Evidence of meeting #41 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was budget.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
I'll just pull up that table.
If I can direct members to a table here in the document, on page I-6 of the main estimates, transfers to persons will total $82.6 billion in fiscal year 2015-16, compared to $75.3 billion at this time this year.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Wow. I think the public has to understand that and realize that, because I think that's significant. It's going to individuals. It's going to seniors, I think he said.
5:15 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
This is for elderly benefits, employment insurance, other children's benefits, and the universal child care benefit.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
That is fantastic.
The other thing, being that I am a fiscally conservative type of person, is that Treasury Board apparently is asking for $6.9 billion in planned spending. You can answer to that $6.9 billion, I'm sure; that's your department. But is it true that it's a decrease of $472 million?
5:15 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, it is.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
5:15 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
It is.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Can you explain how you managed to do that? Are you working more efficiently or what?
5:15 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
There are two components to the Treasury Board appropriation.
Vote 1 is our program expenditure. This is the vote available to the department to manage itself. It's operating costs and programs. The other votes that we see listed under the Treasury Board Secretariat are, in fact, what we call central votes, which exist for the management of the public service as a whole. They are administered by Treasury Board, but they support public service management. We spoke earlier about vote 20 and public service insurance.
A big part of what we're seeing here in the reduction is for the vote 30, called “Paylist Requirements”. Vote 30 is the means by which we reimburse departments for their costs of parental leave and severance. We are seeing this year, as referenced by the minister, a reduction as a result of the winding down of severance, as well as the pay in arrears. There was a one-time spike in that vote last year to put the government onto a modern pay-in-arrears process, so now we are seeing a significant decrease, $850 million, in that vote this year.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
That's a real savings, a real reduction, not just a....
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
The ongoing savings from winding down severance are $500 million annually. Each and every year, the government will save $500 million.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Wow.
What votes specifically does the funding for the Treasury Board Secretariat fall under in the main estimates?
5:20 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
As I said, there are seven votes in total, only one of which is for the Treasury Board Secretariat per se. My colleague Renée Lafontaine is the chief financial officer and will administer that vote on behalf of the department. In vote 1, program expenditures, we are seeing a request for $219.6 million. That's a decrease from last year's main estimates of $231.2 million.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
It went from $231.2 million last year to $219.6 million this year.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Good for you. You're running leaner and meaner. That's what I like to hear.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Guy, I'm afraid your time has expired. Thank you very much.
Next we'll go to Mr. Tarik Brahmi.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
Tarik Brahmi NDP Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In the 2015-2016 main estimates, funding of $315 million has been allocated for the operations, repairs and maintenance of the Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges. I use this last bridge regularly and I remember that in 2013, 12 cracked beams were detected. At the end of 2013, a super beam was installed, which was then removed in 2014.
My next question is the following: how are the funds broken down between the Jacques-Cartier and the Champlain Bridge? Regarding the Champlain Bridge, why are funds being requested for repairs and maintenance, in light of what was done in 2013 and 2014 with the installation of the super beam?
5:20 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
Thank you for the question.
The amounts are set out in the main estimates but I do not have the exact details of the projects in hand. This is a question you should put to the representatives of the department.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
Tarik Brahmi NDP Saint-Jean, QC
Fine. I understand.
How will the funding be broken down between the Champlain Bridge and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge? There is a global amount, if I understand correctly.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
Tarik Brahmi NDP Saint-Jean, QC
Very well.
I'd like to ask another question concerning Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada is requesting $126 million in funding in the supplementary estimates. What does this mean for the number of police officers who are deployed abroad? How will this affect our participation in the assistance provided to Ukraine, for instance? Will the recent developments in Ukraine affect this expenditure?
5:20 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
I thank you for your question, but I do not have the—