Government Operations Committee on June 8th, 2017

[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?

[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.

[Renée LaFontaine]

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

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

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

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Do we know how far along we are?

[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.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

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

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

How many has it been at this point?

[Renée LaFontaine]

There are three now.

[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—

[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.

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

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

[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.

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

We've been quite—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Give him a time sense.

[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.

[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?

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

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

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Progress or movement?

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

Progress.

[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.

[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—

[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.

[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.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Thank you for the couple of extra seconds.