Evidence of meeting #37 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was fintrac.
A video is available from Parliament.
Chief Financial Officer, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Ministers' office budgets are approved centrally through the Treasury Board, and they are managing those budgets. I'm not aware of the changes that might be happening within the ministers' offices as a result of any adjustments in their budgets.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
The plan also specifically highlights the new buy Canadian procurement policy framework, which was announced last summer and is set for implementation in 2026-27, including a new program to support small and medium-sized enterprises, which I believe is supposed to be launched this spring.
What additional resources have been required to administer the buy Canadian policy, if any?
Chief Financial Officer, Department of Public Works and Government Services
There was funding that was approved as part of budget 2025 related to the buy Canadian initiative. I don't have the specific numbers in front of me. I was preparing more for the comprehensive expenditure review today, and buy Canadian was not part of our comprehensive expenditure review process.
We are back here at OGGO for main estimates in a couple of weeks, and I certainly will be prepared to answer the question at that point, if that's acceptable.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
That's totally acceptable. Thank you.
This is a great segue to move a motion that I put on notice quite a number of weeks ago regarding the buy Canadian policy. If I could read that motion now, I believe everyone received it at the time it was put on notice.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Since the government announced its buy Canadian policy last summer, there have been numerous articles related to the policy and, more specifically, whether it will actually accomplish the purpose for which it was created. We have begun hearing from stakeholders from a number of industries, who are already identifying measures within the policy that need to be changed, including providing more clarity regarding the rules. I think that providing clarity would be a kindness to the people who are looking to benefit from a policy like the buy Canadian policy, which is why I put the motion on notice a number of weeks ago.
Can I go ahead and read the motion now? I move:
That the committee undertake a study into the government's buy Canadian policy for no fewer than three meetings, and that the committee invite PSPC officials to appear for the first meeting of the study and the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement to appear for one hour at the conclusion of the study.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
It's just a three-meeting motion to study the buy Canadian policy. Great.
Ms. Rochefort.
Liberal
Pauline Rochefort Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
Yes, Mr. Chair, I was hoping that we could suspend right now, so that we could have a huddle to discuss this. It's a new item that's just come forward.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
It hasn't just come forward. It's been on notice for a month and a half.
Liberal
Liberal
Pauline Rochefort Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
It would be greatly appreciated if we had an opportunity to discuss it. I think it would make for a more informed discussion.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I understand what you're saying. I appreciate that. It can be the practice when it's a matter-at-hand motion. However, it has been on notice for a month and half. That's the whole point of putting it on notice, so that you and your colleagues had time to discuss it for when it was tabled.
Could we keep it to two minutes, please?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
It is a simple motion on something the government's pushing, so I hope we can agree to do a simple study on that and we get back quickly.
We're suspended.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thanks for your patience, witnesses.
I think we have an answer from Ms. Rochefort.
It's back to you. Are your colleagues fine with this?
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Wonderful.
We will adopt it by UC then.
(Motion agreed to)
Thank you very much, Ms. Rochefort. I sincerely appreciate that.
We are now with Mr. Gasparro, please, for six minutes.
Liberal
Vince Gasparro Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Thank you very much.
I just want to pick up where my colleague left off on the buy Canadian policy.
Could the witness just touch on how budget 2025 addresses Public Services and Procurement Canada's measures to enhance efficiency as part of the CER and support the delivery of the buy Canadian policy? Can you shed some light on that?
Chief Financial Officer, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Certainly, as part of the comprehensive expenditure review exercise, we look to identify as many efficiencies as possible in our operations. Buy Canadian is a new initiative that has been proposed. There are a number of areas where we will focus on trying to improve the procurement process, particularly for some of our small and medium-sized enterprises, as noted by the other member.
Again, I'm not the best person to speak to this. It's a little beyond my area of expertise. We are back in front of OGGO in a couple of weeks and will have the assistant deputy minister responsible for the buy Canadian initiative able to speak to it.
Liberal
Vince Gasparro Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
At this committee we've also discussed the use of artificial intelligence and how federal departments are beginning to implement it. How is PSPC planning to integrate AI into its operations and service delivery?
Chief Financial Officer, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We have been very focused on adopting some AI initiatives over the past year in particular. One that I will mention ties in to the buy Canadian side of things.
We recently launched a new AI chatbot, Procura, which is a procurement-related AI agent that is able to take questions and provide advice to external users on the procurement process.
We've also been very involved in the GCtranslate tool, which has recently been rolled out to Government of Canada departments. That's an online translation tool that is also AI-enabled.
We're also looking at policy chatbots internal to PSPC to help support the policy interpretation within the department, and that helps us to reduce the number of resources that are focused on doing that particular research within the department.
Liberal
Vince Gasparro Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
That's great.
Can you identify any current PSPC processes that you believe are causing unnecessary delays or negatively affecting service delivery for Canadians? That obviously ties into some of the AI work you're doing as well.