Evidence of meeting #5 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was management.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
I'm going to call the meeting to order.
I'm going to turn to Mr. Kramp, who has a motion that was received within the necessary timeframe. I believe we should discuss this before Mr. Wouters gets here.
Mr. Kramp.
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
Thank you.
Colleagues on the committee, I won't read the entire motion. I think you have it front of you there. The purpose of this was to simply clarify what I thought we had discussed at committee here about calling a deputation to hear the issue about the internal turnover problem in the public service.
When we ended up at the committee of the whole I thought our discussion was fairly broad and inclusive with regard to the number of different groups we needed or wanted to hear from. Yet we obviously see on our schedule that the only thing we have, period, is from PSAC, and I don't think that was the original intent. We definitely want to hear from PSAC, but there were other groups, as included and stated in the motion here, that we felt it was important to also hear from so we would have a well-rounded group to represent the issue from all sides and all perspectives.
That is the intent of the motion. The timing, as is suggested there, is simply an option put forward for consideration based on the approval and the direction of the committee as a whole here.
Liberal
Mark Holland Liberal Ajax—Pickering, ON
Thank you, Mrs. Chair.
I don't have a problem with the motion at all.
The only concern I would have is with respect to timing. I know the motion states December 5 and 10. It was my understanding it was December 3 and 5 that was to be set aside for this particular matter. I think we were to begin the federal employee compensation delivery system on December 10.
Liberal
Mark Holland Liberal Ajax—Pickering, ON
It's not a problem at all, and maybe we should just stay with what we had, in terms of December 3 and 5.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
No, I would prefer if you removed the dates and let us work with what we have now.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
As the chair, I can't move an amendment, but I'm making a suggestion here.
Liberal
Mark Holland Liberal Ajax—Pickering, ON
Why don't we just consider it a friendly amendment and remove that?
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
I'd consider it a friendly amendment to basically put in some form of suggested date. But I would like to be able to keep the issue, so that it's not one group one week and then the same issue three weeks later. Let's try to keep it collected so we can have it compressed and have a discussion that's pertinent to the same witnesses.
Liberal
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
Might I just offer an amendment at the bottom, that be it further resolved that these witnesses are called before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates at a date designated by the clerk.
I think the clerk well recognizes the intent of the purpose and how we need to move this.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Madam Chair, I'm in favour of the motion. However, there is one element that I would like to see deleted.
Mr. Kramp, you say that the Public Service Alliance should not be the only group invited to give its opinion on this question. In the fourth paragraph, you state the following concerning that group:
[...] it is radically insufficient in its ability to provide breadth of understanding and information needed [...]
I find that comment somewhat shocking with regard to the Alliance. That is why I would ask you to delete it.
Conservative
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
I asked that the following words be deleted:
[...] it is radically insufficient in its ability to provide breadth of understanding and information needed [...]
He doesn't say this kind of thing about the other witnesses to be invited.
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
I'll delete the one word. I'm not going to take all of it out. It just takes away from the intent of the reason for calling other witnesses.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
He is prepared to delete the word “radically”, but that's all.
Do you agree on the motion as amended? It is Mr. Kramp who amended it. In view of the fact that it is his motion, he is entitled to do so.
All those in favour of this motion as amended by Mr. Kramp?
(Motion as amended agreed to)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Thank you very much, members of the committee.
We now have our guests, all of them, including Mr. Wouters. Welcome, Mr. Wouters, Mr. Burton, and I believe Mr. Moloney, whom we've met before, and Madam Sylvestre, whom we met earlier this week, and Ms. Gillis, whom I don't know--I don't think I've met--nor the other gentlemen, Mr. Smith.
Welcome to the committee. I believe you have a statement. You know the way around committees, so I'll give you the chance to speak. You have about seven to ten minutes, no more.
Wayne Wouters Secretary, Treasury Board Secretariat
Thank you. Merci, Madam.
My apologies for being late. I'm chair of the United Way/Centraide Ottawa this year, and I was at an event where 250 kids from grades one to eight managed to collect $23,000 in their campaign, so I had to be there. I thought I would be easily back, but those programs go on forever, as many of you know. So I apologize for being late.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Mr. Wouters, you're dealing with politicians. We're always in that position, so you're doing very well.