Evidence of meeting #62 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Karen Swol  Director, Program Management, Rail Safety, Department of Transport
Dean Beyea  Director, International Trade Policy Division, Department of Finance
Olivier Nicoloff  Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Colleen Barnes  Executive Director, Domestic Policy Directorate, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Nancy Leigh  Manager, Governance Secretariat, Canada School of Public Service
Jane Pearse  Director, Financial Institutions Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Suzanne Brisebois  Director General, Policy and Operations, Parole Board of Canada, Public Safety Canada
Louise Laflamme  Chief, Marine Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Department of Transport
Lenore Duff  Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Lawrence Hanson  Director General, Strategic Policy Directorate, Department of the Environment
Pamela Miller  Director General, Telecommunications Policy Branch, Department of Industry
Allan MacGillivray  Special Advisor to the Director General, Telecommunications Policy, Department of Industry
Alwyn Child  Director General, Program Development and Guidance Directorate, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mireille Laroche  Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mark Hodgson  Senior Policy Analyst, Labour Markets, Employment and Learning, Department of Finance
Patrick Halley  Chief, Tariffs and Market Acess, International Trade and Finance, Department of Finance
Vivian Krause  As an Individual
Mark Blumberg  Lawyer and Partner, Blumberg Segal LLP
Dan Kelly  Senior Vice-President, Legislative Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Dennis Howlett  Coordinator, Canadians for Tax Fairness
Jamie Ellerton  Executive Director, EthicalOil.org
Blair Rutter  Grain Growers of Canada
Marcel Lauzière  President and Chief Executive Officer, Imagine Canada
Tom King  Co-Chair, Finance and Taxation Committee, Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
Sandra Harder  Director General, Strategic Policy and Planning, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Cam Carruthers  Director, Program Integrity Division, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
David Manicom  Immigration Program Manager (New Delhi), Area Director (South Asia), Department of Citizenship and Immigration

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

In Montreal, there were 41.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC

How many are there in total?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

There are several regional offices. I do not have the exact figure, but it should not be more than about 50.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC

How much money is going to be saved by shutting it down? Will money be transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade because money has been saved?

It is now being said that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will take on this role. Will there be some kind of transfer?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

There will not be, for now.

However, we have been asked to prepare options and submit them to the minister.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Mr. Caron, you have the floor.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

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

You said there were conflicts between the board of directors and Mr. Beauregard relating to management. In fact, there was an investigation into Mr. Beauregard's management, was there not?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

That is correct.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

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

Did the investigation reveal that Rights and Democracy had been mismanaged by Mr. Beauregard?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

The investigation raised some issues.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

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

Did they relate to management?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

They related to management as well.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

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

What kind of problem was there?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

You are testing my memory, but I would say it essentially involved issues relating to accountability, the way the money was spent.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

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

Did the investigation reveal that there were problems relating to management?

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

I would not want to characterize the problems. That is not for me to do here. However, certain issues were raised.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

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

The board of directors had hired an accounting or audit firm to determine whether there were in fact management problems, such as were raised by the board of directors. If I recall correctly, there was absolutely nothing major.

4:05 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

It is not for me to characterize what the investigation said. In fact, I think it is public; the results were released publicly. However, as in any type of investigation, there are always issues that come out and recommendations that are made to improve existing practices.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

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

There was a new board of directors installed, I think, in about 2007 or 2008. Were there problems between Mr. Beauregard and the previous board of directors?

4:10 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

That goes back to a period that was before my time. In fact, there were no problems that made the headlines, as happened after that, certainly. It should be pointed out that there was a pretty tragic event, since Mr. Beauregard died during that period. That further highlighted the problems the organization was having at the time.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

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

After that, there was a rather stormy meeting with the new board of directors.

4:10 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

It seems so, yes.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

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

You said that the situation that existed in 1988, when Rights and Democracy was created, was different from the situation today. Do you mean that Rights and Democracy was not able to adjust to the new geopolitical challenges?

4:10 p.m.

Director, Democracy, Commonwealth and Francophonie Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Olivier Nicoloff

Rights and Democracy had a very specific mandate, which was established by Parliament. The organization could not operate outside that mandate.

I am referring to the question of this type of tool. Is this the most useful one, today, for implementing the objectives of the government and the minister in terms of promoting democracy? The question arose because, again, the situation is not the same today as it was in 1988.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

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

Was the basic issue that Rights and Democracy was not managing to adjust to the new geopolitical facts of life, in your view?