Government Operations Committee on March 24th, 2009

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

That gives us one meeting next week, then.

The Thursday meeting, at this point, is unallocated. We have invited each of the government departments. We're not formally inviting them; we're asking them if they would like to appear, on their estimates, next Thursday. We don't yet have any confirmations.

So Thursday, April 2, is unallocated. Then Parliament has the two-week break over Easter.

If there are no comments on that, would anyone like to address the unallocated meeting on Thursday, April 2?

Mr. Warkentin.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

There is a possibility that out of the discussion with Madame Barrados and the issue with regard to demographic challenges.... I think this is something that has been bubbling along at this committee, in the previous Parliament as well as this one. It has never been addressed in any comprehensive manner.

I would suggest that possibly out of the meeting with Madame Barrados we could maybe have a more fulsome discussion on that particular issue.

Maybe we could suggest witnesses for that. I would like to see this committee have maybe not a report, but at least a draft document or a document that we could propose that this committee is possibly concerned or possibly not concerned, but we could put this issue to rest once and for all.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

There's a suggestion that we leave the Thursday as a swing day for further evidence on the issue of the public service demographic challenge.

Ms. Hall Findlay.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Given what we've heard before, and I understand Mr. Warkentin's concern, I'm not sure that it would take that much more of our time, and I would just like to throw into the mix--and maybe it's inappropriate to do it now--that one of the big lacks that I had seen in their procurement discussions was the lack of representation by ITAC. I don't know if you were looking for a way to fill what now may be an empty day. I throw that open to my colleagues to see what they think about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

Madame Bourgeois, before you jump in, because I know you're going to mention the procurement study involving--

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

My recommendation for ITAC would be because of the procurement--

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

I've been asking our researcher to build a series of meetings--two, three, or four--on this whole issue of government procurement. I had indicated to her that the start date for that would be Thursday, April 23. I'm reluctant, as chair, to let our study be driven by witnesses. I think we ourselves should determine the directions and the content. ITAC has certainly been desirous of presenting on this, but--

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Well, I personally am desirous of having ITAC, given my past history with the work that they have done over a number of years. It seems logical to have them involved.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

That's acknowledged.

So our researcher will get back to us, either at a meeting or directly by correspondence, with a proposal involving two, three, or four meetings, with the intention that we try to reach some conclusions and report it to the House. I'd like to do it fairly intensively and package it.

Ms. Bourgeois.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

I would like to come back to the Public Service Commission issue. If I am not mistaken, we will hold two meetings: one on March 31 and the other on April 2. I would be very pleased if this were the case. When Ms. Barrados appeared before us, we said that we had insufficient material to make a report, but that an alternative would consist in giving her a mandate whereby the committee would request that she do some research with regard to certain issues.

I am pleased with the fact that we will have two meetings. I think that this is also your opinion, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

Mr. Warkentin has suggested that the public service issues may require a second meeting and that Thursday is available for that purpose. If all members are agreed to that, there's no problem.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

It is fine with me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

Now I want to deal with Tuesday, April 21. That is a day when I'm going to suggest that we bring back to us the public officials responsible for the stimulus spending, either in programming or in projects. They were before us earlier. It was early stages. The spending here is a very large amount and uses a procedure that is not normal, and we're perhaps the only committee in the House that would be able to carry out the parliamentary function of scrutiny of the background procedures.

We know that the process involved in this is one that develops over time. We've asked for a list. Of course they don't have a completed list; the list will evolve throughout the year. The government has indicated they will have a website, but my purpose in hoping that this will be a part of our agenda is that we can scrutinize the evolving government agenda in getting the spending money out and getting it out carefully and making reference to the letter made public recently from the Auditor General where she has made some suggestions to the government.

So I think we could usefully dedicate a meeting to that, and I think we'd have the cooperation of the government officials, without micro-managing what they do. We don't want to do that. We can't do that. But if you're happy to do that, to reopen the book on the process of the stimulus spending, we would do that on April 21 and have present here the appropriate officials to explain the status and explain it to Parliament through us, recognizing that there's a report--what's it called, a probation report or something--on June 1. So we might need another one or two meetings beyond this, depending how curious members are and the status of the process.

So having said that, without any objection I would schedule that meeting for April 21. Any comments? No?

Are we ready to adjourn?

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

I want to make sure that we will get some answers. Several witnesses did not give us any answers. It seems to be a waste of time. How can we go about finding witnesses who can help us?

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

In reply, for many government officials, they are often reluctant to name the baby before the baby is born, and they are working under fairly significant pressure here, new rules, new ministers, so let's give them a chance and I'm sure we'll get the answers we need.

Okay?

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

All right.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

We'll do our best.

Thank you very much. The meeting is adjourned.