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Corporate Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
It's from a total of...fully staffed, we would be at 69, but at the moment, I think we have 41 or 42 indeterminate staff. It's 42.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Wow. Okay.
Thank you.
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Access to Information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Yes. The RCMP has contracts with two consulting firms for a total of about 12 consultants. Our total FTE count is around 70 FTEs, and our final funded amount is just over 100. It's about 110 FTEs.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
It's just GAC and the RCMP.
Are all of the consultants based in Canada?
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Corporate Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes.
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Access to Information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
It's the same for the RCMP.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Are the names of the consultants...? They would be sourced through a consulting firm, not as individuals, I'd imagine.
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Corporate Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
All are with firms. Yes.
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Access to Information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
It's the same here: it's through the two firms previously mentioned.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Are the names of those firms available? That would have been done through a public procurement process, so are you able to tell us what the names of the firms are?
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Corporate Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Could you tell us offhand, Alexandre?
3:55 p.m.
Alexandre Drago Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes, we are working with Altis and CANADEM.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Access to Information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
For the RCMP, I can confirm that we're also working with Altis.
Forgive me; I don't have the second contract off the top of my head, and so I'll have to get back to the committee. My apologies.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
I appreciate your offer to get it to the committee. Thank you.
In the Privy Council Office, who would decide which information is confidential and redacted? Is that a responsibility that's shared, or is it the responsibility of one person that can be delegated? If so, who is the responsible individual?
3:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Access to Information and Privacy and Executive Correspondence Services, Privy Council Office
At the PCO, it's a shared delegation between the ATIP office, the delegated authorities and subject matter experts in the department.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay, so it could vary depending on the request?
3:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Access to Information and Privacy and Executive Correspondence Services, Privy Council Office
Yes.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay.
How often, as a percentage—I'm not sure how best to be able to quantify it—would you cite cabinet confidences in your returns of ATIP requests?
3:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Access to Information and Privacy and Executive Correspondence Services, Privy Council Office
I don't have the numbers in front of me.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Are those data and stats that you keep?
3:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Access to Information and Privacy and Executive Correspondence Services, Privy Council Office
Yes.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Is that something you'd be able to provide to the committee when you return to your office?
3:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Access to Information and Privacy and Executive Correspondence Services, Privy Council Office
Yes, we could do that.