Evidence of meeting #131 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was budget.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Patrick Williams
Jean-Denis Fréchette  Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Mostafa Askari  Deputy Parliamentary Budget Officer, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Jason Stanton  Financial Analyst, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Matthew Shea  Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
Marian Campbell Jarvis  Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Social Development Policy, Privy Council Office
Rodney Ghali  Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Impact and Innovation Unit, Privy Council Office
Shawn Tupper  Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Economic and Regional Development Policy, Privy Council Office

12:15 p.m.

Rodney Ghali Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Impact and Innovation Unit, Privy Council Office

Sure, absolutely.

I think what you're referring to is the smart cities challenge that was launched last fall under the auspices of the impact Canada initiative. The smart cities challenge is basically meant to be a community-based approach to help bring new and novel thinking to how cities respond to the challenges they have from a social, economic, and environmental standpoint. It builds on a global movement around smart cities challenges to bring in technology to help augment the well-being of the citizens.

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Thank you.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Thank you very much.

Mr. McCauley, you have seven minutes, please.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Good afternoon. Thanks for being with us.

In table A2.11 in the budget, there's $1 million for a new process for federal election leadership debates. The process for this was being studied in the PROC committee, the Procedure and House Affairs committee. It's our understanding that they were still studying this and that the policy was rolled out within the budget before the study was finished.

I'm curious. Where did the $1-million budget item come from if the PROC committee hadn't finished with their study of it and with their recommendations? How did we come up with the $1-million price tag?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

The budget indicates $6 million, with the majority being in 2019.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

No, table A2.11 shows $1 million for next year.

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

Yes, it's $1 million for 2018-19, and then $5 million for the following year.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Yes. We're good. According to table A2.11, it's $1 million for next year. Where did we come up with that?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

It's a best estimate of what the work will cost in this fiscal year, knowing that the actual methodology of what they're going to do is still being designed. The intent is that there will be a new process to ensure that federal leaders' debates are organized in the public interest and improve Canadians' knowledge of the parties, their leaders, and their policy positions.

The Minister of Democratic Institutions is coming up with policy options and will present something in the coming weeks.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

When did you first get the request to come up with a total to put into the budget?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

The budgetary ask was not done through me. It was through the office that supports that minister, so I can't comment on the exact timing of when they put that together.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

However, the $1 million is in the PCO budget.

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

The $1 million is in the PCO budget. Following the budget announcement, it is the best estimate of what they need, based on what they knew at the time. They have not yet announced exactly what—

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

So, you weren't involved in the $1 million.

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

I was not personally involved in the $1 million.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Was anyone from PCO involved?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

PCO bureaucrats would have been involved, those who support the minister.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Okay, that's what I'm asking.

When did PCO first get the request for the $1 million, then?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

I don't have that information.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Would you be able to get back to the committee with that information?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

I can.

I can say that it would have been part of the budget process. There is a call-out done by the Department of Finance for budget items. As part of that process, PCO would have fed into that and provided a request with a rationale of what it wants to do.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

What you're saying is that the direction to put this $1 million in came from the Minister of Democratic Institutions.

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

I'm saying that it came from PCO, in support of the Minister of Democratic Institutions. I can't speak to the $1 million as I was not part of that calculation.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Can anyone else speak to this?

12:15 p.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office

Matthew Shea

They would not be able to speak to it as it is not approved yet. Therefore, we don't have a plan as to the exact way the money will be spent. Until they come up with the exact plan for this initiative, the line item.... I recall that last time you asked some questions about professional services versus salaries. I can't tell you until we know what the initiative will look like. The $1 million is an up-to amount that they would have to justify through a Treasury Board submission.