Government Operations Committee on May 31st, 2023

[Annie Boudreau]

As for the budget's financial profile, you will find $500 million allocated for this year, 2023-24, and we intend to provide more details in one of the supplementary estimates this year. The other amount will be included in next year's main estimates for 2024-25, as per the financial profile in the federal budget.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

The Parliamentary Budget Officer also recommended that Parliament consider adopting a new administrative legislative framework to improve fiscal transparency, and in particular aligning the budget priorities in the main estimates instead of having them show up in the supplementary estimates (A).

Would your department support this change?

[Annie Boudreau]

The main estimates were tabled on March 1, as per the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. As you know, the budget was tabled at the end of March.

Having said that, if you look carefully in the supplementary estimates (A), you will see all of the budget 2023 items that have already been included in the supplementary estimates (A). You will see, for those items, a reference to the budget. There is a tagging of what is included in supplementary estimates (A) that relates to budget 2023.

As the PBO stated in his report, which was tabled on Monday morning, more than 40% of the items from the federal budget are already included in supplementary estimates (A).

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Would you be able to expand upon other further measures that the department has taken in terms of providing more transparency for Canadians in regard to the budget?

[Annie Boudreau]

As I was saying, you will find here all of the new requirements in the supplementary estimates (A). You will find all of the tagging to the federal budget. You will find, as well, all the horizontal items that are for more than one department. You will find an online annex with all essential votes that we have under the Treasury Board Secretariat—the opening balances and everything that has been used over the course of the year.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

That's fine. Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thanks.

Next is Mr. Kusmierczyk. You have five minutes, please.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the net-zero government initiative.

We've obviously seen the tremendous impacts of climate change. We saw hurricane Fiona. We've seen the storms out on the east coast. We see the fires in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada, Alberta.

The net-zero initiative invites governments from all around the world to work together to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. I want to get an update on how our government is participating and collaborating on the net-zero government initiative.

[Samantha Tattersall, Assistant Comptroller General, Acquired Services and Assets Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat]

Thank you for the question.

I can talk generally about what we've been doing on greening government in the operations. There are some key highlights I would mention.

First of all, we've been making efforts to green our fleet. All executive vehicles are to be green or hybrid. We're now at 95%. All of our regular fleet is to be green by 2030, and we are at 11% of reaching that target.

In terms of procurement, for example, it's embedded in our policy that best value doesn't mean the lowest cost for what we buy; it also means there are green initiatives as part of that.

Among the things we're doing, one is procuring 100% clean electricity for our federal operations. We're also working with PSPC to green our standing offers and our supply arrangements, so of the 7,000 standing offers we have, 40% now have environmental considerations in them. We are also incentivizing our suppliers on large contracts to disclose their GHG emissions and have a Paris-based target.

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

That's terrific news.

When I first got elected, I actually wrote a letter to all the ministers, asking them to consider purchasing Chrysler hybrid Pacificas as their executive vehicles. I made sure to send that to every minister, even if they had a fleet of two under their portfolios. I'm pleased to see.... I've been keeping track on the Hill of every time I see a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on the Hill. I get excited and I take a photograph too, with a thumbs-up.

Can you tell me a bit, again, about the impact of using the greening initiative not only to achieve our net-zero emission targets but to support communities like mine, with Canadian workers who are building Canadian vehicles and helping us reach net-zero emissions? Is that part of the calculation?

[Samantha Tattersall]

In terms of the Government of Canada's fleet, as I said, there are the executive vehicles and then there are our conventional light-duty vehicles. On the executive side, it's either net-zero or hybrid. As I said, 95% are. I see the list of those and can tell you that there are Pacificas on that list.

In terms of our conventional fleet, it's obviously an open, fair and transparent procurement that we put out in terms of whoever puts in bids for those fleet. As I said, of the 17,000 vehicles we have, 11% now meet our green targets, and we are on track to meet the 2030 target.

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

On that, I wanted to ask you as well about charging infrastructure on federal property and here in the national capital region. Are you able to comment a bit on that? Is that something we're looking to boost?

[Samantha Tattersall]

I'll give you a general answer. I don't have all the specifics, but the infrastructure goes hand in glove with it, so we are working with departments on how to implement the infrastructure.

I don't have any more specific details.

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

That's perfect.

I feel generous today, Mr. Chair, so I will yield my time to Mr. Johns, if he would like a little extra time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

It's only 25 seconds. Why don't we add it to the end of his time?

We'll go to Ms. Vignola first, and maybe she can ask.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

I'm very excited.

Going back to—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

No, Mr. Johns. We'll add it to the end of your time after Ms. Vignola, rather than interrupt your time.

Maybe Ms. Vignola can ask about the Chrysler Pacifica as well.

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

No, but it's not that I don't like it.

According to its 2023‑24 departmental plan, the Treasury Board Secretariat expects that at least 80% of high-volume government services will meet the service standards by March 31, 2024. In 2021, however, the rate for that particular indicator was 46%, a drop from 69% in the previous year.

Does the Treasury Board Secretariat expect the results for service standards to increase in 2022‑23 and 2023‑24, and indeed to reach the objective of 80%? How will it do that?

[Karen Cahill]

As stated, each department is responsible for its departmental plan. We certainly do expect to meet the targets from year to year. Various initiatives will move forward, and we hope to achieve the results every year.

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

So there is an indicator along with an objective, which varies from department to department. There is no real control over each department, but you are responsible for that. That is what I understand.

[Karen Cahill]

We are not responsible for every program in a given department. It is up to the department to meet their program objectives and to report on them.

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

Since service standards are included in Treasury Board's departmental plan, what specifically is Treasury Board doing to ensure that those objectives are met and to rally the troops?

[Karen Cahill]

We work very closely with each department to ensure that they take concrete and realistic measures. In many cases, when programs are developed, people are a bit ambitious about the measures to be taken.

Our objective is to work with each department to help them establish concrete measures for their programs and to monitor them closely. We also provide the tools they need to achieve their results and report on them.

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

How many seconds do I have left, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

You have negative 20 seconds. You've taken Mr. Johns' time.

Go ahead, Mr. Johns.