Evidence of meeting #92 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 going.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Brian Pagan  Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat
Renée LaFontaine  Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Kami Ramcharan  Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Privy Council Office
Marcia Santiago  Executive Director, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board Secretariat

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I know that, bit by bit, the actual back pay by Phoenix is being delayed. How far caught up are we? I understand that two or three departments have successfully gone through with the pay changes. How far along are we?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

The collective bargaining agreements are being implemented currently. The main category, the financial advisers, has gone through for August, I believe.

9:05 a.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat

Renée LaFontaine

That's right, and we have made some payments.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

There are some of the collective bargaining agreements, and they're being implemented through a staged approach.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Do we know how far along we are?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

It's consistent with the collective bargaining agreements, because there are deadlines for agreements, and we are implementing them consistent with those deadlines.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

You mentioned that 18 of them have been signed. How many have we gotten through?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

How many has it been at this point?

9:05 a.m.

Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat

Renée LaFontaine

There are three now.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

And they're being done consistent with each of these agreements that have deadlines, so they're being implemented—

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I understand the need to go slowly with it so it doesn't add to it. I'm just asking for that.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Actually, they're being implemented though, consistent with the negotiations, in terms of the deadlines.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I'm just going to get to the estimates process. We heard one of our committee members state, I think it was just last week, that the estimates reform is on hold for a while. Then just last week, I think, in the Senate, Mr. Pagan said that you expected movement on estimates reform in the very near future. I was just wondering if you could clarify that, please.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

We've been quite—

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

Give him a time sense.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

—plain on this in terms of our government's priority to modernize and strengthen the budget and estimates process. We're already doing purpose-based reporting, the new departmental results framework, and cash and accruals, so we're doing three, and in principle, the fourth one.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Is it going to be in the near future, or is it pushed back? Which is it, please? Will it be in the very near future, as your colleague Mr. Pagan said?

Can you please answer the question, Minister?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

It would be very soon that we would expect to see progress.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Progress or movement?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Progress.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

We'll come back to the question on progress and which one of you was telling the accurate information.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Both were. We're saying progress. There's no space between what Mr. Pagan said and what I'm saying. We believe—

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

The PBO said you're moving backwards on your progress, so we'll get back to it and sum it up in the next five minutes.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

The PBO is entitled to its opinion, but we are making progress, and we will make progress very soon.

9:10 a.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Thank you for the couple of extra seconds.