Evidence of meeting #55 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 debate.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6 p.m.
Conservative
6 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Thank you, Chair.
To what extent do voted authorities requested for public service insurance reflect negotiated collective agreements this fiscal year?
6 p.m.
Karen Cahill Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
These are all voted authorities, so $160,000 reflects collective agreements entirely. This is covered from previous collective agreements. We're bringing the funds in through supplementary estimates (C).
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Thank you.
Of the $1.9 million in new funding that Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is requesting under vote 1(c), program expenditures, $486,378 would be for a review of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. This is a budget 2022 initiative. On February 15, 2023, a private member's bill, Bill C-290, an act to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, was referred to the committee.
In your opinion, would the requested funds support the nine task force members' compensation? For what else would these funds be used, please?
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Research, Planning and Renewal, Treasury Board Secretariat
This money will be spent to cover salary costs as well as research activities and secretariat support for the task force. Members of this task force are volunteers.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Okay. Thank you for that.
Will the government implement all recommendations of the committee's 2017 report on the whistle-blower's protection act as part of this review?
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Research, Planning and Renewal, Treasury Board Secretariat
It will be consulting lots of specialists in the whistle-blowing regime, as well as looking at the recommendations made in the report by OGGO and the comments expressed during discussions on Bill C-290, and will do a report in 12 to 18 months from now.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Okay.
How will Bill C-290 affect the legislative review process?
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Research, Planning and Renewal, Treasury Board Secretariat
I don't have that answer. I'd have to come back to the committee with an answer.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Okay.
The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer notes that over $800 million in new cash is intended to pay for professionals and special services, which includes spending on external consultants. Since the 2017-2018 fiscal year, spending on professional and special services has increased by over one-third.
As the employer of the public service, what options has the Treasury Board explored to increase reliance on existing capacity or hire new public servants rather than spending on consultants, please?
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
I think I would like to demystify the professional services. Inside the amount, we have 14 categories. Consulting represents only one of them. In those categories, we have nurses who have to go up north to provide help to indigenous communities. I would not consider that as being business consulting. We also have legal services, protection services, training and educational services. I think we should look at all of those 14 different categories because management consulting represents 5% of the total. As you said, it was also indicated in the PBO report.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Thank you for that.
Given that information, do you think the government is prepared to contain costs related to professional services? If so, what are some ideas being discussed in an effort to do that, please?
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
The mix between personnel and professional services is, at the end of the day, a decision from the accounting officer. All deputy ministers in each organization will look at the priorities and at the skill shortages, and they will decide what's the best way for them to split the money in order to be able to deliver their own mandates.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
I think I'll stop there, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thank you, Mrs. Kusie.
Mr. Bains, you have five minutes, please.
6:05 p.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for coming in today.
The Canada Revenue Agency is requesting $213.8 million “to address the post-pandemic sustainability of contact centres”. Moreover, the supplementary estimates note that “The Agency anticipates 5 million calls from individuals and 1.6 million calls from businesses in 2022-23. This funding will be used for call agents, support functions and related internal services, and will help the agency preserve current capacity and service levels.”
How has the Government of Canada's digital transformation efforts affected the efficiency of these contact centres?
6:10 p.m.
Chief Data Officer of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
I can address that.
The Canada Revenue Agency is a fairly sophisticated user of digital services. It has been one of the leaders among agencies in terms of the services being offered to Canadians. I won't get into the details of call centres specifically, but I can say that it has been driving its program in a way to make sure that it stays modern and accessible to Canadians across the board.
It's something that it hasn't come to us to ask for our help on. I have a high degree of confidence that it is taking the digital considerations into account as it builds that program.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
It hasn't raised any issues with the Treasury Board concerning its hiring and training efforts for call centres. Has that happened?
6:10 p.m.
Chief Data Officer of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
On the hiring and training efforts for call centres, no, it has not raised that.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Just shifting gears here.... The Department of National Defence is requesting $167.8 million “for Canada's military contribution to the Global Coalition to counter Daesh (Operation IMPACT); North Atlantic Treaty Organization assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe (Operation REASSURANCE); and the United Nations Peace support operations in Africa (Operation PRESENCE)”. Furthermore, the supplementary estimates note that “This funding will support overseas missions, including military training and capacity building for international partners, counter-terrorism operations, the deployment of task forces, and contributions to the [UN] peacekeeping missions. The missions promote peace and security in the Middle East, Eastern and Central Europe, and Africa.”
What is the proportion of requested funding allocated to each of these operations?
6:10 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
The $167.8 million is divided this way. Operation Impact has $106.7 million. Operation Reassurance has $56.6 million. Operation Presence has $4.5 million.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
How do you foresee Operation Reassurance funding changing based on Canada's support to Ukraine since February 2022?
6:10 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Funding for Operation Reassurance is not expected to be affected by Canada's support to Ukraine. Canada remains committed to both our partners in Ukraine and our allies in NATO.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
On the Department of Employment and Social Development, they're requesting $227.5 million to write off unrecoverable debts owed to the Crown for Canada student loans and Canada apprentice loans.
Canada student loans provide financial assistance to students for their post-secondary education. What proportion of the student loans does this figure represent?
6:10 p.m.
Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
The amount that we find in supplementary estimates (C) represents roughly 1% of the portfolio. This is also consistent with the amount that you saw last year in supplementary estimates (C). It's always about 1% of the portfolio.