Good.
Evidence of meeting #94 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 campaigns.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #94 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 campaigns.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:50 a.m.
Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth, Privy Council Office
On the whole, those are the campaigns for this year. So we are forecasting $40 million. There is some flexibility in the system. We always make sure that the campaigns...
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Thank you for coming. I have five minutes, so I'm going to be quite quick.
It says that in the previous policy there was no independent oversight. Is the ASC now the third party oversight body?
9:50 a.m.
Director General, Government Information Services Sector, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Good.
I have a question for you. You might not be able to answer the question, but we have an advertising expenditure for the federal government from 2009-10, and then 2015-16. It's a campaign of $511 million in total up until 2015. The one glaring thing to me was the economic action plan, which had billboards all over. Under the current policy, would that be allowed?
Are you familiar with the economic action plan? No? If you're not, it's okay.
I'm just looking at the rules of what the current advertising should be, the objectives. It should be “objective, factual, and explanatory” and it should not have any political colour or biases or whatever. Have you, during those times, received any complaints from any citizens, for example?
9:50 a.m.
Vice-President, Standards, Advertising Standards Canada
Are you asking about advertising standards?
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
9:50 a.m.
Vice-President, Standards, Advertising Standards Canada
The criteria weren't in place at that time.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Okay. That's my next question for you.
When you receive complaints, by what standards do you judge them—by your standards or will you now be judging by the current standards?
9:50 a.m.
Vice-President, Standards, Advertising Standards Canada
It will depend on what the complaint alleges.
For example, all complaints about advertising, whether it's government or car advertising, or food, or whatever, we review under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, which deals with things like accuracy and clarity, safety, and unacceptable depictions and portrayals. If a complaint is alleged about permanent advertising that falls under the code, then we would review it under one of their 14 clauses. If a complaint alleges that an ad is partisan, that's something we would forward to the government to deal with.
June 15th, 2017 / 9:50 a.m.
Director General, Government Information Services Sector, Department of Public Works and Government Services
A few years ago, too, the board made a modification to the policy. We have to respect the 14 criteria of the code of ASC at the start of it. That's basic. That's a mandatory rule, on top of which we just added the new review, non-partisan process. If a campaign doesn't meet the ASC code, it should not be here in that form.
9:55 a.m.
Director General, Government Information Services Sector, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Any advertising campaign of the Government of Canada today must respect the 14.
9:55 a.m.
Director General, Government Information Services Sector, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Well, in the last two years, because this was modified, if my memory serves me correctly, a year and a half or two years ago.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Fair enough.
They monitor the third party review, but you have the Auditor General. What is the role of the Auditor General?
Can somebody answer the question?
9:55 a.m.
Assistant Secretary, Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs, Treasury Board Secretariat
At the time that we put the third party oversight mechanism in place, the government also asked the Auditor General to initiate an audit of the process to ensure that it was working well. The Auditor General will determine the timing and the scope of that audit.
9:55 a.m.
Director General, Government Information Services Sector, Department of Public Works and Government Services
The last time the Auditor General visited advertising and POR was in February 2007. Here's the conclusion:
1.84 In our current audit, we found that PWGSC has made satisfactory progress in ensuring that it awards contracts for advertising and public opinion research services in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with the Treasury Board's Contracting Policy. 1.85 Departments have made satisfactory progress in ensuring that planning for advertising activities and managing suppliers is done in accordance with the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada. 1.86 The government has made satisfactory progress in ensuring that there was adequate documentation to support invoices submitted for payment for advertising and public opinion research activities. 1.87 The results of advertising and public opinion research have been measured and reported in accordance with the requirements established by the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada.
That was in 2007, and we haven't had an audit since that time.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you very much.
Mr. McCauley, go ahead for five minutes, please.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
This is for either ASC or you, Ms. Baird.
What is the contract value for ASC for the oversight per year, please?