Evidence of meeting #61 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was transfer.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Glenn Campbell  Director, International Policy and Analysis Division , Department of Finance
Gilles Moreau  Director General, National Compensation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Department of Public Safety
Jonathan Roy  Senior Policy Analyst, Social Policy, Health, Justice, Culture, Department of Finance
Daniel MacDonald  Chief, Federal-Provincial Relations Division, CHT/CST and Northern Policy, Department of Finance
John Davies  Director General, National Security Policy, Department of Public Safety
Darryl Hirsch  Senior Policy Analyst, Intelligence Policy and Coordination, Department of Public Safety
Nigel Harrison  Manager, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
David Gillis  Director General, Ecosystems and Oceans Science Sector, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
David Lee  Director, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization; Policy, Planning and International Affairs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Samuel Godefroy  Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Alwyn Child  Director General, Program Development and Guidance Directorate, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Annette Nicholson  Secretary and General Counsel, International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Lenore Duff  Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Dominique La Salle  Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Nathalie Martel  Director, Old Age Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Bruno Rodrigue  Chief, Social policy, Income Security, Department of Finance
Annette Vermaeten  Director, Task Force, Special Projects, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Eileen Boyd  Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel, Privy Council Office
Neil Bouwer  Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Lynn Tassé  Director, Canada Gazette, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Gerard Peets  Senior Director, Strategy and Planning Directorate, Department of Industry
Patricia Brady  Director, Investment, Insolvency, Competition and Corporate Policy Directorate, Department of Industry
Andy Lalonde  Manager, Preclearance, Canada Border Services Agency, Department of Public Safety
Lynn Hemmings  Senior Chief, Payments, Payments and Pensions, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

The savings would come from the alternate service delivery of the function, which would be performed by another party. That's correct.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

In the private sector. All right.

We can transfer them to the private sector, but what do the oversight and assurance mechanisms look like? Will there be a kind of monitoring of the quality of oversight that is done? Will there be monitoring in that area?

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

Absolutely. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency would maintain its regulatory oversight role. Certainly when it comes to plant health, those functions would be retained by CFIA.

With respect to the other elements of crop inspection, like quality and grade, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency would maintain its ability to verify that the oversight role was being performed and that the alternate service delivery arrangement was effective.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

I have a final question for you. We are told that staff cuts will be achieved through attrition. Will that decision have an impact? I understand that there are two testing laboratories, one in Ottawa and the other in Saskatoon.

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

This proposal does not relate to the laboratories.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

There will be no impact on the laboratories.

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

This has nothing to do with any of the budget-related initiatives that might exist in other areas of the agency. I can't speak to those, but in this case the savings result from the alternate service delivery of the inspection function itself, and not the laboratories or any other functions within the agency.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Thank you.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Mr. Hoback.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

Thank you.

It's nice to see you here, Mr. Bouwer.

I have a lot seed growers in my riding, and a lot of them have been asking for changes like this for quite a few years.

To clarify, these inspectors who will be going out and doing in-field inspection will be trained by the CFIA, is that correct?

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

The CFIA will make sure that the inspectors are adequately trained. Whether they will be trained by CFIA personnel or not, I can't predict.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

That hasn't been decided yet?

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

The CFIA will make sure that adequate training is provided to the staff who undertake the inspection. That will be one part of our mechanism to ensure that the alternate service delivery arrangement is working.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

With respect to cost, I understand this program was being subsidized by the taxpayer, that we were not actually getting the full cost of these inspections out of the producer or the seed grower.

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

That's correct—it represents a cost to the taxpayer. These activities were not in a core mandate and did not relate to a core plant-health mandate. They were being subsidized. They were being covered by the taxpayer, and that's why there are savings in the proposal.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

So this has no food safety issues at all. This is growing of seed or the certification of seed for reproduction, correct?

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

This is an important point for people to understand. This proposal is not related to food safety in any way. Even within the plant health domain, it does not relate to the core or plant health responsibilities of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It relates only to quality measures for seed crops.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

So this will allow the CFIA to put its resources more towards food safety and issues like that.

8:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

In general, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is placing great emphasis on those core mandates, and that is where it is investing its efforts. In all of the measures we've seen, we are redirecting our resources and redoubling the efforts in our core mandate. In this area, we find that the non-health-related areas are a lower priority. The higher priority are the plant-health-related and of course the food-safety-related mandates of the agency.

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

I think everybody around this table would agree that's where the priority needs to be.

Chair, I think I've had enough questions.

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Thank you very much, Mr. Hoback.

Mr. Brison.

8:25 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

How many of the seed crop inspectors are included in cuts to inspection at the CFIA?

8:25 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

Respectfully, I'm not sure I know how to answer that question. I would have to get back to you with that information.

8:25 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

You don't know.

What's the producer feedback you're getting on these changes?

8:25 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Neil Bouwer

In general, we are consulting in these areas. This is something we have had requests for in the past in terms of increased flexibility. I think the community wants to ensure that the integrity of seed crops is maintained, and we share that interest, but the producers are looking for flexibility in terms of how that is achieved, and this initiative seeks to allow for those flexibilities.