Finance Committee on Feb. 10th, 2009

[Alfred LeBlanc]

Until 2009?

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Yes, from 1986 to 2009.

[Alfred LeBlanc]

The panel estimated a number of $94 million for--

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Okay, that's nowhere--

[Alfred LeBlanc]

I just want to make sure I have the right date.

[A voice]

It's $95 million.

[Alfred LeBlanc]

It's $95 million for 2009.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Okay. And that would be nowhere in the appropriations?

[Alfred LeBlanc]

That's a number.... As I said, it'll depend a lot on the regulations, on how they're put in place and what they generate. It's a ballpark number.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

I have just a quick question. To go back, on the $15 million, you said it's related to advertising. Could you go over that a little more slowly?

Mr. Miller, please.

[David Miller]

Certainly. The advertising items are identified in a summary table at the beginning of the supplementary estimates as a horizontal issue for all departments, but these particular expenditures relate to two programs.

One is the advertising, of course, for the new tax-free savings plan. We'll be spending about $5 million this year. The ads have been placed during January and February. Again, the concern was that this is a brand-new instrument for Canadians. Quite honestly, I think for every bank and financial institution...you can hardly walk by them without running into that, but obviously there was the original concern that Canadians wouldn't understand the implications.

The second item is a longer-term Advantage Canada series of advertising to indicate to Canadians, as well as Americans, the safety and strength of the Canadian economy. That will be done over a period of time. There's about $3.5 million spent of that.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

It's great news that we're advertising for the Conservatives, but do we have any value for what we're advertising for in times of economic crisis?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Your constituents are using it for the same--

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Couldn't we just increase our EI benefits or some type of--

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Order.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

I'd like my time to be increased because of this.

Couldn't we put this money to better use for infrastructure or EI? If the banks are already advertising for the tax savings plan, do we need to do that as a government?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Mr. Miller.

[David Miller]

The idea of the advertising was done when it was created, at the beginning. So the ads were placed in January and February. That program is over. When the ads are set up, you have to do the media buys well ahead--

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Who decides on the media buys, and who decides how much money to spend on advertising? At what level does that decision get made?

[David Miller]

I will have to ask our expert on that to come to the table to address that.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Be very brief, sir.

[Jean-Michel Catta, General Director, Consultations and Communications Branch, Department of Finance]

Thank you.

The media buy is essentially determined by the objective of the campaign. As Mr. Miller indicated previously, the objective of the campaign was to raise awareness of the TFSA among Canadians.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Who would make that decision?

[Jean-Michel Catta]

The decision is made by the department based on the objectives of the campaign, which is to raise awareness using the most effective means, which is a mix of television ads and radio--