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.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Carla Qualtrough  Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
Bill Matthews  Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Rob Nicholson  Niagara Falls, CPC
Les Linklater  Associate Deputy Minister, Human Resources-to-Pay Stabilization, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Paul Glover  President, Shared Services Canada
Michael Vandergrift  Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Jean Yip  Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.
AndrĂ© Fillion  Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement, Acquisitions Program, Department of Public Works and Government Services

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I'll move on.

SNC lobbied your department many times, including on September 27, which was right in the middle of the consultation on the integrity regime. Was that lobbying regarding the integrity regime?

February 27th, 2019 / 4:35 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Michael Vandergrift

I'll go back to what Mr. Matthews said earlier about the ongoing work SNC does with the department in terms of the administrative agreement that they have and ongoing meetings we have with them regarding semi-annual reports and third party monitors of their functions.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

This wasn't meetings. This was lobbying. This was from the lobbying registry. They lobbied PSPC on September 27 in the midst of the integrity regime consultations.

What was the lobbying about?

4:35 p.m.

Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Michael Vandergrift

I can't speak to that, Mr. McCauley.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Anyone?

The new rules for the regime were supposed to be in effect on January 1 this year. Do we know when they're actually going to be put into effect?

4:35 p.m.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

Carla Qualtrough

As I said, we anticipate the new policy to come out within the next four to six weeks.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Who will be the registrar within PSPC deciding who gets the administrative exemption?

4:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Bill Matthews

The ADM responsible is a lady named Johanne Bray. It's been delegated to her by the minister.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Has she met with anyone from SNC?

4:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Bill Matthews

We can ask her because she's sitting behind us. We'll get you an answer.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Great. I would like to know if anyone from the PMO has met with her, as well. Can you please ask her?

Have we set up an ethics screen between the ADM you mentioned and perhaps lobbyists, like SNC, etc?

4:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Bill Matthews

An ethics screen would come into effect if you have a pre-existing conflict. She does not, so there's not an ethics screen from that perspective.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

In that case, then, I assume she's never met with them.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

I know that you are reviewing the questions asked, but what does an ethics screen have to do with our supplementary estimates?

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Mr. Matthews, I believe, was in the process of answering the question. I'd like to hear the completion of his answer.

Mr. Matthews.

4:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Bill Matthews

It's a pretty short completion.

There's no pre-existing conflict. Any time there's an administrative agreement in place, she would have regular dealings with one of those organizations, which include SNC. That would be part of her job right now because there's an administrative agreement in place.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Mr. McCauley, you have about a minute left.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Besides the 80 departments, two Crown corporations have signed on to the integrity regime, but that does not include the Infrastructure Bank, which of course is involved with SNC with the only single project the Infrastructure Bank is doing.

Do you believe the Infrastructure Bank should be brought on board the integrity regime?

4:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Bill Matthews

That's a decision for the Infrastructure Bank.

There's a broader question about organizations that are arm's length or semi-detached from government. Do you apply this regime to them? We currently have arrangements, MOUs, in place with two Crown corporations. One is Defence Construction and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, I believe, is the second one. Those are the two arm's-length organizations we have a formal MOU with.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

When did the Windsor bridge authority sign on? Was it after SNC was turned down for the bid for that job?

4:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

Bill Matthews

We'd have to get back to you on that one.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

How much time do I have, Chair?

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

You have 10 seconds.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Thank you for your indulgence today.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Madam Yip, you have five minutes, please.