Government Operations Committee on Feb. 15th, 2018

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I'm sorry. I'm getting away from Treasury Board. There's $5.9 million for fighter jets. Can you tell us exactly what that is for? We haven't even really launched anything yet.

[Brian Pagan]

It's two streams. Approximately $4.1 million of that amount is for the interim replacement. We struck an agreement with the Government of Australia to purchase F-18s and parts. We're ramping up for that.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

We're seeing 2020. It's another two years before the first 40-year-old jet shows up, so what's that $4 million for?

[Brian Pagan]

I'd have to get more details.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Do you mind? What's the other $2 million of that?

[Brian Pagan]

The other is setting up the project office for the design and development of the replacement fighter program.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

That's great. Very quickly, there's $1.5 million for rehab of the West Memorial Building. That's Public Works again. What is that for?

[Brian Pagan]

This is preparing West Block to become the site of the Supreme Court. There's going to be a major renovation of the Supreme Court building commencing next year, so we're just finishing up “swing space”, as we call it, to move the Supreme Court into that space.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

The PBO's transitioning from reporting to the library to a new role. There's $690,000. How much of that is going to extra resources for the PBO, which are greatly needed, and how much is transitional costs? Are these new resources, or is this going to be used up in paperwork as it moves to being an officer of Parliament?

[Brian Pagan]

Those requirements are presented and approved by the Board of Internal Economy. If Treasury Board has no.... As part of the new legislation in creating an independent PBO they are adding capacity. Staffing is going to increase, and I understand part of this is for that.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

It will be for new resources.

[Brian Pagan]

Yes.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

That's very good. Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Drouin.

You have five minutes.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thanks to the witnesses for being here.

Madame LaFontaine, I think you answered some questions regarding the service income security insurance plan, and you said this was to replenish the reserve funds of $622.9 million. You said you work with actuaries. Next year are we going to expect to see the same amount, or are we going to adjust for next year?

[Renée LaFontaine]

I guess it depends on the number of medically released. We have made an assumption. The previous assumptions were based on 1,600 new medically released CAF members a year. We have upped that now in these new estimates to 2,500. Based on our experience last year and the year before, we expect that to be the amount going forward, and then we expect them to decline again, but we'll be updating as things change. Does that answer your question?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Yes. It would jump from 1,600 up to 2,500? That's a significant increase in one year.

[Renée LaFontaine]

That's why we got into a deficit. It happened over a three-year period. Manulife continued to pay out the claims so we got ourselves into deficit. We're paying charges so now we're bringing ourselves back to financial sustainability.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Okay. That's great.

Brian, I want to congratulate you guys on the new InfoBase website. I think it's a good starting point. Slight improvements might be made, as I'm sure you know. My Prime Minister always like to say “better is always possible”. I'm wondering how Treasury Board is working with other departments to ensure that the data and the plans of departments are reported. I'll give you one simple example. It has to do with CRA and the blocked calls and what the Auditor General has reported.

Of course they decided to block calls to meet their objectives. Most Canadians would say that's disingenuous. It's not being honest on the way we should be reporting to meet service standards. I'm wondering if Treasury Board is working with departments to ensure this does not happen again, and it will also have an impact on the departmental plans and the results that come out of this.

[Brian Pagan]

Thank you, Mr. Drouin. There are two parts.

First of all, on InfoBase, I appreciate the recognition that it is improving. I agree that better is always possible. In my world, we'll get InfoBase to the point where I don't have to come here anymore.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Brian Pagan]

Everything you want to know is going to be on InfoBase.

In terms of the issue of departmental reporting, it builds on Mr. McCauley's question.

We've worked very hard over the last year. There's a new policy from TBS on results, so departments have come forward with new ideas about how they present their business and what their core responsibilities are. We challenge them on that, and once we agree on what their core responsibilities are, departments articulate what they're trying to achieve and what the result target is. We challenge them on that and then on what the indicators are that they're going to use to measure progress against that target.

That has been a discussion between ministers. There's an agreement between ministers that this is who we are, what we're trying to achieve, and how we're going to report. Once we have that frame in place, we provide the guidance in terms of how to develop a report and how to fill out the tables.

In terms of the editorial control, at the end of the day it is a report that is owned by ministers. They sign off on it. We do have a role in looking and challenging, as do two other important observers. There are departmental audit committees that are discrete—these are external third-party committees that provide guidance and, in some cases, direction to departments—and there is the Auditor General, as you mentioned. When we bring those three together, I think we have the makings of the governance to ensure that reports are credible and accurately reflect what departments are trying to achieve and what they have achieved.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you, Mr. Drouin.

We'll go to Mr. Kelly for five minutes.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Thank you.

Regarding access to information and changes that have been made to the access to information law, there's additional funding. Do you know how many new employees that will translate to? Is there anything you can say about the efficacy of access to information under the new law and with the new funding? The delays on ATIPs remain, and the backlog is still what most Canadians would find unacceptable.

[Renée LaFontaine]

I'm sorry. I didn't note the number of new staff that we'll be hiring at TBS to do this, but I want to give some precision on what exactly this money is for.

I think you know that our proposed new legislation is currently in the Senate. This funding is to support those proactive publication mechanisms that are being proposed in that new legislation. For example, when we prepare briefing binders like this for our minister to come to committee, these would be proactively disclosed regularly. This money is for the future, when the new Access to Information Act is in place. It's focused on the current departments and agencies that are involved in access, and it also adds crown corporations, the Prime Minister's Office, and the ministers' offices.