Evidence of meeting #6 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 post.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Julie Charron  Acting Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Administration, Department of Public Works and Government Services
George Da Pont  Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Ron Parker  President, Shared Services Canada
Manon Fillion  Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services, Shared Services Canada
Kevin Radford  Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Patrice Rondeau  Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Data Centers, Shared Services Canada
Rob Wright  Assistant Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Precinct Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Graham Barr  Director General, Strategic Policy, Planning and Reporting, Shared Services Canada

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

I wanted to ask another question for the benefit of the committee. I know that SSC is working on the ETI initiative in the data centres, but what other initiatives is SSC working on as well?

5:10 p.m.

President, Shared Services Canada

Ron Parker

Those are very large initiatives to start with. But there's also a network initiative related to consolidating the 50 siloed networks down into one network for the Government of Canada. Those three projects comprise work that is of an unprecedented scale in terms of the transformation. We also undertake many projects on behalf of the partners, our clients. Whether it's the biometrics project or other projects that are in the portfolio, we're involved in practically every initiative a department undertakes that involves IT infrastructure. There's a big suite of projects that are running for the RCMP, DND, or whichever department. There are literally hundreds of projects there.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

I know a few years ago there were a few orders in council, and then you guys were responsible for the workplace technology initiative, and applications were still with Treasury Board. Is that still the case today, or are you guys completely responsible for everything related to IT?

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Mr. Parker.

5:15 p.m.

President, Shared Services Canada

Ron Parker

I couldn't hear the question.

5:15 p.m.

Director General, Strategic Policy, Planning and Reporting, Shared Services Canada

Graham Barr

No, Shared Services Canada is not responsible for the applications.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Thank you very much. That takes us to the end of our five-minute round.

Gentlemen and ladies, I thank you on behalf of all committee members for your appearances here today. The information that you have provided committee members has been very helpful and informative. Thank you again for taking time out to visit us today, and we hope to be talking with you again sometime in the upcoming years.

Yes, Mr. Drouin, go ahead.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Mr. Chair, I hope the whole committee will wish the deputy minister a happy retirement, which he announced last week. You share my comments.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Thank you for your years of service.

5:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

5:15 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services

George Da Pont

Thank you very much. I will certainly miss these appearances.

5:15 p.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

To those officials who had to deliver answers in very constrained timelines, I thank you for your economy of words.

We will wait a few moments while our witnesses depart the table. In the interim, I will advise committee members that over the break week I will be asking the clerk to send out a communiqué indicating what we will be doing at the following Thursday's meeting. If we are able to bring in a group of witnesses to deal with some of the work identified by the subcommittee on agenda, we will have a full meeting. If not, then we will have a subcommittee meeting, but it will be during that time frame, between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, March 24.

Now we have votes before us, lady and gentlemen. These are on the supplementary estimates (C).

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Where are the votes? Did I go and do something funny with my papers?

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

I will be verbally going through them and asking for either your approval or your non-approval.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Mr. Chair, which document in SharePoint should I open? I closed SharePoint by accident. Could somebody point me to the information?

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

That's fine. Basically, all I will be doing is asking you verbally, for example, shall vote 1c under Privy Council carry?

You have all seen the estimates, so you have a determination now whether you want to approve them, amend them, or negative them. We will be going through that process verbally and asking for your show of hands.

Unless anyone wants a recorded vote, I will just be asking for yeas or nays.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Vote 1c—Program expenditures..........$3,644,076

(Vote 1c agreed to)

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Vote 1c—Program expenditures..........$1

(Vote 1c agreed to)

PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Vote 1c—Operating expenditures..........$72,238,881

Vote 5c—Capital expenditures..........$40,231,331

(Votes 1c and 5c agreed to)

SHARED SERVICES CANADA

Vote 1c—Operating expenditures..........$20,712,999

Vote 5c—Capital expenditures..........$12,326,933

(Votes 1c and 5c agreed to)

TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT

Vote 1c—Program expenditures..........$43,981,086

Vote 20c—Public service insurance..........$469,200,000

(Votes 1c and 20c agreed to)

Finally, shall the committee request the chair to report the supplementary estimates back to the House tomorrow?

5:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we've completed that. Thank you very much. I appreciate all your efforts.