Evidence of meeting #125 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was community.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
The decision of the public service relating to hybrid work was made as a result of its view that it is fully within their ability to do that under existing policy without being a breach of collective agreement, because this stands outside of the collective agreement.
In terms of an explanation of the policy, because it was not a political decision, I will turn to the public servants to answer that question.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I'm afraid we're out of time. We can follow it up on Monday when the officials are back with us, unless the minister wishes to stay past her hour.
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
That's very kind of you, Mr. Chair. I will defer to the officials on Monday.
Conservative
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Minister, the CBSA border officers voted last week to approve a strike due to the lack of a contract for the last two years. Their demands include wage parity, protection from management retaliation, access to telework, and protection from CBSA's obsessive reliance on contracting out—very similar to your own government and your own department, Minister.
Now, you have outlined briefly the process that you are undertaking. However, if you are not successful, like your predecessor—in fact, I think her legacy, unfortunately, is built on that lack of success in reaching these negotiations in a reasonable amount of time—can you share with Canadians how this will have an effect, in the billions, on the Canadian economy? Can you tell Canadians that, please?
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
Actually, it is premature for us to put precise figures on the table. We are still in the midst of ensuring that we reach a fair and reasonable agreement with the CBSA. We are committed to working with bargaining agents to reach an agreement that is fair and reasonable, and we will do so at the table. I would be more than happy to return to this committee and speak to the particular numbers. However, at this time it is premature for me to put numbers on the table in response to the type of question I've just received.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
I don't think it is premature, Minister, because if we look at the cost of the port strikes in both Vancouver and Montreal last year, we see that it had a $10-billion effect on this economy, especially at a time when your government has out-of-control spending, when we so badly need this economy to function.
Your government failed, your predecessor failed, in getting these negotiations resolved in a timely manner, which cost the economy $10 billion—and, of course, it was also a hit to our tax revenues.
Are you not concerned that we might see these numbers again should you not be successful? Do you have any comments for Canadians regarding that?
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
Of course I have comments about our expenditures. I am the president of the Treasury Board, after all, and I will say that I will at all times have oversight, and prudent oversight, of government spending.
What I mean by ensuring that we have a negotiation that occurs at the table is just that. The demands that are going to be the subject of those negotiations will yield, if all goes well, a fair and reasonable—
Conservative
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
—a hypothetical, please. Minister, I wouldn't be so excited to share my title with a $39.8-billion deficit.
Relative to that, you've stated that your department is happy to return to the bargaining table to negotiate in good faith.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
However, it's been two years without a contract, so why are you only just trying now to complete this negotiation? Like I said, your predecessor failed, and you're in the process of failing. What are you going to do to ensure that you get this process in in time?
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
I actually do not think that we are in the process of failing; we are in the process of seeking a deal that is fair and reasonable to Government of Canada employees and to the Canadian taxpayers. I would not think that hypotheticals of the sort that are being posed in this question would be useful in seeking to reach a fair and reasonable deal.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
In the official opposition, Madam President, we look at results.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
In August 2023, you were excited to announce that you were going to find $50.4 billion in savings across all government departments over the next five years. However, in budget 2024, more than $52.9 billion in new spending over the next five years was announced. This new spending is now more than three and a half times as much as you announced in savings in August.
How has this initiative done anything to show fiscal restraint with your, as you have said, being the president of the Treasury Board, and to prove to Canadians that your government can responsibly handle money?
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
I would take a look at the external markers that indicate fiscal prudence, Mr. Chair. A triple-A credit rating is actually an independent assessment—
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
—to the Prime Minister's Office regarding your leadership campaign, I hope you at least listen to Canadians.
Thank you very much.
Liberal