Government Operations Committee on June 2nd, 2016

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

In our universities and colleges across Canada, we have a lot of antiquated infrastructure. In fact, a lot of these research labs were built in the 1950s and 1960s and need significant upgrades. This specific program, this expenditure, is part of a $2-billion investment that was committed to as part of budget 2016. it is going to really move the needle in helping to modernize research facilities at university and college campuses across Canada.

The response to this has been exceptional. In fact, the criteria for it require the work to begin and be completed within a fairly short time. There are two things. One, it's going to result in a more competitive and modern research infrastructure on Canadian universities and colleges. Two, it will be quite stimulative because it will result in shovel-ready and shovel-worthy projects. We are hoping it will create jobs and growth, and building a more competitive research environment will create more jobs and growth in the future.

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I would urge you, if there's a specific application, to talk to Minister Bains.

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

I know him just a little bit.

Minister, the Canada summer jobs program has been expanded under our government, and it's done a phenomenal job, particularly in my riding in Brampton East, where 145 jobs have been created. If you don't have the numbers now, I'm sure you can get them for us. How many jobs will be created this year? How does this increase compare with previous years? What is the government's plan going forward for maintaining the program?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

First of all, creating summer jobs for young Canadians is really important. It allows them to gain experience and to pay for their post-secondary education. After the financial crisis of 2008, we lost about 300,000 jobs for young Canadians. That was one cohort that didn't really come back during the recovery, and it has remained a real issue. The previous government reduced the number of summer jobs created by the program to the extent that in 2012-13 it was creating half the number of summer jobs that it was creating in 2005 before the financial crisis. We saw this, so we're effectively doubling the number of summer jobs being created, from 34,000 in 2015 to about 70,000 in 2016.

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Sorry, Minister, not to cut you off but I have to pass it on to my colleague. I don't want to be rude.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Sorry not to cut you off, but I'll cut you off.

Thank you, Minister, for being here and for being available to this committee.

I want to get back to the aligning of the estimates process with the budget. If we were to change the Standing Orders, has your department done an assessment on how long it would take to adapt to these changes?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

We're being quite ambitious in terms of some of the changes we can move on. We're working with the House leader and affected departments, including Finance. I think we can actually move quite quickly in the coming months on some of these. We intend to do that.

Yaprak may want to add to that, but we're moving on this.

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

As the minister said, it depends on when we're allowed to do that, but we will work very hard on the budget process. Hopefully, the first ones we will table will have way more on the budget side and the year after that, probably we'll go to, hopefully, 80% or 90%. But as you said, there will be supplementary estimates for the unforeseen things.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

One of the things we heard two days ago with our Australian counterparts was about the way they were reporting on information. In terms of the way we do our DPRs and RPPs, is the department contemplating perhaps changing the way we do this? If so, can you explain how you could make those more transparent?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

We are working on modernizing—I don't want to say revolutionizing, but in some ways it is—and moving forward in terms of changing the way we establish metrics and measure results. Right now the processes, including for the program architecture, the whole way we do it, are focused on process and not on results. We are moving towards a results-focused approach. At some point I want to come back to this committee and go through that more thoroughly.

I'm coming back to the committee on June 21, I think, on the budget estimates process. Perhaps at that time we can talk a little more about some of the results framework. I think that would be appropriate, if it's fine with the committee, to talk about that. It is a huge shift in how governments, from ministers to public servants, get results on behalf of Canadians and parliamentarians can hold us to account for that.

Can we incorporate that then in—

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

We're going to the five-minute round now.

I have to keep you on time otherwise we won't get through them.

It's now a five-minute round for Mr. Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Mr. Brison, welcome to our committee.

This morning, I am concerned. Just like me, you attach importance to our two official languages, French and English. You know how important it is for our public service to be perfectly operational in both official languages. However, there are some very troubling reports.

According to a report obtained under the Access to Information Act, the machine translation software does not work at all. Public servants are not happy with it. That's the first problem.

The other problem is that Public Services and Procurement Canada is saying that everything is just fine, and that the software is working well. There is a problem with that machine translation software, which has caused a second problem that I would describe as serious. The software is so bad that our officials are going on public networks to translate government documents, which is a security issue, Mr. Minister.

Can you reassure us this morning as to the steps that will be taken to address the shortcomings of the machine translation software?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Thank you for your question, Mr. Blaney.

I recently appeared before the Standing Committee on Official Languages, where we also discussed this matter.

We want to ensure that the public service as a whole has a translation system that works well. The software should be used for comprehension, not translation, purposes. It is important to make that distinction, but we must recognize that we need to use it.

When I discussed this matter with the Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, he told me that it's sort of like the invention of the tractor—

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have five minutes only, Mr. Minister.

Could you tell me which measures will be implemented to correct the situation?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

First of all, the software should be used for comprehension.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

So you will tell officials how to use the software. However, will the software be improved?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

We have actually worked with the former department of public works and government services, which is now called Public Services and Procurement Canada. As Graham Fraser said, it's sort of like the invention of the tractor—

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

There will be many of them on Parliament Hill today, Mr. Minister.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I'll speak English for a moment.

It's like the invention of the tractor. You still need somebody to drive the tractor, and that's the importance. These tools are to be used in a way that can help us understand but not necessarily for the translation.

Professional translators often use the same tools for their work. In addition, the officials of Canada's public service use the comprehension tool a million times a week. I think you will agree with me that it has its purpose.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

I'm not reassured, Minister, because at this point I see no reason why our civil servants wouldn't go to a useful public tool, and this is causing a threat to security.

Minister, if I may, I want to tell you—

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

We inherited this matter from the previous government.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

You've been in power now for six months, Minister. It's up to you to take the responsibility. I'm not taking responsibility.

I find my colleague is very indulgent with ministers: $243,000 for furniture. You are a minister. I was a minister. We had about 10 employees. It means $24,000 per employee for furniture. Is it granite? What is it that costs so much?

When you're a minister, you get into the office of the former minister. You say $800,000 for a new office and you see no problem. I'm concerned about that. This is taxpayers' money.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Please give a very short answer, Minister.