Evidence of meeting #38 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 question.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President of the Treasury Board
Thank you, Matthew. I'm always happy and privileged to be in your virtual company.
I would say that obviously this has been a top concern of my colleagues Minister Bennett and Minister Miller. For the precise link between the estimates process and those investments and actions, let me turn to Glenn Purves, who is most able to answer.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Thank you, Mr. Green.
You wanted to know effectively how many claims have been received and how many....
As of January 27 of this year, over 98,000 claims have been received and more than 48,000 survivors have received payments for individual compensation under the settlement.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you.
As a follow-up to that, what is the deadline, if any, for people to apply for compensation?
President of the Treasury Board
Mr. Purves, would you like to provide further precision?
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
We would have to follow up with the department on that one. Unless I can find it somewhere, I don't have that answer.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
The department of industry is requesting $57 million in vote 10a, under grants and contributions, for Sanofi Canada for the construction of a vaccine manufacturing facility. This initiative is related to COVID-19.
Is the $57 million a grant or a contribution to Sanofi Canada?
President of the Treasury Board
Before I turn to Mr. Purves for the right, precise information, let me say, Mr. Green, that this is an outstanding and important question in the context of our investments in biomanufacturing in Canada.
I have the privilege of having Medicago in my riding. Medicago is the only company now to be—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Respectfully, as I commented earlier on, you may be the best penalty killer in the business. I have three minutes left. I would like to know if it's a grant or a contribution, respectfully, Mr. Duclos.
President of the Treasury Board
I understand. I won't speak to you about my riding anymore. I will turn back to Mr. Purves for an answer.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
It's a contribution.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
It's a contribution, so there are no strings attached, no agreements around perhaps preferential procurement in the future.
Do we know if the vaccine manufacturing facility will be producing COVID-19 vaccines? Is there anything within the contribution or the grant agreement that indicates that we would receive some kind of procurement consideration?
President of the Treasury Board
Go ahead, Mr. Purves. You will be in a better position.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Mr. Green, we're looking at it through the lens of the spending authority provided. That's where Treasury Board has the expertise, but the department of industry would be better placed to respond to the details of the contribution agreement and exactly what's going to be produced.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
If my memory serves me correctly and if I remember the language of contribution agreements in relation to the WE scandal, is it that the contribution agreements can be used as a sole-source kind of...? Is there a different process for contribution agreements that make them perhaps less vetted?
What would be the process, for the sake of this conversation, in terms of the difference between the contribution agreement and a grant?
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Well—
President of the Treasury Board
Sorry, Mr. Purves. I think you and I are quite well aligned, but I will let you speak.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
No, I would prefer to hear from you, Mr. Duclos. If you could be on the record, that would be great.
President of the Treasury Board
I will say it in different words, but the answer is the same.
I think my colleagues in this case, Minister Anand and Minister Champagne, would be delighted to provide you with the right details. If you want, you can ask them to be in touch with your office.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Is the Treasury Board not privy to final approval of contribution agreements? If so, what are the parameters Treasury Board [Technical difficulty—Editor] would have to go through to make approvals for contribution agreements?
President of the Treasury Board
The Treasury Board does two things with regard to those files. First, it assesses and eventually provides the policy authorities. That includes whether grants or loans can be provided, and under which conditions. The second thing the Treasury Board needs to do is provide the financial authorities. That's obviously related to the estimates process, and you're part of it by virtue of your work and by inviting my team and me to be here today.
President of the Treasury Board
What is the difference between a contribution and a grant?
President of the Treasury Board
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Thank you, Minister. That ends our first round.
We'll now go to our second round. We will start with five minutes with Mr. Paul-Hus.