Government Operations Committee on March 22nd, 2010

[Michelle d'Auray]

That's correct. They're actual expenditures.

In terms of the main estimates—I'm getting there—information is drawn from communications costs. Those communications costs include advertising services, publishing services, and public relations and public affairs services.

In terms of the main estimates for 2010-11...I have the main estimates for 2009-10 because we don't have the actual amounts for 2009-10 yet. I can give you the estimates for 2009-10, but I can't give you the actuals until the public accounts are published. The estimates for 2009-10 were $344 million, and the estimates for 2010-11 for communications costs are $336 million. That's for all government organizations.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

All government organizations for communications and--

[Michelle d'Auray]

It's called communications costs, and that includes advertising services, publishing services, and public relations and public affairs services.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Where did you find this in this document?

[Michelle d'Auray]

We collected them.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

So you had to go through and collect it altogether—

[Michelle d'Auray]

That's right, except in the public accounts, where they're actually integrated.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Absolutely, but that's about six months after the end of the year that we're going to receive that information.

[Michelle d'Auray]

That's right.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

So six months after year-end, say around mid-fall, we're going to get the information of how much the government spent on advertising.

You're telling me that you've combed through the main estimates and summarized it to say under communications that it's $336 million. Is that correct?

[Michelle d'Auray]

That's correct.

In terms of advertising costs, we publish on the Treasury Board Secretariat website, on a quarterly basis, what the planned expenditures are for certain types of campaigns.

Currently we have posted quarter one expenditures. There were no quarter two planned expenditures. Quarter three planned expenditures for strictly advertising should be coming up shortly.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Okay, but that's after the fact. I'm looking at the main estimates and you're telling me it's $336 million.

Do you have the central financial management review system data?

[Michelle d'Auray]

I'm sorry?

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

The central financial management review system data. How did you get these items?

[Michelle d'Auray]

We literally collected them from the main--

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Page by page.

[Michelle d'Auray]

Yes, page by page.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

You went through each department and added them all up into a conglomerate?

[Michelle d'Auray]

For the estimates, yes.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

And that's for communications?

[Michelle d'Auray]

I want to be clear. It is for communications costs in terms of planned, as in main, estimates. When we look at expenditures, in terms of planned expenditures, if I can make that difference, in terms of advertising per se, those are published on a quarterly basis on the Treasury Board Secretariat website.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Okay, so that would clarify communications. What about for consultants?

[Michelle d'Auray]

The consultants are found in the operating budgets. There is a line item for that—and my colleague is pointing that out. For 2010-11, the planned—again, this is something we collected—is on page I-34 of the main estimates.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

And is this something that you went through line by line?

[Michelle d'Auray]

No, it's actually on I--