Evidence of meeting #73 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 procurement.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:05 a.m.
Acting Chief Financial Administration Officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
What information are you talking about?
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
I am talking about the auditor general's report, requests for changes or improvements and loopholes you see in any procurement contract. There is a process for when the government or a department makes a purchase. Over time, recommendations are made to improve things.
10:10 a.m.
Acting Chief Financial Administration Officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
All auditors' reports are published on our agency's website. In addition, all reports of the Auditor General of Canada are published and are accessible to the public, after being presented to the appointed committee. I also want to point out that we have developed internal control mechanisms to ensure that the process is transparent.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will probably share my time.
Ms. Campbell, considering what kind of a world we currently live in, Canadians want to feel safe. Has the number of cases where the national security exception is used increased over the past five or 10 years?
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Thank you very much for the question.
Your invitation gave us an opportunity to look at the statistics, and they have been fairly stable. I have given you a few recent examples where the national security exception was used, including in the cases of Syrian refugees and Afghanistan. Those cases aside, the number of requests we have been receiving from other departments has been fairly stable over the past five years.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
You receive requests from other ministers. Do you also receive requests from the Privy Council Office or recommendations on some sensitive issues that require the use of the national security exception?
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
The two examples I have mentioned—Afghanistan and Syrian refugees—are the only cases. The other cases consist of letters that I receive from my counterparts from other departments who wish to invoke the exception for a specific purpose.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I have not received any request from the Privy Council Office.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Thank you.
Let's come back to the purchase of aircraft. We know that a national security process is in place. However, Canadians would like to know what the price of the aircraft is, be it $300 million, $350 million, or $400 million per unit, and be it accompanied or not by a service contract for the next 25 years. Is there any danger in the public knowing the aircraft's price?
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
To clarify, are you talking about the interim purchase of fighter jets?
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
As you know, the government made its decision public and announced that it was beginning discussions with the American government. Our Washington office specializes in military procurement. We are in discussions with the U.S. government and Boeing to determine whether they can supply, within a reasonable time frame for the government and at an affordable cost, a few aircraft on a provisional basis until we issue a call for tenders to replace the permanent fleet. The tendering process to replace the permanent fleet is already under way, and a dedicated team is working on it. We hope to soon give you some news on that.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
So the aircraft have hot yet been bought. I am talking about the first batch of fighter jets. I believe it consists of 18 aircraft.
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
You are still talking about the interim purchase.
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We are beginning discussions with the U.S. government and Boeing.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Not at all.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
We heard something different. We heard that the purchase has already been made.
I will share the rest of my time with my colleague.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Thanks.
I just want to get back, Ms. Campbell, to why we're here: the PSDPA, the whistle-blowers.
If people within your department were to report wrongdoing, what would the chain be? Would it be to you? Would it be outside of your department? Where would they go?
10:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Marine and Defence Procurement, Department of Public Works and Government Services
As I mentioned, the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act is an important statute for the federal public service. We encourage transparency, we—
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I know. Where would they go, please?
I don't need a lecture on it. Where would they go if they had a problem, if they saw wrongdoing?
