Evidence of meeting #27 for Public Accounts in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was changes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
With respect to the November report, that is the annual report on people management. This is not a new report, the format is already well known. It will be tabled in Parliament by the President of the Treasury Board under the usual official tabling process. The structure of this report is not a new one.
Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
No, it has not been changed. The normal procedure will be followed. You will receive the reports in accordance with the usual tabling procedure.
You asked a question about the number of individuals affected by the changes. The whole of the public service was affected by these changes so it is—
Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
The numbers on the number of individuals in the public service are available. The number of individuals retiring on a regular basis is also available and it was in the report of the Clerk of the Privy Council to the Prime Minister, which was made public. All that information is available and is contained in the documents, on the websites, and is easily accessible. We can send you the hyperlinks.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Send us those links and we will be able to take a close look at how this works. Once you have new staff, perhaps it will be easier to ensure that they adapt to the new legislation. Sometimes, when someone has been in a position for 25 years, they have their own routine or certain work habits.
I also wanted to talk to you about equipment. Apparently, there are often complaints within the public service to the effect that the equipment is pathetic. I don't know if you have received these kinds of complaints but it is even a regular occurrence for us, in Parliament, that our computers do not work, for a full day at a time.
Do you experience this kind of problem? Do you have a budget to remedy it?
Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
I would like to point out that the Auditor General recently submitted a report on obsolete information systems technology, which I believe was discussed within the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates a few months ago.
On the whole, I would say that people are reasonably equipped. Obviously, as a government, we will not always be on the cutting edge of all equipment. We also need to see how some things work in other sectors before we decide to move ahead. Information systems technology is actually the current focus of a study, as a result of the recent discussion and tabling of Ms. Fraser's report on that issue.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I think that's all the questions I have from colleagues around the table. I wonder whether Madam Fraser or Madame d'Auray would like to have a moment or two to offer any closing comments before I go on to committee business.
Madam Fraser.
Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Thank you, Chair.
I'd just like to thank the committee for their interest in this report. Obviously, the question of the management of human resources is a critical one for the government, and I was pleased to see the committee's interest.
Thank you.
Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
I would like to echo Ms. Fraser's sentiment and thank you for your consideration of these issues that are not always necessarily a priority. They are for us, but they are not always the focus of parliamentary debates.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
Madame d'Auray, you know that we're going to be waiting with anticipation for the documents that you've promised us and we look forward to receiving them.
To your colleagues, Madam Cartwright and Mr. MacLeod, and Madam Fraser, to your colleagues, Mr. Campbell and Madame Bergeron, merci beaucoup for being here with us. Thank you very much.
I'm going to go on to committee business right now. We can stay in public for it, no problem.
The first item on committee business is still that notice of motion from Madame Faille. I gather that Madame Faille would like to discuss it on another occasion. Is that it?
Do you want to do that today?
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
It is not complicated. When the motion was before us, there was a vote. We had to leave to vote. We had agreed to vote on the motion at the next meeting.
When we met again, we were considering the report. Usually, the committee meets in camera when it is considering the report. Unfortunately, the result of the vote was not made public. This is simply to make the decision on the motion public, that is whether it was defeated or passed. That is all. It was simply a motion to make public a decision on a motion that had been duly debated in committee. I have other more complicated motions but today it is pretty simple.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joe Volpe
Okay, there's consensus.
I don't have any other business.
The committee is adjourned until next Thursday.
Thank you.
