Human Resources Committee on April 13th, 2016

[Paul Thompson]

I'm not able to disaggregate it here, but we could certainly unpack that aggregate number and show you the component parts of that.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

It's because part of what I see as well are 1,000 FTEs as part of that expenditure. I see it as FTEs listed in the chart below. It goes from 7,875, I'm assuming employees, up to 8,872 employees, and then it drops down again. I see a net increase of 1,000 employees, and I'm wondering what those 1,000 employees are needed for.

[Alain P. Séguin, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Employment and Social Development]

Sorry, would that be the report on plans and priorities? I'm just trying to find the exact document.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

It's the Library of Parliament document that we have in front of us. I don't know if you have it, but it's table 3, “Planned Expenditures and Number of Full-Time Equivalent Employees (FTEs), by Strategic Outcome and Program”.

[Alain P. Séguin]

No, we don't. We have the report on plans and priorities. It may be similar, but we don't have that particular document.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Excuse me, then; just hold on.

Let me raise a point of order, Mr. Chair. Did they not receive the same documents that we received from the Library of Parliament?

I'm just curious. I'm just wondering how they can answer a question adequately, if they don't have a reference to how we're asking them these questions. I just would ask, if they don't have the documentation, how can they give us an answer to a question that we have for them?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Michael MacPherson]

The Library of Parliament briefing notes are only drafted for the members of Parliament and the committee. They are based on the plans and priorities and the documents available from the department.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Should they not then have these numbers in front of them there?

It shouldn't be a question. It should be yes, shouldn't it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

It's not a question for me.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

You're the chair. Excuse me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

No, I understand. But in terms of what they have in front of them, that's a question for them.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I'm not trying to put you in a difficult position. I just want an honest answer to an honest question.

There are 1,000 FTEs that I have in my chart in front of me, with this expenditure addition of $1.6 billion for the first year, but I see 1,000 FTEs in the department. I'm just wondering where those jobs are going—or how they're justified, I guess, as an expenditure.

The bottom line to me is that the money should be going to see more skilled trades around the country, and not necessarily in the interest of building a bigger entity.

[Alain P. Séguin]

We'll be referring to the report on plans and priorities and will try to reconcile with your document. They're differently laid out.

One of the single largest components—not the only one but the one of the single largest components—that would account for an FTE increase in skills and employment is the temporary foreign worker program. There was a significant increase in full-time equivalents announced in 2014, and the increase would have showed in the main estimates because in the previous year, in 2015-16—we're talking here about 2016-17—these were not in the main estimates. They were in supplementary estimates.

They would account for.... I'll get the exact number for you.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

You say, then, that the lion's share is for dealing with the temporary foreign worker issue.

[Alain P. Séguin]

That's right, and they would account.... Hang on a second; I'll have the exact number for you.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I hope this isn't going against my time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

We already gave you about 30 more seconds.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I haven't had one question answered yet, Chair.

[Alain P. Séguin]

This increase would account for some 240 FTEs for the temporary foreign worker program, bringing the total to 605, with the existing capacity. That's one of the single largest increases in the skills and employment program.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I just have one more small question for CMHC, for Mr. Siddall, if I could.

I'm referring to your document, page 3 of the CMHC document that we just received. It talks about Minister Duclos and the amount of money—$2.3 billion over two years, it says, starting this year. As a former carpenter who built houses up until a few years ago. I see the top amount of $504 million, to be matched by the provinces. How many houses does $504 million build?

[Evan Siddall]

About 100,000 units is the number. It was in fact delivered in the budget by Minister Morneau. He estimated that it would deliver 100,000 households.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Here's a second quick question. There's a figure down below that says “$554 million to improve housing conditions in First Nations communities”. How many houses does that service?

[Evan Siddall]

I don't have that answer for you, but I'm happy to give it to you, if we can—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I would appreciate it.

[Evan Siddall]

Of course.