Government Operations Committee on April 29th, 2022

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Thank you for that important question.

There are many challenges faced. One of the biggest ones has been COVID-19, but, in response to the pandemic, PSPC has awarded 41 contracts to self-identified indigenous businesses, and the collective worth of those contracts is close to $200 million; it's $197 million. They have been in various areas like logistics, air charter services, accommodation, IT professional services and the like.

I am committed to increasing opportunities for indigenous businesses from coast to coast to coast. I know we have more work to do here, but I really look forward to doing this work and moving forward.

We have set the 5% target as the floor and not the ceiling, and we are taking time to engage with indigenous-led businesses in order to ensure that we completely understand the barriers and do everything we can to bring those barriers down as well as to provide supports, whether that be information opportunities or training as to how to access procurements.

We have been progressing. There's more work to do, and this is an area I really look forward to.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you very much, Minister, for that response.

I can tell you that there's a local company in Windsor-Essex called Harbour Technologies that partnered with an indigenous-led business, a company in northern Ontario, to produce PPE, specifically medical gowns.

Thank you so much for the work you're doing in terms of bringing more access and more partnerships with indigenous-led businesses across the country.

I want to change gears a little bit and focus now on accessibility. According to its 2022-23 departmental plan to align with the Accessible Canada Act and its regulations, “PSPC will use existing tools and leverage other mechanisms, such as private sector property management contracts, to roll-out the next phase of the technical accessibility assessments....”

I want to ask how that rollout of accessibility assessments is going for PSPC buildings in particular. I'm just curious about how those accessibility assessments are faring.

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

I will turn to my officials, but before I do, in terms of details on the rollout of that phase, I will just say that we are making the commitment that we want to make our buildings accessible, we want to reduce emissions and we want to ensure that we are taking a leadership role and being responsible with respect to how we manage our buildings and whatever changes and construction we do with respect to them.

I will hand your question over to my DM to respond on the specifics of the rollout.

[Paul Thompson]

We are indeed making progress on the accessibility assessments of our buildings. About 31% of the assessments are now complete, and we're on track to complete the entire inventory of buildings by 2024. This is part of our broader accessibility plan. There's a requirement for every department to have an accessibility plan. We have an interim plan in advance of the requirements, and it is advancing. One of the elements is to complete these assessments.

We also have a very active program of work with the parliamentary precinct around the welcome centre and other features of Parliament. We have a very active advisory committee that is advising us on such issues as universal design and accessibility by design. It's a very active program to meet the aspirations of the Accessible Canada Act.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Thompson.

We'll now go into our fourth and final round. In order to finish on time, by three o'clock, because people have plane commitments and other commitments, we'll go with four minutes, four minutes, two minutes, two minutes, four minutes, four minutes.

We have six questioners. We'll start with Mr. Lobb for four minutes.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I have a question for Minister Tassi in regard to procurement that would be heading to Ukraine. It's about any of the equipment that we don't currently have that we're purchasing and sending to Ukraine. I know we have howitzers in inventory, but other than howitzers, are there items that would be sent to Ukraine that we actually don't have and will be purchasing off the shelf?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

I would pass that to my officials. I know we are doing everything at PSPC to assist in terms of the logistics piece, but with respect to the purchase aspect, I will pass that to my officials.

We are there to serve in terms of helping with logistics, whether that's when Ukrainians come to Canada to make it their home or to stay here temporarily, but with respect to transportation of those items, I'll pass that over to my deputy.

[Paul Thompson]

This is a very active program of work. Our colleagues at the Department of National Defence are working closely to identify the specific requirements. A lot of this is about the receptor capacity, at the receiving end, for different products. That really has to be worked through carefully. It can't be items pushed from us, but ones that can be received and utilized. That receptor capacity is key to what goes over there. We will continue to work to help facilitate it.

Then there will be the issue of replenishing those items that remain needed by the forces in the future, and that's where we would step in with procurements.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

That's fair enough, but I think if you add up all the commitments, it's well over hundreds of millions of dollars that we're going to contribute to Ukraine one way or the other. When I hear “receptor”, of the percentage of dollars that have been committed and of all the equipment that has been committed to go to Ukraine, or to Poland and then to Ukraine, what percentage has actually been received and deployed. Is it 5%? Is it 8%? Does anybody track that?

[Paul Thompson]

Mr. Chair, I'm afraid that would be a question better directed to the Department of National Defence, which is responsible for the overall donation profile as well as all the component parts.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

That's fair enough. I don't know how it works. Minister Tassi would know better, but if I'm getting requests to purchase, purchase, purchase and find, find, find, and nobody can tell me if any of it is ever making it to Ukraine and into action, at some point somebody has to say, “Hold up; we better dig in and find out if any of this is actually getting to the destination.”

I'll move on to a different topic now. This is in regard to 24 Sussex Drive. I'm sure you guys are sick of hearing about this, but I read in the newspaper, and I'm sure you guys did too, from an ATIP that was acquired through the NCC, there's a big plan for a 15,000-square-foot official residence.

Is this true, and what is the pegged cost of this 15,000-square-foot residence at 24 Sussex Drive?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

As you acknowledged at the beginning, MP Lobb, the NCC of course oversees the official residences file. They will conduct internal studies and gather information. They did the “Official Residences of Canada: 2021 Asset Portfolio Condition Report”, which indicated that 24 Sussex was in critical condition.

We're going to continue to work with them, but no decision has been made on this file.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Fair enough.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Lobb.

We will now go to Mr. Bains for four minutes.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

To the minister, as a committee we're looking to do a study on diversity of procurement. I'd like to ask you about this subject. In your opinion, where has our government made improvements on the diversity of procurement?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Thanks for that question. It's an important question.

Let me start by saying this: It's my strong view that when we bring down barriers and allow everyone an equal opportunity to succeed—in other words, to bid on procurement projects with the government—it's a win-win. We benefit.

We have made some progress on this issue. We have issued a social procurement policy. We have issued a plan. We are preparing to issue a program in the summer. These initiatives are all being informed by actions that we have taken with respect to ensuring that we are getting all the information we need to understand what the barriers are so that we can work to bring down those barriers.

In fact, when I was in Vancouver, I did have a couple of really good round tables where I was getting information from those who want to enter into procurement initiatives, including a group of indigenous women who would love to get procurement contracts with the government. It was to listen to them in terms of understanding what the obstacles are and how we can work better to put supports in place. We do have Procurement Assistance Canada, which is helpful and led one of the round tables. They help Canadians better understand how to access these procurement opportunities, but at the end of the day, we want to come up with better tools, simpler processes and increased opportunities for diverse businesses. We're going to continue to work on this, because, as I said, at the end of the day it's a win-win.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

You said that there are programs coming in the summer and that Procurement Assistance Canada already exists.

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Yes.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

What will the new program in the summer be?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Procurement Assistance Canada will be rolled out, but it will be a little bit more specific with respect to what we are doing in this area.

We did announce the social procurement policy about a year ago. We do have the plan that has been launched. It's critical that we do this information gathering from various groups that really want to have access to federal procurement contracts and that we come up with a program that's really going to make a difference and that in fact brings down barriers.

Procurement Assistance Canada does exist. It offers training and advice. In fact, they hosted one of the round tables that we were at. The people at the round table who had used that service felt it was helpful. There's still more work to do, and we look forward to doing that work.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Thank you, Minister.

How much time do I have?

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

You have 15 seconds.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

I won't be able to get my last question in.

Once again, thank you, Minister, for attending today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Bains. We'll now go to Ms. Vignola for two minutes. Two minutes can go by very quickly.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Yes, I know that, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to ask my questions quickly, but I would like to get answers in writing.

At the beginning of the pandemic, respirators were purchased at 181% of the normal price. A contract for $237 million was awarded to FTI Professional Grade. How much of that contract was ultimately paid out? Of the 10,000 respirators ordered, how many have been received and how many are sitting in government sheds?

On information technology, Shared Services Canada is asking for $2.6 billion. What are the reasons for this 37% increase over last year?

What amounts are going to Cisco or a company that sells Cisco products?

What are the government's intentions regarding the awarding of contracts to IBM for the possible implementation of a digital passport?

Time and time again over the past two years, the outdated computer systems have been cited as the reason for the delays at the Canada Revenue Agency and at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, among others. It also explained, in part, why files could not be checked to see if a person was committing fraud or was a victim of fraud.

How soon do you expect the systems to be fully functional and no longer considered outdated? Finally, what are the plans to avoid further obsolescence of the systems in the future?

I would like to get answers in writing. There are six or seven questions, I know it is a lot, but I am aware of the time. As I only had two minutes, you would not have had time to answer even one of my questions.

I thank you again for taking the time to be with us during the two-hour session of the committee. I am very grateful to you.

I wish you all a great weekend.