Government Operations Committee on Nov. 1st, 2018

Evidence of meeting #150 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 million.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2018-19: Vote 1a under Canada School of Public Service, Vote 1a under Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board, Vote 1a under Department of Public Works and Government Services, Vote 1a under Privy Council Office, Vote 1a under Public Service Commission, Votes 1a and 5a under Shared Services Canada and Votes 1a, 10a and 15a under Treasury Board Secretariat

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Scott Brison President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Brian Pagan Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat

Gérard Deltell Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC

Jean Yip Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.

Karen Cahill Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat

Marcia Santiago Executive Director, Expenditure Strategies and Estimates, Treasury Board Secretariat

Glenn Purves Assistant Secretary Designate, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Through the existing pipeline, it does.

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

—and finding new markets for Canadian energy is important. Right now, we are selling our Canadian energy at a deep discount as a result of not having the ability to get our—

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Why was this purchase not made through the estimates process?

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

Actually, it's a non-budgetary item. Brian can expand on that, but I can tell you that we believe it's in our national interest to complete the TMX project, because we need to expand our markets for our energy. Right now, Canadian energy is being sold at a deep discount as a result of not having those markets.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

I understand that. Will—

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

That is good for all Canadians.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Thank you, Minister.

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

That is good not just for the people in the energy sector.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Will you be able to find $4.5 billion for other Crown corporations—

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

It is right now the—

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

—like the CMHC to provide housing?

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

Right now, the deep discount we're selling Canadian energy at costs us $15 billion—

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Colleagues, as I mentioned once before, I'd like to be able to hear both the question and the answer.

4:30 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

It costs our economy $15 billion per year.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Thank you, Minister.

I think Minister Brison said that Mr. Pagan could expand upon the answer directly to your question about the supplementaries.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

I would like to get one more question to the minister.

I don't want to hear any more on this line of questioning.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

You have one minute left.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Minister, I've heard all of your reasoning.

Will your government commit to finding $4.5 billion for other Crown corporations, such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, to spend on housing immediately, if you can do the same for a pipeline?

4:35 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

Actually, we're making unprecedented investments—

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Right now? This year?

4:35 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

—in housing as a government. In fact, our national affordable housing strategy—

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

It's all being back-loaded in 2020.

4:35 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

—has very significant partnerships that the federal government has clearly backed—

4:35 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

It's not addressing the crisis.

4:35 p.m.

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government

Scott Brison

—but Brian can answer on the non-budgetary item of Trans Mountain.