Evidence of meeting #17 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was institutions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
7:25 p.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I'm just deeply grateful this wasn't a filibuster. I appreciate that, my Liberal friends.
7:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
I'm just going to have the clerk speak to this for a second.
7:25 p.m.
The Clerk
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just wanted to clarify two things, as the committee has re-adopted an old report that it's going to present to the House. That's fine.
However, if the committee does want to have a government response, it usually makes a specific request by motion, something to the effect of that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the report. I just want to clarify if that is the intention of the committee.
Also, when adopting a report, members have the option to present dissenting or supplementary opinions. That's provided for in the Standing Orders. The only question that the committee has to decide on is a deadline for the submission of those. While it would seem somewhat irregular that they can present a dissenting or supplementary opinion to a report that has already been adopted, it is in the Standing Orders.
I put those two issues to the committee to ask if the committee wishes to decide on those tonight before we move forward.
Thank you.
7:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Yes, Paul, I think we should. Thanks for correcting that.
I can't imagine, after a unanimous report from all parties, that anyone would dissent to it at this point, but....
7:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Just for clarification, the committee agrees that we ask for a government response. Is that correct?
7:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Thank you.
On a deadline for submissions for supplementary opinions, do we want a deadline, as in a time frame, please?
Mr. McCauley.
7:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Next week. We all agreed unanimously the last time around. I can't imagine things have changed.
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Can we at least ask for a standard government response? What's the standard? Is it 60 days?
7:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
No, we're talking about, I think, the committee offering a supplementary or a dissenting report.
Am I right, Mr. Chair?
7:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
That's correct, for a dissenting report.
We would submit it to the clerk in both official languages by Wednesday, the 24th, at 5 p.m.
Is that agreed?
Seeing no dissenting votes, we will take that as carried. Thank you.
Mr. McCauley, your time is up.
Committee, we will continue.
Commissioner, thank you for bearing with us as we dealt with the procedural matters.
We have one final round.
Go ahead, Mr. Jowhari, for five minutes.
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, Madam Maynard. It's good to have you back. Thank you for the great work you're doing.
Madam Maynard, you talked about the fact the Ministry of Transport seems to doing a good job. Can you explain what they are doing differently from the other organizations?. They're under the same directive as the TBS. Is it the TBS that's doing a better job guiding them? Is it them who have a different procedure? What is it and why do you say they're doing it better than everybody else?
7:30 p.m.
Information Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
I'm not saying they're doing it better than anybody else. I'm saying they are a good example of where there's a practice that has been put in place and everything is now done electronically.
This is one of the departments we have seen that has moved really quickly away from paper files. Because it's electronic, it's a lot easier for people in the unit at the access level to access those documents from all their employees and to exchange it through emails. There's no need to go into the office and look at the paper.
There's no department that is perfect under the act, but there are a lot of them that are really trying hard and finding ways to deal with the increased demand or are trying new technology, and that's one of the departments that came to mind as a good example. Fisheries and Oceans is another one that's doing really well.
7:30 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Let's take an example. Fisheries and Oceans, as well as Transport, do they use the same application or are they using a different application?
7:30 p.m.
Information Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
I don't know. One of the problems is that none of the institutions are obliged or consistent in their use of technology, so there's no imposed technology on how to do their processing. There are definitely some proposed information management systems. But when you see initiatives from institutions, and they're pushing forward, like I said, new guidelines or new directives that from now on they're not doing any paper documents, that they're just going to do it electronically, this has had a huge impact on them processing access.
7:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Are the documents generated by Transport or by Fisheries and Ocean any different? Is it that all their applications are coming online? What is it that distinguishes them being able to go from a paper system to a fully electronic system that, in your opinion, the others can't do?
7:35 p.m.
Information Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
I don't know if anybody can't. I really think it's a matter of will. If people decide that's how they're going to do it, sometimes it may take longer, but we definitely need directions from the top, as well as money, resources and people to say, “Enough is enough. We're changing, innovating and making decisions that are going to help us. We'll review our processes,” instead of just continuing with the way it is and accepting that it's too difficult.
7:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
In your opening remarks, you talked about the fact that the launch of the online ATIP application has been delayed. Can you explain, in your opinion, what the underlying reasons for its delay are?
7:35 p.m.
Information Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
I'm told that because it's going to be used for privacy requests and also access requests, there's an issue with the authentication of the requester. There are still some technical issues with making sure that the person who's asking for the information is the right person, because, especially if you ask for personal information, they need to provide you with the information about you, not about your neighbour. They're trying to fix that. I'm just surprised and disappointed that it is taking this long and that they're still trying to fix it. It's taken them years to put together that online portal.
7:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Are you saying that this online portal is being developed in house?
7:35 p.m.
Information Commissioner of Canada, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
No, I think it's been done through a contract. They hired a company that was able to provide them with the specifications they requested but there's some issue. I think Treasury Board would be better placed to respond to you about exactly what the issue is, because they're the ones putting it together, but recently we were told that there's going to be another delay before it's implemented.