Evidence of meeting #152 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 year.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
There is no debates commission officially launched as of today. Until we formally establish the entity and create it, there is no entity. Right now, it's a nominee.
As I said, we're working on all the final authorities. I think it will coincide very well with the timing of the appointment, but as of today, no money has been expended, and that's really what I look at as the authorities, such as signing authority and financial authority.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
Exactly when do you expect the Rt. Hon. David Johnston to officially start work?
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
I don't have that answer, but I would say that in the coming weeks, someone will be confirmed in that position.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
Is that a vote in the cabinet or something like that?
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
I don't know the formal process for confirmation.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
Okay.
Even if the new commission does not yet have the power to act, it does have a budget. By looking at the document from the department, we can see that $1 million has been allocated to this commission for the current financial year and that $5 million are allocated for the next financial year. So that is a total of $6 million for an activity that, technically, will be over in 10 months, when the leaders' debate has taken place, one month before the election.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
That's correct.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
That's correct. Okay.
So we are talking about $6 million for the next 10 months. How many public servants will the commission employ?
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
Once a debates commissioner is established, they'll have flexibility as to how they want to use that funding. It could be through professional services, and there's a mechanism to do that. It could be through hiring outside of the public service. It could be from secondments from inside the public service. There is complete flexibility as to how that is staffed, and that's not something that I would be able to speak to.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
So the commissioner will decide on how his team will be made up?
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
Absolutely.
One of the hallmarks of this has been the independence, and part of that independence is the ability to decide how best to use the resources to that end.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
Okay. What will the $6 million cover: travel expenses, hospitality, trips?
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
I believe the nominee spoke to this at committee recently. As I think I mentioned earlier, it can be a combination of professional services, salary, travel, communications or engagement-type activities. It really is up to the debates commissioner to decide.
Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC
Thank you very much, Mr. Shea. I will use the 30 seconds I have left to make a comment, which does not reflect on you in any way.
It is completely unacceptable to spend $6 million of taxpayers' money on this. Televised debates have been held for 50 years and more than a hundred of them have been held without a cent of taxpayers' money being spent. Now we are creating an entity that is going to cost, not $5 million, as the government announced, but $6 million. Not a cent has yet been spent and here we are, 10 months from the event. Right now, we have no idea about the number of people who will be working on it, we do not know who will be travelling where, and we do not know what the money will be used for.
Mr. Chair, we are not about to sign a blank cheque. Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you very much.
Next up, we have Madam Yip for five minutes.
Jean Yip Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.
Welcome.
In TSB's 2017-18 departmental plan, the board identified recruiting and retaining personnel as an elevated risk, due to specialized qualifications and the nature of the work. What does that mean?
Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board
We've had some particular challenges in recruiting for certain types of expertise, and this varies from year to year, based on demand in the industry. For example, for specialists who work in our lab, it's very specialized, and there is not a large talent pool across Canada to draw from.
We also have, in the various modes, the modal investigators. As you've likely heard, there is a shortage of pilots in Canada across the industry. We are hiring pilots as investigators. We're competing for those limited or scarce resources out there with all the other employers in the industry and within government.
We're trying to do our best to recruit. We have been able to fill a large majority of our positions, but sometimes there are longer delays before we can fill the positions because of the challenge of competing with the salaries of other employers for specialized skill sets that are in high demand and of limited supply.
Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.
Are there any plans for increasing the participation of women, increasing diversity in your recruitment process?
Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board
Yes, definitely. We have, just in the past year, updated our employment equity plan. We are taking target measures to review our selection criteria to remove any systemic barriers for all the employment equity groups. We've implemented those changes, and we are working with other organizations, such as Transport Canada, to do some outreach.
For example, we recently participated in a conference that was organized by the Professional Engineers Ontario, which focused on attracting women to the engineering profession. We are partnering with other organizations to try to promote careers for women, visible minorities, aboriginal... and first nations, to attract those to apply to the jobs that we have, but there is a challenge with the specialized talent that we require in ensuring that these people meet the requirements of the job.
Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.
Once you have these employees, what are you doing to retain them? It must be difficult, given the specialized nature.
Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board
It is difficult. For example, in the past year we've lost a few of our marine senior investigators who have gone back to industry because they can earn more money over there.
We're trying to invest in their professional development, in their learning, to maintain their currencies. We're also trying to provide flexibilities in work arrangements. We've updated our telework policy, for example, allowing people to work from home as opposed to having them come in to the office every day.
We're trying, within the public service framework and the rules we're governed by, to allow some flexibilities to accommodate those needs. We've allowed some younger employees to take parental leave, for example, to stay home with their kids for a number of months. Of course, that creates an issue of temporarily backfilling, but we're trying to find that balance.
Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.
This is a question for the Privy Council officers.
PCO is requesting $6.2 million to support ministers. Can you describe the type of support that amount is expected to provide to ministers?