Evidence of meeting #121 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was unions.
A video is available from Parliament.
Director, Ports Policy, Department of Transport
Aspects of that sale will be determined through the sale process as well.
Liberal
Director, Ports Policy, Department of Transport
Yes, there is. There is a lease until it's changed. Through that process that lease may change.
NDP
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
I have just a couple of quick questions. Thank you very much for coming.
What is the legal effect of the purpose statement in clause 201? What legal impact does it have, to simply state a purpose in the middle of a bill like this?
Senior Chief, Corporate Finance and Asset Management, Department of Finance
My understanding of it is that it just generally provides the government's intent with respect to this particular authority.
NDP
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
So it's just intent.
What is the definition of “open access to its services” in that clause 201? What does it mean to say, in the last line of clause 201, “will operate the business on a long-term and sustainable basis and with open access to its services.” What do you mean by that?
Senior Chief, Corporate Finance and Asset Management, Department of Finance
Ridley currently provides services on commercial terms to multiple users. It's the government's intent to have that kind of relationship continue, that services are made available to multi-users on a commercial basis.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
I want to thank our officials for being here with us.
Colleagues, we have divisions 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. We do have questions on division 14. We have about 10 minutes remaining. I will ask you to be very brief in your questions. Hopefully we can get through it all by 10:45.
Mr. Racine, welcome to the committee.
If you want to just introduce yourself to the committee, then we'll have questions.
Denis Racine Executive Director, Major Events and Celebrations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Good morning. My name is Denis Racine. I am the Executive Director of Major Events and Celebrations at the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Division 14 is transferring the responsibility of promoting the national capital from the National Capital Commission to the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Conservative
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Racine, your branch will be in charge of transferring the activities the National Capital Commission used to be responsible for.
Executive Director, Major Events and Celebrations, Department of Canadian Heritage
That will not necessarily be the case. The NCC group in charge of promoting the national capital will be transferred as a whole to the Department of Canadian Heritage. We will then assess the resulting synergies and efficiencies.
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Will recurring activities be compromised during that transition period?
Executive Director, Major Events and Celebrations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Not at all. Until the transfer has been completed, everyone will have the same responsibilities and continue to work on events and projects.
Executive Director, Major Events and Celebrations, Department of Canadian Heritage
I don't think so, as the idea is to transfer the whole unit to the Department of Canadian Heritage.
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Frankly, we are still worried about that transfer. The 1812 celebrations elicited a very mixed response. Their resonance among Canadians was fairly limited.
Transferring the management of those activities from an organization to a department is still a source of concern in terms of potential partisan abuse. The organization has some independence and its own budget, while the department is headed by a minister. What guarantee can we have that partisan abuse will not affect other events the National Capital Commission would be taking care of?
Executive Director, Major Events and Celebrations, Department of Canadian Heritage
My understanding is that the responsibility transfer is due to the fact that the Department of Canadian Heritage has some responsibilities when it comes to commemorating events of national significance. In addition, the national capital is a very important location where activities are organized and where many national symbols are located.
I think that merging the two groups will really optimize their joint capacity to turn the capital into a place of national importance through major commemorations leading up to the 150th anniversary.
NDP
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Frankly, that does not reassure me, especially since we missed an important anniversary—the 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris. After all, that was an important agreement on which the division of North America was based. You could even claim that the world was being divided up. It was entirely comparable to the 15th century's Treaty of Tordesillas. Unfortunately, that anniversary came and went without notice, as the government obviously does not like to talk about issues as fundamental as the actions our country is founded upon. That is a political decision, but I find it to be in poor taste. My world is that of archives and, thereby, of history.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Of course, I respect my colleague across the way. We are here on the BIA. It's not a political debate with these witnesses, and this is exactly what he's committed himself to. They complain about not having enough time, and this is exactly why they don't have enough time. I would suggest he get back to the BIA.
Conservative
