Government Operations Committee on March 1st, 2018

[Jean-Denis Fréchette]

You have put your finger on it. In its publication, a party may say, for example, that the PBO assessed their measure at $1 billion, that the party is happy and that the situation is good for all Canadians. However, I won't to be able to make that information public on my side.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

There is an interaction, a possibility to interfere, between you and Elections Canada, but you surely don't want to do that or to get involved in the political side of things.

How are you and Elections Canada dealing with this legislation?

[Jean-Denis Fréchette]

We have met twice since the legislation was adopted.

The Elections Canada representatives said they understood very well that we were in a situation that is sometimes unsustainable, especially if the information we are revealing starts to be manipulated. They said they cannot do anything about that. One of my concerns is that we will provide a service for political parties that will not have to pay for that service during an election period.

The interpretation of the Canada Elections Act is that, if something is in the act, it is authorized and there is no problem. However, they do see a problem, which is that we would start to influence the course of the election if we intervene. For example, in the case of the $1 billion I mentioned, a political party could say that, no, the PBO rather said that it would cost $500 million, and that it's not true—I am looking at a worst case scenario. The office will then have to intervene. At Elections Canada, they are aware of the possibility of me having to intervene during the election campaign.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Could you intervene at any point during the campaign?

[Jean-Denis Fréchette]

We could do it at any point, once we see that the news or the interpretation of our documents will be more or less distorted.

[Ramez Ayoub, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you very much.

Colleagues, we'll suspend here. I want to thank all of our witnesses for appearing here today.

On a personal note, I would like to thank you because as parliamentarians, we're very accustomed unfortunately to a lot of time spent dealing with government departments and officials and hearing nothing but talking points and obfuscations.

It is very refreshing to hear the openness and candour that you have exhibited in some of your answers to our questions here today. I thank you very much for that on behalf of all of our colleagues.

Colleagues, we will suspend for a couple moments, and then we will get back to the table and deal with the votes for supplementary estimates.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Colleagues, if I could get all members back to the table please. We have a couple more minutes to go.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you, colleagues. This shouldn't take too long.

Do I have the unanimous consent of the committee to call all of the votes of supplementary estimates (C) 2017-18 together?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Shall votes 1c, 5c, and L7c under the Department of Public Works and Government Services; shall vote 3c under the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer; shall vote 1c under Privy Council Office; shall votes 1c and 5c under Shared Services Canada; and shall votes 1c, 15c, 20c, and 30c under Treasury Board Secretariat carry?

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Vote 1c—Operating expenditures..........$159,985,195

Vote 5c—Capital expenditures..........$28,756,764

Vote L7c—Imprest funds, accountable advances, and recoverable advances..........$14,000,000

(Votes 1c, 5c, and L7c agreed to on division)

OFFICE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICER

Vote 3c—Program expenditures..........$690,652

(Vote 3c agreed to on division)

PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE

Vote 1c—Program expenditures..........$3,247,797

(Vote 1c agreed to on division)

SHARED SERVICES CANADA

Vote 1c—Operating expenditures..........$20,455,242

Vote 5c—Capital expenditures..........$150,000

(Votes 1c and 5c agreed to on division)

TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT

Vote 1c—Program expenditures..........$10,430,068

Vote 15c—Compensation adjustments..........$36,120,434

Vote 20c—Public service insurance..........$622,900,000

Vote 30c—Paylist requirements..........$250,000,000

(Votes 1c, 15c, 20c, and 30c agreed to on division)

Shall the chair report the supplementary estimates (C) 2017-18 to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Do I have the unanimous consent of the committee to call all of the votes of the interim estimates 2018-19 together?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Shall vote 1 under Canada Post Corporation; shall vote 1 under Canada School of Public Service; shall vote 1 under Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat; shall vote 1 under Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board; shall votes 1 and 5 under Department of Public Works and Government Services; shall vote 1 under Office of the Governor General's Secretary; shall vote 1 under Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer; shall vote 1 under Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner; shall vote 1 under Privy Council Office; shall vote 1 under Public Service Commission; shall vote 1 under Senate; shall votes 1 and 5 under Shared Services Canada; and shall votes 1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, and 35 under Treasury Board Secretariat carry?

CANADA POST CORPORATION

Vote 1—Payments to the corporation for special purposes..........$5,552,500

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

CANADA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$16,097,941

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

CANADIAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$1,396,306

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND SAFETY BOARD

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$6,740,401

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$646,567,281

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$295,256,393

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S SECRETARY

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$4,996,577

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

OFFICE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICER

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$2,909,820

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER

Vote 1—Program expenditures and contributions..........$1,252,472

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$37,571,013

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$24,786,900

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

SENATE

Vote 1—Program expenditures and contributions..........$18,537,806

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

SHARED SERVICES CANADA

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$413, 909, 505

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$75,026,057

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)

TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$77,768,597

Vote 5—Government contingencies..........$687,500,000

Vote 10—Government-wide initiatives..........$798,250

Vote 20—Public service insurance..........$599,726,349

Vote 25—Operating budget carry forward..........$400,000,000

Vote 30—Paylist requirements..........$150,000,000

Vote 35—Capital budget carry forward..........$150,000,000

(Votes 1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, and 35 agreed to on division)

Shall the chair report the interim estimates 2018-19 to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you very much, colleagues. I appreciate this. These will be reported tomorrow.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

Are we adjourned?

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

We are adjourned.