Evidence of meeting #163 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 pay.
A video is available from Parliament.
Niagara Falls, CPC
That is somewhat reassuring.
People have approached me about problems with either getting paid or having been overpaid and then having problems with their taxes. Do you have people within the department who can look at one of these issues, see how to fix it and send out a cheque?
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
We sure do, and our team, both within my office and within PSPC, has done a lot of work to create what effectively is a priority list on a sliding scale of...I can't remember what the word is, Les.
Les Linklater Associate Deputy Minister, Human Resources-to-Pay Stabilization, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Hardship.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
We will prioritize requests based on the agreed-upon level of hardship that a person might be experiencing.
I guess, Les, you could speak more to that—I apologize—but there are mechanisms.
Associate Deputy Minister, Human Resources-to-Pay Stabilization, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We have a unit that is dedicated to looking at these types of cases for rapid resolution where there are circumstances of excessive financial hardship. We do have to be careful in terms of our approach. People have a number of pay problems, but we look at severity as a critical factor in terms of no pay, low pay, missing things like severance pay or having inordinate delays with those types of payments. We have in-building capacity to be able to deal with those types of cases.
Niagara Falls, CPC
Now, is the $25 million...? If you had more, could you do this more quickly? Is that the issue? Is it that you don't have enough money, enough resources, to get this solved more quickly?
Associate Deputy Minister, Human Resources-to-Pay Stabilization, Department of Public Works and Government Services
The $25 million in the estimates reflect a couple of dynamics. The first would be accommodation costs for staff, $11 million, and the remainder is a re-profile of funding from the previous fiscal year that was not used. It was assigned to a project that we left behind when we moved on with an alternative solution. We've re-profiled the money through the supplementary estimates.
Niagara Falls, CPC
Thank you.
Let me change the subject here and raise one of the issues that you raised, and this is the integrity regime that you have been developing.
One of the things you said in your opening remarks is that you have been getting pressure from industry. I imagine SNC-Lavalin would be one of those companies that would be putting pressure on this area. Is that correct?
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
I'm sorry, are you asking if SNC-Lavalin participated in the consultations?
Niagara Falls, CPC
You said that you're getting pressure from industry. I'm just asking.... I'm assuming that they have as big a stake in this as anybody, I would guess.
February 27th, 2019 / 4:05 p.m.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
I don't know the answer to that directly, but what I meant when I said that was we had put together this industry engagement group, and that would include organizations like Construction Canada. I don't remember all of the others.
Do you have a list?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
In terms of who we received comments from through the engagement and the draft policy, they were the Business Council of Canada, Canadian Bar Association, Chamber of Commerce, Transparency International Canada, and you may know of others, Les, but it was a broad range of groups and—
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
I should have said industry organizations and associations more than individual industry companies. They were more industry associations.
Niagara Falls, CPC
You don't know of any individual companies that have approached you or the department on this issue.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
I don't know the list of the 300 organizations offhand that participated in the consultation, but is that available?
Sorry, I don't mean to be difficult, but I can't recall offhand.
Niagara Falls, CPC
But you have a copy of it, and I think the committee would appreciate getting a copy of that.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
In terms of the list of organizations that have commented?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We can absolutely get you that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you, Mr. Matthews and Mr. Nicholson.
Unfortunately, we're out of time, but as Mr. Nicholson asked, if you could provide a list in writing of those companies through our clerk, that would be helpful.
Mr. Blaikie, you have seven minutes.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Thank you.
Carrying on the same theme, I guess my question would be: Outside of the formal consultation process, were there individual companies that contacted the department or met with the department to discuss the integrity regime?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I'm going to presume you're asking specifically about SNC-Lavalin, just because we know what's going on these days.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We have an ongoing arrangement with them because of the administrative agreement. We have regular dealings with SNC-Lavalin.
Personally, I have not met with them, but because of the ongoing arrangement, the reporting requirements, there's absolutely an ongoing interaction. As part of that interaction, they have asked questions of officials about the draft policy in terms of getting clarity around how it would work if implemented.
I think that answers your question.