Government Operations Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2011

[Marc Bélisle]

--a portion. It's over three years, so it's $5.7 million in total, and it's 5% of our budget.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

Ron, I gave you half a minute there. Could you wrap it up, please?

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Okay.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

Thank you.

Next we'll go to Denis Blanchette.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to go back to the matter of the Special Advisor on Human Smuggling and Illegal Migration. While you have explained that a number of organizations are involved, this is first and foremost an immigration issue. Why is the Privy Council Office handling it? Why is someone from the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism not doing this kind of coordination work between organizations? Why is this a Privy Council responsibility?

[Yvan Roy]

Mr. Blanchette, I understand that you are focusing on immigration, but the issue is a huge one that really goes well beyond immigration. The international crime aspect is no small matter. That is why so many countries in the international community are interested. Mr. Elcock's role is not just with immigration. It is also with law enforcement, with the RCMP, CSIS and other organizations. That level of government-wide coordination was necessary. That is why the coordinator was placed in the Privy Council Office.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

I understand all that, except that, in Canada, we find ourselves affected by way of immigration. That is how it comes to us. I understand that there are other aspects, but I am interested to see how that coordination is viewed, especially when departments are equipped to do the work and to coordinate themselves. Departments are perfectly capable of talking to each other, you know. I am a little surprised that the Privy Council Office has inherited the responsibility for this.

You are asking for more money for Mr. Elcock and his office. Could you tell me how many people he has working with him?

[Marc Bélisle]

Six people work in his office.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

What is the total amount of the budget you anticipate?

[Marc Bélisle]

We are asking for $1 million for Mr. Elcock's budget.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Is that $1 million more?

[Marc Bélisle]

No. At the beginning of the year, there was nothing in the budget. This is the budget for the whole year.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

It was established in September 2010 but there has been no money up to now.

[Marc Bélisle]

There was money last year to cover the operating expenses from September to March. Now we are asking for money from April to March this year.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

How did you pay him from March until now? If there was no money in the budget as of April 1, you had no money to pay him.

[Marc Bélisle]

That is correct. At the moment, we are reallocating funds internally so that we can pay him until we get funding for the organization.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Okay.

I have one last question. Then I will yield the floor to my colleague.

In terms of Mr. Elcock's work with various departments and organizations, each is autonomous. What is the real added value of his work with those various departments and organizations? What value are we getting from the budget allocated to Mr. Elcock and his group?

[Marc Bélisle]

We have always felt that, with a central coordinator, we maximize the efficiency of our horizontal initiatives. In so doing, we sometimes avoid the duplication you find in some departments. It makes sure that the message is clear for everyone involved. As a result, the work that goes on is much more harmonized.

In the past, when we did not have this kind of coordination, there was all kinds of duplication, both in costs and in programming, because sometimes there is not all the dialogue there could be. Now we are trying to give ourselves every chance to succeed.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Thank you very much.

Over to you, Ève.

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Could the witnesses give us the details of the costs on page 64, for vote 1b. The request is for an adjustment of $11,620,963. The description is pretty long, so I will not read it. But I would like to know where the money will be spent. Where is it going to go?

[Yvan Roy]

Could you repeat the page where you are finding that information?

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

In the French version, it is page 64, vote 1b. It asks for an adjustment of $11 million, plus a few hundred thousand.

[Marc Bélisle]

I don't have the French version.

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

I can give it to you, if you like.

[Marc Bélisle]

Okay.