Evidence of meeting #24 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was position.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Okay, so what's the next step now? Are we going to give the green light for the Library of Parliament to hire this person, or do we have to wait? I'm still not clear on that.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel and Special Projects Secretariat, Privy Council Office
The recommendation has been made by the selection committee to the government, and the government is proceeding with that appointment. As I said, there have been discussions with the candidate on issues of remuneration and classification of the position. Those discussions are not yet completed, but we're hopeful—
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
When do you foresee those discussions being completed?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel and Special Projects Secretariat, Privy Council Office
Well, we're trying to complete them as soon as we can.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel and Special Projects Secretariat, Privy Council Office
We'd like to get this done in the next couple of weeks, before the end of the month.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Okay.
Just quickly, Ms. Rechico and Mr. Robidoux, has there been any input from the Department of Finance regarding this position?
Benoit Robidoux General Director, Assistant Deputy Minister's Office, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Do you mean regarding the process?
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I mean both on the process and on what the parliamentary budget officer is going to do in the role.
General Director, Assistant Deputy Minister's Office, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
There hasn't been, not on the process and not on what he's going to do, no.
February 13th, 2008 / 4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
So what input did you have in this whole process?
General Director, Assistant Deputy Minister's Office, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Well, this was an item in Budget 2006. It was put in the framework in the “other items” part of the act, and our work stopped there.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
And there was no other input given by Finance through the other department.
General Director, Assistant Deputy Minister's Office, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
No.
Katharine Rechico Chief, Expenditure Analysis and Forecasting, Fiscal Policy Division, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Just on that, I am aware that the search firm did contact the Department of Finance, at least one person in Finance, to discuss the characteristics that would be needed in such a person, as might be expected of an executive search firm. It would look to the Department of Finance as a guide to the type of person you might require.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Okay, but you gave no details in terms of what the job would entail and what interaction there would be between the parliamentary budget officer and the Department of Finance.
Chief, Expenditure Analysis and Forecasting, Fiscal Policy Division, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
That's correct. There was no interaction at all that way.
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Thank you very much.
We'll go to Monsieur Crête, and I believe you're going to share your time.
Bloc
Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
An acting director of public prosecutions was appointed.
Mr. Wild, in point 10 of your brief, you state: “An acting director has been appointed, pending a permanent appointment to this position.”
Is it because the act allowed an acting appointment there, but did not allow the appointment of an acting Parliamentary Budget Officer, or is it because the government chose to appoint an acting director in that case but not in this one?
Executive Director, Strategic Policy, Corporate Priorities, Planning and Policy Renewal Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
In terms of the director of public prosecutions, it's a specific statutory provision. The act that created the office of the director of public prosecutions contemplated that there would be an acting appointment because the specific process to select the candidate who would fill the position for the seven-year term.... It's a very complicated search process that involves a number of stages.
Bloc
Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Would something have prevented the appointment of an acting Parliamentary Budget Officer, when we know full well that the acting appointment would last only until such time as a permanent appointment was made? Could the government have done that?
Executive Director, Strategic Policy, Corporate Priorities, Planning and Policy Renewal Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
There's nothing in the statutory authorities around the parliamentary budget officer to appoint somebody on an interim basis. There is a specific process set out in the act as to how the selection is to work.