Government Operations Committee on April 2nd, 2009

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

If they want, they can—

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

No, could you just indicate the source? You're reading them almost quasi-biblically. I'm sure they're quite accurate. I'm not questioning that at all, but could you just give us a sense of the source?

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Well, first off, why don't I just go ahead and read them and then we can ask some questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

It's your time. Sure, okay, go ahead.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Thank you.

Number two, funds can only be allocated between April 1 and June 30, 2009, as bridge funding, until money is available for supplementary estimates A and B.

[Alister Smith]

Correct.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

And every economic action plan initiative funded from this will require Treasury Board approval.

[Alister Smith]

Correct.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

And existing policy requirements on accountability and reporting must be met.

[Alister Smith]

Correct.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

And reporting on the use of these funds will be done in supplementary estimates and quarterly reports to Parliament on the economic action plan. All good.

So now, to get to what some of my colleagues on the other side have been saying, for example, Mr. Martin with the NDP talked today about hanky-panky, and he asked how he could know that hanky-panky isn't going to be happening. I think at previous meetings he's talked about a pig in a poke.

So my question to our friends from the Treasury Board today is this. If for example we wanted to take a hanky with “panky” written on it, we wanted to take a pig that had been poked, we wanted to take a sports car—let's say the minister was interested in a Porsche 911 Tiptronic with automatic shifting—or any of those three, the hanky with “panky”, or the pig that has been poked, or the sports car, could any of those three be funded, given the guidelines we've got?

[Alister Smith]

Most unlikely.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

All right.

I'm glad Mr. Martin has heard that and the opposition has heard that. I just wanted to make sure we cleared that up. That's my question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

You're always so succinct.

Do you have a point of order?

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

No, it's not a point of order. I just wondered if there was any time left. I would take it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

I'm sure Mr. Anders would love to cede you his remaining time. It's three minutes.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

There you go.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair; I appreciate that.

In terms of the allocation of these funds, in my effort to reduce or clear the muddy waters, my understanding is that the money in this $3 billion vote will lapse after June 30. When we're talking about what has to be done so it doesn't lapse, it simply has to be allocated to a specific department or agency. Is that right?

[Alister Smith]

That is correct.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

So although there is a hope the money will have been spent and sent out to the Canadian population, what we're really talking about in vote 35 is simply allowing the money to flow to departments and agencies for initiatives that were described in the budget.

[Alister Smith]

That's correct.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I think that's an important thing, because what we have a responsibility to do as the government operations and estimates committee, I believe, is to make sure of the operations of government, that the money is flowing, and that this $3 billion is getting out to different departments and agencies and different things. There will be other committees, of course, that are going to be looking at the spendings and the allocations within those specific departments. I don't know that there are many other committees that can do this, and our responsibility is to make sure the $3 billion gets allocated and the rules are followed in the allocation of these funds to the different departments and agencies. And then of course those other committees will have quite a job to ensure that those programs and different things happen within transport or human resources, or whatever.

I just wanted to make sure I understood that it lapses if in fact it doesn't go to a specific agency or department. Really, vote 35 is simply a cash management tool.

[Alister Smith]

Yes, that's correct.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Thank you so much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Derek Lee]

Thank you.

Monsieur Roy, followed by Mr. Martin.