Evidence of meeting #6 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 video is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay.
I'll continue with the impact of COVID-19 on various capital asset issues, including building requirements versus telework plans. Will we keep the same number of buildings, given that more people are teleworking?
If so, how will these buildings be occupied?
Lastly, do the costs associated with COVID-19 include modifications to the ventilation and air filtration systems in government buildings?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Thank you for that question. There's a lot in there.
What I would say is that the trend for more—
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes, but these are two rather important and complex issues.
The move to telework, I think, accelerates our plans. We had been moving to work zones in which unassigned seating was more of the norm, to recognize that people weren't always in the office. I think the COVID experience has convinced us that we're on the right track, but we certainly need to make some adjustments to how we arrange office space in the future to allow for more telework.
On your second question, around ventilation, I would say that for our buildings, we will follow the guidance of public health and safety. If the health advice requires us to change ventilation, we will, but as far as I know, at the moment we comply with all health and safety regulations.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Thank you very much for that, Ms. Vignola. Your time is up.
Mr. Green, you have six minutes.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'm very keenly interested. We've heard now, through the minister's touting significant purchases and options for purchase, and I'm wondering about her comments on the equity policy for being able to procure vaccines.
I'm wondering what the staff's thoughts are on the fact that 80% of the vaccine doses have been bought by European and North American countries representing only 14% of the global population. Could they comment on exactly what our plan is for the surplus vaccines that we have options for, and purchasing of, as it relates to the global COVAX Facility?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I have a couple of thoughts here, Mr. Chair.
I'm hearing a real echo. Is everyone else getting an echo from me as well? I'm not sure if they can do something technically with that. I'm sorry, but it's driving me crazy.
I think it's better now.
On the vaccine front, I love the member's optimism, but we have to remember that no vaccines have yet been approved for use in European or North American countries. The whole purpose around this diversified portfolio of vaccines was based on an assumption that not all of them would get across the finish line, and that is indeed the experience with vaccines historically.
We got some great news recently from both Pfizer and Moderna, which have things looking very optimistic but they not yet been approved for use.
Canada is a partner in the COVAX Facility, and there are options there to support others. If there are in fact excess doses for Canada, if all seven suppliers were able to get across the line, Canada would have options in terms of what to with those additional quantities.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Do we have a plan? That was the question. It's a very simple question.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I think it's too early for the plan, because until you have a vaccine that's approved for use and you have a sense of when it will be delivered, you don't know actually what you have. There's data still to be learned about all the vaccine candidates, about how effective they are, do they work—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Matthews, we already heard earlier tonight that we're expecting this in the first quarter of 2021. That's around the corner. Certainly, you can't have a minister suggesting that there's an ambitious timeline and then you suggesting that we don't have a timeline in place.
Given how close we are, I'm just wondering, with your relationship and your agreement with the COVAX Facility, how we will ensure globally that the global south and non-European and North American countries will have access to the vaccine, when they seem to snapping up all the purchase options?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Chair, it's an important question. I think it's better addressed to Global Affairs Canada, frankly, in terms of the nature of the question, but I do want to clarify one thing. Q1 is initial doses. We're not going to have a hundred million doses showing up in Q1. We have some time on this one, but I think the nature of the question is better directed to Global Affairs.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
You've touted as well in your developmental plan that you'll “work towards increasing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in federal procurement”. You'll recall...and hopefully you're well on your way with the work as it relates to my actual motion that asks for the information on your federal contractors program.
Do you care to comment, in advance of getting those documents, on where you are in terms of the federal contractors program as it relates to the equity programs that they're supposed to sign off on?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes. We're making good progress. The minister already has said that it is very important to her.
I think I will flip to James for some additional detail here, and I will try to fix this echo that I have.
James Stott Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Planning and Communications Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I'm sorry, Deputy. I'm having a really hard time hearing you.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, maybe it's because your mike is still open. It may be that the sound is being pumped into the room and then pumped through your mike.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
On Zoom, it is on—the floor is—and for whoever is controlling West Block-035B, that would be where the loop might be coming back from.
May we try now with staff and may I please reclaim my time?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Could you hold for a second, Mr. Green? We will keep your time.
Mr. Green, do you want to try again? We'll see if the echo has stopped.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I sure can. It sounds like it might be better now. I think it was mostly through the witness' side, though, but we'll see if the witness can speak.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Green, is it okay if you repeat your question? I think James was having a hard time hearing it as well.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I am happy to.
We heard the minister tout investments in indigenous procurement. You'll know that I had a motion dated October 30 that I had started way back in May that specifically zeroed in on the federal contractors program. I was a little bit unsettled when I heard that she might not have access to disaggregated race-based data, yet it's one of your policies to ensure that signed agreements to implement employment equity are part of your federal contractors program. Can you just clarify that that is indeed the case?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Planning and Communications Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I'm not sure which program you're referring to specifically, but I can comment on the collection of data. It's something that we do do currently for indigenous businesses. What we're working on right now is a policy framework that would allow us to collect that information for other under-represented groups. So we would not only have the authority to have that information but also to ensure that we are protecting that information appropriately given that it's private—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Stott, just for the record, could I have the title of your position within government?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Planning and Communications Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Sure. It's assistant deputy minister, policy, planning and communications.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I'm a little bit challenged by that because the federal contractors program ensures that contractors who do business with the Government of Canada seek to achieve and maintain a workforce that is representative of the Canadian workforce, including members of the four designated groups. This is a long-standing policy, and I'm a little bit.... If it's not you and your expertise; maybe there's somebody else who can adequately answer this question, because if the minister is suggesting that they're not keeping disaggregated race-based data, then that's telling me already in advance of receiving the documents for my motion that you'll be unable to answer about your own policies, under the Employment Equity Act, in the federal contractors program specifically.