Evidence of meeting #60 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was officer.
A video is available from Parliament.
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Well, as I say, there had been consultations in 2013 about the privacy issues related to these amendments.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Perhaps you could explain to the committee what a privacy impact assessment is.
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
A privacy impact assessment is an exercise whereby a department proposing a change to policies or procedures tries to determine the privacy implications of these changes to programs. This is a process whereby these questions are to be considered. Normally the department in question consults with my office to ensure that these considerations are complete.
It is ultimately for the department in question proposing to change a program or procedure to determine how to mitigate any privacy issues raised by the change in program or procedure.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Does your office assist the federal government in completing these assessments?
Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
We provide advice to departments based on the information provided by the departments to us on the scope of the changes in question.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Thank you very much.
My next question is for Ms. Kingston.
You're a member of the CHARS management committee. Why do you feel it's important for industry to be part of a government research initiative such as this one?
General Manager, Nunavut, North West Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines
We believe that the CHARS institute provides an excellent opportunity for partnering opportunities with industry. We share the common goals of economic development, protection of communities, and the enhancement of the capacity of communities to participate in our projects. We believe that research projects for shared mutual priorities can only benefit our projects and ultimately the communities of the north.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Thank you.
Natural resource development is a growing industry in the north. Could you speak to the extent this business sector will have on the local economies...?
November 24th, 2014 / 4:20 p.m.
General Manager, Nunavut, North West Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines
I'll speak specifically to Nunavut. At this stage, the mining sector in Nunavut represents between 18% to 20% of the gross domestic product for the territory. That translates into potentially thousands of jobs in the coming years. The more we can do to enhance these projects and allow these projects to move forward through environmental assessment, the more mines and projects we can get rolling in various communities throughout the territories. That will allow previously unemployed people access to good and sustainable jobs in their communities and near their communities.
The most we can do to move projects through environmental assessment, with the research work that CHARS will conduct to help us do it, will ensure that our projects get off the ground. Therefore, we can employ more people, which we believe will add to the health and prosperity of communities.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Thank you very much.
My next questions are for you, Mr. Mooney. How will the establishment of the Canadian High Arctic research station, or CHARS, as a year-round hub benefit northerners and other northern-based research centres like your facility?
Director, Cold Climate Innovation Centre, Yukon College, Yukon Research Centre
I think there's a multitude of ways. Number one is being able to test products out in Cambridge Bay in more extreme climates, and bringing international researchers together who can deal with northern issues, for more of “a pool of brains”, I could call it.
CHARS isn't going to happen just in Cambridge Bay. There's going to be a lot of research that is going to be spun across the north. I think that is going to see a lot of economic development and stimulation in other communities.
Conservative
Andrew Saxton Conservative North Vancouver, BC
Very quickly, Mr. Mooney, how could the CHARS project strengthen Canada's leadership in Arctic science, technology, and innovation?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Very briefly, Mr. Mooney, please. I'm sure we'll come back to it in later rounds.
Director, Cold Climate Innovation Centre, Yukon College, Yukon Research Centre
Sure.
This is a great step internationally. In Canada, this is going to be a world-class facility. One thing Canada needs is a presence in the Arctic, and this is what CHARS will deliver on.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Saxton.
Mr. Brison, you have seven minutes.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thanks to each of you for your interventions today.
You may be wondering in fact why we're talking about public health as part of a budget implementation act. If it makes you feel any better, we're wondering about the same question.
Mr. Cullen mentioned the challenge we have with budget implementation acts that are so massive in terms of the material covered. I think there is a consensus among the members on this side of the table that we would prefer to see measures related strictly to the fiscal framework of government and budgets as part of this. It would enable members of Parliament with even greater expertise than ours to engage directly with experts such as you on issues that are of great importance in terms of public policy but are not issues with which we necessarily have a great depth of experience, such as the area of public health.
That being the case, Mr. Hoffman, have you considered these changes to the governance over the chief public health officer's role in the broader sense of what some have called the muzzling of scientific voices within this government, not just in this instance but more broadly within government departments and agencies?
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
Certainly that's what many of my colleagues have been talking about. Whatever the motivations for this bill and these changes are, concerns about that situation are deepened. We have a situation here in which the chief public health officer will no longer be able to exercise the same level of independence he once had. So in some respects whether the intention is to muzzle, the effect is that the chief public health officer as the chief public health scientist will no longer be able to speak.
My comments were really to highlight the fact that the demotion means he is less likely to be heard when he does speak. Of course now he reports to a bureaucratic agency president, which means that even if he wants to speak, he might not be allowed to. That's a big problem when we have a federal model in which not only does the federal government receive advice from the chief public health officer—of course that's an important part of it—but also our provinces need to have trust in him. The provinces have the majority of health responsibilities in Canada, and if they can't trust that the chief public health officer is basing his advice and public statements on scientific principles rather than political talking points, that's a big problem.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Culbert, Mr. Hoffman talked about the potential politicization of the role. Do you think there is a risk of that for the future in terms of some of the changes we're making to the role? Will there be a heightened risk of politicization around issues in the future?
Excutive Director, Canadian Public Health Association
At the end of the day the CPHO was and will continue to be a civil servant, so there are challenges around that. In our form of government, politicians have the final say, and ministers have the final say on decisions. So to say that a position will become more or less politicized, you're talking about shades of grey, I would say.
When the Naylor committee made its recommendation, as Mr. Hoffman said, one of the options was to create a parliamentary officer, like the Parliamentary Budget Officer. But then once again you have a great spokesperson who is independent but lacks the ability to do anything. They could criticize or support or encourage, but they don't have the authority to actually make something happen.
There is no ideal situation, but the Naylor commission recommendation, and what we've been working with for the past 10 years with a public health professional as the deputy head of the agency with the appropriate bureaucratic support, is what we feel is the best solution if not a perfect solution.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
How does the governance structure proposed in this legislation for the chief public health officer compare with that of governing chief public health officers in other countries, for instance, in the United States? What would you say is the delta between how it's structured there and what is being proposed here?
Excutive Director, Canadian Public Health Association
The United States is a prime example. The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia is both the professional head and the administrative head of CDC, with appropriate bureaucratic supports to ensure that the administrative responsibilities are taken care of. If you look at the British model, it is different. The chief public health officer there is simply an adviser. The same is true for Australia.
Practically every jurisdiction has come up with a unique model, which is somewhat indicative of public health. We develop models that are suitable to the environment in which we find ourselves.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Kettner, you've stated, and I would agree, that in general of course there's ministerial accountability, ultimately, in terms of broad policy decisions. Is there also benefit to a very independent chief public health officer having a direct dialogue with Canadians on issues, including potential pandemics and other areas of national health threats?
Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, As an Individual
Yes, there's a very important benefit, and I don't see that the changes to the Public Health Agency of Canada Act that are being proposed alter that in any way. The chief public health officer can issue a report, is required to issue a report every year, and can issue any report on any public health issue at any time.
By the language, as I interpret it, it means that the independent views of the chief public health officer are not to be vetted by, directed by, or controlled by either the new president of the agency or the minister. That hasn't changed, to my understanding. It's important to keep that independent ability there.
Conservative
Conservative
Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Welcome to our witnesses.
Mr. Therrien, two questions that I'm looking for a bit more clarity on were ones that Mr. Cullen raised but I don't think was quite finished working on.
The first one is the temporary foreign worker program. You had some concerns about the sharing of social insurance numbers with the provinces. I'm just trying to think of why. We share information with the provinces on a regular basis. They have the majority of control and the regulatory regime over workers. We share it not just with provincial officials but with unions and other people interested in labour market agreements. Why the concern on the SIN in particular?