Evidence of meeting #20 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was advertising.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Right.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
They stated that about $25 million or $22 million, around there, was for future use, with no real planned use. It was kind of a “just in case things change with COVID” use for advertising. I'm curious. Again, how did that get through Treasury Board approval and not get put into a vote 5 for contingency use when they didn't have an actual plan for it, apart from, “well, if things change with COVID, we've got this in our back pocket”?
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Mr. McCauley, just so I understand the question.... Treasury Board vote 5 is for circumstances—
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
—where a department has a payment, an urgent payment they have to make, and they don't have sufficient authority—
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
—within their vote to be able to make that payment.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I understand that, but PCO said they have $50 million of which they only have plans for $25 million. The other they're going to sit on until they have a use for it. What I can't wrap my head around, puny as my brain is, is how they got authorization for funding through the Treasury Board system where they don't have a plan for that apart from if something comes up.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
My understanding is that there are four uses for that funding: public health information, financial support for individuals, financial support for businesses—
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I recognize that but they told us in this committee meeting that half of that's for future use. They don't have a plan in case things change with COVID. I'm wondering if that meets Treasury Board guidelines. It's about asking Parliament to approve money they don't have a plan for.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Obviously, there's always a plan for certain amounts that go through Treasury Board. That's what Treasury Board ministers do. They scrutinize these items and they move on. If the timing works, then they go into the next supplementary estimates. That's effectively what's happened in this instance. It's gone through the voted payment authority path for the full amount. I don't know. I didn't hear what they said.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I'll move on to a different thing.
Ms. Cahill, you were talking about the $395.8 million for the disability insurance plan. How much of an increase is that for public service employees accessing this plan? What's a year-over-year increase, and how much is the increase in the cost of premiums?
Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat
The premium is increasing to a 20% rate. For a public servant with an average salary of $75,000 it's $4.50 a month.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Is there an increase in the number of employees accessing this fund?
Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat
I would need to follow up on the exact number of the increase, but definitely we have seen an increase in employees accessing disability insurance.
There are also other factors with respect to the increase we're requesting. One of them is we have negotiated salary collective agreements. Increase in salary would bear an increase into the disability insurance plan as it's an insurance—
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Right, but putting it marginally, I would assume the largest amount is more people accessing the plan. You said you'd get back to us. Maybe you could let us know.
Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, we will.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I have one last question.
There's a vote 5 use of, rounded up, $11 million for CRTC that Treasury Board transferred to provide financial assistance to broadcasters facing declines in revenue. Where exactly is that $11 million going? Who is it going to? It's going to CRTC, but obviously they present it to Treasury Board where that money's getting used if they're accessing the contingency. Where is it going exactly?
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
That money is being used to address the immediate operational challenges.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I got that from your allocations page, but for what though? They would have presented a plan to Treasury Board to access this. Where is it going?
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
When broadcasting licence fees come off, that means the revenue they're bringing in is less, which means that they need an offset to cover expenses that would normally be covered by these fees.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Your allocations page says that $11 million is going to Canadian broadcasters. Which broadcasters?
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
It's offsetting revenue shortfalls caused by the reduction of broadcasting licence fees.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
If CRTC is writing off fees to broadcasters, it would appear this is making up for the difference.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
If broadcasting fees are reduced, as a consequence there's a revenue shortfall.