Evidence of meeting #54 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was advertising.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director, Advertising Coordination and Partnerships, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Then there are variable fees that are established in the contract. They depend on what they purchase.
Director, Advertising Coordination and Partnerships, Department of Public Works and Government Services
If they're executing a campaign for a particular department and buying television, they're paid x amount of dollars up to a maximum, and so on.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
So I'm hearing you say that this agency of record provides a very broad range of services. Second, as taxpayers we can't know how much, in a general sense, we spend on our agency of record.
Maybe you can't tell me the monthly retainer, but you could tell me if you spend $100 million on your agency of record or $10 million. Can you give us some kind of indication? Take that under advisement and get back to the committee, if you would be so kind.
Can you tell us the name of the agency of record? That's not confidential.
Director, Advertising Coordination and Partnerships, Department of Public Works and Government Services
That is public record. It is Cossette Communication.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
They provide all the advertising buy and advice to government.
Here's my concern and why I ask these questions. I've noticed dovetailing over the last few months, and a number of people have asked me about it. They see a Government of Canada ad, and then two ads later there's a Conservative Party ad. It's very difficult to dovetail because there are so many advertisements in a roster. How can the Conservative Party be in the same cycle and roster as the Government of Canada? It can't be coincidental.
I'm sure you can't answer that question, but it does beg a question about how that is possible.
Mark Perlman Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Consulting, Information and Shared Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I'll take that one.
First of all, we're not responsible for the buys for the political parties.
Liberal
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Consulting, Information and Shared Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We issue guidelines to the agency of record, and they are passed on to the broadcasters, about proper spacing and how these ads show up in broadcast.
Liberal
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Consulting, Information and Shared Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I can. Would you like me to go into them at all?
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Consulting, Information and Shared Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
For example, the guidelines specify how many Government of Canada ads should be in a particular broadcast--how many should be spaced out. There's also a separation that is supposed to be there from other levels of government and political parties. For example, in the same station break there should not be an ad from another level of government or political party.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Consulting, Information and Shared Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
It does not, that we're aware of. We're not aware of a back-to-back or a dovetailing happening. If it is brought to our attention, we will bring it to the attention of the agency of record and the broadcaster. At that point, the broadcaster is asked to make good on it—that's the term in the contract—which basically would mean that they would treat the Government of Canada ad as not having happened, and then we'd rebroadcast it.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Thank you for your table; that would be great.
I only have a short period of time and so many questions.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Consulting, Information and Shared Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
We now know—today it has been reported—that $4 million has been set aside for advertising for the upcoming budget, and the upcoming budget is going to be presented on March 22. That leaves about $4 million for seven days of advertising.
Have these ads already been prepared? Can someone answer that?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Communications and Consultations, Privy Council Office
Yes, I can do that.
The allocations for advertising for the budget were actually passed last April.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Communications and Consultations, Privy Council Office
We didn't know the timing of the federal budget at all—
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
But the point of the matter is that we have $4 million allocated for—
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Communications and Consultations, Privy Council Office
—so we won't know until the budget is tabled. We have allocated nothing.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
The Treasury Board website says you have allocated $4 million.