Government Operations Committee on Nov. 29th, 2012

[Robert Hertzog]

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braid.

When you look at how much the department is going to be spending, you have to look at the main estimates and the supplementary estimates, the authorities that are given to us during the year, as well. In supplementary estimates (A), we received only a very minor amount of funding, and in supplementary estimates (B) is the $7.5 million net that was referred to.

Overall, year over year, in our vote 1 there's a decrease of $24.4 million. In our vote 5 there is a decrease of $33.2 million. But that $33.2 million in vote 5 is after a transfer that was made—essentially a transfer to another department, to AANDC—of $38 million. Excluding that transfer, our funding for grants and contributions programs is going up this year by roughly $5 million.

[Daniel Jean]

The transfer that my colleague is referring to was a “machinery of government” transfer when some of our aboriginal programs were transferred to AANDC.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

Thank you, Peter.

For the NDP, we have Linda Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you very much.

I'll ask one brief question and then pass this over to my colleague, Monsieur Blanchette.

I noticed that the CRTC has gone up from.... I don't have the main estimates here, but in the supplementary (A)s, they were at $11.3 million, and then it went to $16.2 million in total. In the programming money that your department provides to CRTC, do you include dollars to support interventions or applications for aboriginal radio and television programming where they are seeking support by the CRTC to run aboriginal programming? I think it's in your mandate—for sure for the CRTC—to be supporting aboriginal programming.

I'm just curious about this. Some regulators, such as energy boards and so forth, provide intervenor costs for those who might have trouble affording an intervention. I am wondering whether those dollar figures, including the increases—because I know there is increased interest in aboriginal broadcasting—include any additional money to assist them to intervene effectively?

[Daniel Jean]

The CRTC, of course, is an organization that has both revenue generation and appropriation. The appropriation is quite small compared with what they have in terms of revenues.

In relation to your specific question on interventions, I'll ask my colleague to answer you.

[René Bouchard, Executive Director, Portfolio Affairs, Department of Canadian Heritage]

I'm going to say, speaking first of all by way of preamble, that overall the level of appropriation for the CRTC has been fairly stable, except for some interventions, which Mr. Jean referred to, for the do-not-call list over the last few years. Within the approximately $10 million to $11 million they receive on an annual basis, about $6 million is linked to employee benefit plans, and the rest of it is for the operation of the organization. So I don't think, quite frankly, that $4.5 million of $5 million is directed toward helping groups to intervene in front of the CRTC.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Okay. So my question is actually quite simple: does Heritage Canada not provide any dollars to the CRTC to support interventions by aboriginal organizations?

[René Bouchard]

To my knowledge, it does not—

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Okay—

Mr. René Bouchard —but we will double-check, and we will get back to you if I'm wrong in my answer.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you very much.

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

In the first quarter, spending on activities in the cultural industries programs are 63% lower. Can you explain why that is the case? Is there a trend to be discerned there?

[Daniel Jean]

In terms of the figures, I will ask Bob to reply.

In terms of the general question on cultural programs, there were no major cuts apart from the ones made as a result of Budget 2012.

[Robert Hertzog]

That is correct. It may be a question of timing. It depends on the time the money was spent, but there were no changes to the budget like…

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

Does that mean that, at the end of the year, I am likely to find something more balanced?

[Daniel Jean]

Yes, that is possible.

Take the contribution to the Canada Media Fund as an example. It depends on the time during the year when it will be made. This is a major contribution that will affect the quarterly reports.

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

Thank you.

In total, what are the 1812 war celebrations going to cost?

[Daniel Jean]

There is an amount totalling $28 million in the federal government budget. Part of that money went to Canadian Heritage and the rest to Parks Canada and other organizations.

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

What are the major cost items in the commemoration of the war of 1812? When will it come to an end?

[Daniel Jean]

As I said earlier, for the war of 1812, an amount of $6.7 million was set aside for the advertising campaign, or, in broader terms, for a media model. There were programs for…

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

Communication costs amount to 25% of the budget for the celebrations?

[Daniel Jean]

As the minister mentioned and as I explained previously, the $28 million was an additional amount put into the budget for the war of 1812. Some money in already existing commemoration programs were also used to support a lot of projects in communities across Canada.

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

So the celebrations will cost more than $28 million, if I understand correctly.

[Daniel Jean]

The celebrations cost more than $28 million, but most of the money is invested in communities across Canada through programs.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

That concludes your time. Thank you very much.

For the Conservatives, we have Bernard Trottier.

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My thanks to our guests for being here this morning. I have some questions for them.

In your comments, you mentioned that there were savings in the International Expositions Program. I know that there has been a debate recently in Toronto, my home city, about the funding and about what should be done to support international expositions. Can you tell me the nature of the savings that were achieved?