Fisheries Committee on Oct. 29th, 2009

[Michaela Huard]

I have to confess that I'm not as familiar with what it was. I know that now it takes a matter of weeks with respect to tendering. I know that we've worked very hard to try to ensure that our budgets are in place. Our deputy minister, for instance, is very keen on ensuring that our regions have their budgets at the beginning of the year so that they know what they're going to be doing and building and they're not finding out later.

I don't know specifically. There have been some special authorities we sought with respect to the economic action plan to ensure that we would be able to move projects quickly. But I can't compare the previous process to the current one.

[Micheline Leduc]

Maybe I can add a couple of additional elements. The contracting authority is one. Many regions were well positioned in that a lot of the planning and engineering work was already done. It was “Take it off the shelf, dust it off, and let's move on.” So that was very good.

We're also getting very good assistance from the Department of Public Works. In that regard, it's helping us move our projects along quite nicely. Also, as part of the initiative, we have more engineers and technicians helping out. That's allowing us to advance the pace more quickly. Of course, we have to abide by contracting rules and regulations, but maybe through standing offers we're able to tap into consultants. Everything that is available to us we are tapping into, and so far it has been quite successful.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

The next question I'd like to ask before I turn it over to Tilly concerns the volunteer frustration. Of course we heard a lot about that in the testimony of the local people. A lot of it was because of not being able to get the projects done and what were they doing all this work for, and they were constantly being beaten up by their clientele. You commented just briefly on some of those dollars.

How much was that? And what is the reaction on the ground to that, and what is the reaction on the ground by the people in these harbours, based on this influx of money that we've seen?

[Michaela Huard]

First of all, I'd say I haven't been to a lot of harbours yet. To be honest, I was supposed to be in Newfoundland today to see some harbours. But the ones I've been to, it's really amazing to see the pride in the faces of the people who belong to the harbour authorities, and the harbour managers. They were very anxious to show me what they had and what was going to be happening, and they were really pleased. It did a lot for morale just to be able to say they had a project coming. To be very honest, I've seen that firsthand.

There are a number of other things. One of the things they complained about, which I think Micheline referred to, was the lack of staff. We have hired more staff—I think approximately 30—and I believe 25 of them are in the region, working with the harbour authorities and clients. We understand that's quite positive.

There are a number of things we've tried to do in providing better advice to them, harbour authority manuals, trying to pull people together to work on common issues like the derelict vessels issue. There has been the addition of money for grants and contributions. I think $500,000 has been added to that. I think $100,000 per region had been provided before that, if I haven't mixed that up.

So there are a number of things we have done that are being positively received. I will be meeting with them for the first time on the 24th to 26th of November, which will be my first opportunity to sit with representatives of them. So I may hear other things from them then, but that's the reaction I've personally seen.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

I appreciate that very much.

Tilly.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Thank you.

I want to welcome you here.

Coming from the Miramichi in New Brunswick, I certainly have lots of small craft harbours in my area, and I appreciate the work of the harbour authorities. As you said, it's nice to see the pride they take in that.

I just have a question. Do you know what the current size of the small craft harbour infrastructure deficit is?

[Michaela Huard]

That was similar to the question that was asked with respect to what we need to do to keep it up to date. We don't have a precise number. We really have been trying so hard to get on with the projects. We have money to spend, which is nice. I don't mean to call it a problem, but it's a nice situation to have. So we're trying to do that as much as possible.

We know that isn't enough, but I don't have the figure. We have not put aside that work to recalibrate what that would be or to update it. I'm sure once the $200 million has been spent—actually, before it's spent—we will have to do that, but I don't have it today.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Does the department have a multi-year investment plan with clear goals and priorities?

[Michaela Huard]

Absolutely. Micheline is more familiar with the details of how it works, but it is a five-year plan. It does look at what projects are going to be done this year and into the future.

When I have been visiting in regions, people on the ground have amazed me that they know precisely that this project is this year, this one is next year, and this one is three years out. They know precisely the order and the priority in which they have to go.

So yes, and it's updated on an annual basis.

Micheline, do you want to add details?

[Micheline Leduc]

They're a bit technical. We refer to it as our long-term capital planning exercise. It identifies what we call our major capital projects, those that are valued at more than $1 million. So yes, we update it every year. It's for a five-year period. We also identify the project needs beyond that.

I don't know if it was mentioned but also as a recurring or annual process we do prepare an expenditure plan, which also encompasses O & M, or operating projects, as well as capital projects.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you very much.

We'll move on to the second round at this time.

Mr. Byrne, two minutes per party for this round.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Thank you.

I was just wondering, of the $200 million that was allocated under the stimulus fund, how much of that was actually used for administration and overheads? Was there additional staff hired by the small craft harbours branch included in those overheads?

[Michaela Huard]

Of the $200 million, $192 million has been spent on projects, or will be spent on projects, over the two years. The remainder of that, approximately a little less than $8 million, will be spent with respect to project management and other support for getting the projects done.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Does project management include engineering services from Public Works, or is that part of the $192 million?

[Michaela Huard]

Not from Public Works, but we have extra staff. I can't remember the precise number. I believe it's 12, but I may be wrong, new engineers we are bringing on to enable us to carry out these projects.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

The publicity surrounding the projects themselves, the nice green signs that sometimes appear, is that included as part of the project cost, or is that part of the administration, the overhead cost?

[Michaela Huard]

I believe we pay for it through the administration costs.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Could you confirm that, Micheline?

[Micheline Leduc]

In terms of the purchase, we did pay it out of the administration costs.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

What about the installation itself? Is that part of the operational costs or the administration, the overhead costs?

[Michaela Huard]

I think in some cases they were actually installed by harbour authorities, but I'd have to check precisely. As I said, there were 250 projects. It varied by project.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Would you be able to provide to the committee a detailed breakdown of exactly what the cost of purchasing and affixing that signage is to the program?

[Michaela Huard]

I know we have the figure on purchasing. I'd have to check with respect to the installation. As I said, some of that will have been done by our staff or by volunteers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you very much.

Monsieur Blais.