Evidence of meeting #24 for Public Accounts in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cfia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
We have developed it to some extent.
Conservative
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Have you looked at their models? Is there a model you like that you can implement a little faster?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
We have looked at a number of models. I know that Australia has quite a robust model, particularly with regard to plant health.
Associate Vice-President, Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Australia and New Zealand, with their unique ecosystems, have placed a significant focus in this area. We work quite closely with our colleagues in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in the U.S., in the plant health quadrilaterals. It's a tremendous opportunity to learn lessons.
Conservative
Associate Vice-President, Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Absolutely.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
I'm interested in how you mitigate threats, Madam Swan. If there was another Dutch elm disease or emerald ash borer, how would you mitigate the threat? Could you prevent it from spreading?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The first challenge is to identify that it's here. We need the science to identify that a pest is present. We then have the ability to set up quarantine zones to prevent the spread. In some cases, wood, firewood, can be a host for plant pests. We have the ability to restrict movement through ministerial orders. We try to contain. Sometimes it means we have to cut down trees. We try to set up a buffer zone to prevent spread from an area.
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
It is working to varying degrees. It has been more effective in some cases than in others. In some cases, pests are difficult to quarantine, especially the flying type.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
In fact, Mr. Young asked a question that I had wanted to put to you.
We are now in 2009, and you are going to be assessing your information management needs between now and 2010. Could you tell us when you became aware of the problems in your IT system?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The Auditor General's report in 2003 pointed to IM/IT. We have known for quite a while that modernization was required. We have tried various work-arounds, which have been more or less effective. But we recognize that a more modern IM/IT system would help us be much more risk-based and effective with respect to our plant health responsibilities.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
In brief, you are making investments, but you do not have a comprehensive business plan, whereas the problem was identified several years ago.
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I think it's fair to say that IM/IT management is a challenge, not just in the plant health area, but certainly for the agency--and I wouldn't want to go too far afield, but I would say for other departments as well.
There was a reference earlier to another IM/IT program. These tend to be large, lumpy programs of long duration, and it's important to get as much information as we can to make sure we invest in the right ways, because we want to avoid an investment that would not, for instance, allow us to understand better where the risks are.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Have you made a request under the government's Shared Services Initiative? What priority has the Department of Public Works and Government Services given you?
President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'm going to ask Stephen to speak to the issue of shared services. I don't know that it relates specifically to the IM/IT area.
Vice-President, Finance, Administration and Information Technology, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'm not entirely sure what part of the shared services agenda we're talking about.
The agency is in the shared service cluster at the moment. We actually share an HR and financial management system with the Department of Agriculture. We are also involved in the corporate administrative shared services initiative that is being developed by the Treasury Board Secretariat, and we're participating in that with the notion that we would expand our shared base from two departments to more.
In the area of IM/IT, the shared service organization is Public Works and Government Services Canada, which provide, on a shared service basis, access to infrastructure, networks, and technology, and we are a buyer of their services. So they're our principal supplier around network connectivity and communications infrastructure.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
That, colleagues, concludes both rounds of questions.
Before we adjourn the meeting I'm going to ask if either the auditor or Ms. Swan have any closing remarks to the committee.
Auditor General of Canada
Mr. Chair, I would just like to thank the committee for their interest in this report. As we have said, we do believe that our findings are serious, that corrective action is needed on a number of fronts, and we look forward to a follow-up audit at some time in the future that will show the agency has taken action.