Government Operations Committee on Dec. 2nd, 2010

[Kevin Page]

The budget plan is to have a three-year freeze. Without the strategy around the plan and the information, we don't know how they will achieve it beyond.... Actually, we have 51 references in supplementary estimates, but even then we don't understand how these are going to relate to their freeze responsibilities for next year and the year after.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Do you have any idea when Parliament will receive details regarding the remaining budget reductions?

[Kevin Page]

I assume that for 2010-11, sir, there will be a supplementary estimates (C), and we'll see the balance of that $300 million at that point in time.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

We hope to have them, then; other than that, we have nothing,

That's a pretty pathetic indictment, Mr. Chairman.

I think my colleague Ms. Coady may have some questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you very much.

In your report this morning you talked about the infrastructure program and you said that a large number of projects will not be complete by the March 31, 2011, dateline, and that, from a response to an order paper question, 1,054 out of the 3,193 infrastructure projects will not likely be completed by December of this year, meaning that by the March deadline we may have upwards of, say, 1,000 projects not yet complete.

As you know, the Minister of Finance, Mr. Flaherty, has said that the deadline will not be extended. The minister responsible for infrastructure has given some indication that maybe they'll be a little soft on the deadline; they're in discussions.

Under these estimates, the Office of Infrastructure of Canada is seeking funding of $184.2 million for the municipal rural infrastructure fund and $166.5 million for the Building Canada fund; yet the Infrastructure Canada performance report says that the government failed to deliver 75% of the action plan money.

With that money still on the table, why are they asking for more money? Perhaps you can comment on the additional request, since you've done some review of it, as well as on the concern about the March 31 deadline.

Thank you.

[Kevin Page]

We think there is real risk that there will be money lapsed this year, and it is definitely related to the request by the department for additional resources this year. When we look back as well at.... One of the reasons we chose to look at Infrastructure Canada early on, in 2008 and 2009, and focus on it was that there was a history in the department of lapsing significant funds—upwards of $1 billion a year.

Here we find ourselves in supplementary estimates (B), with the department requesting additional resources to deal with this. We're doing our analysis, and our analysis suggests that there is going to be a lapse. To understand the details of how, you would really need to speak to the deputy of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to see why they feel they need these additional resources and how the request relates to their own lapse estimate.

We provided a lapse estimate. We're making it public; they may wish to do the same.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Madame Coady.

Thank you, Mr. Page, and your colleagues. You are always helpful, and we appreciate your assistance in our deliberations.

Colleagues, I'm going to suspend while Mr. Page and his colleagues leave. I'd ask you not to leave the table. We have two or three things we have to deal with.

[Proceedings continue in camera]