Public Accounts Committee on Nov. 5th, 2020

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would agree that we should host it. I would hazard a guess that the majority of the work would probably fall to our analysts or our resource staff of the committee. I would be interested to know, even though it's 2022, who would be helping to plan this? Would it actually be the chair in cooperation with the clerk and other analysts and other resources? Who would actually plan this?

I think that's what Mr. Longfield was referring to in saying that we should be a little tentative and that he wants to know a little more. It very well could not be us by the time 2022 comes around, but if there are other individuals who can continue that work regardless of who sits in the chair of this committee, then I think of course we should move forward with it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Okay. I have no—

Yes, Madam Clerk.

[The Clerk]

Madam Chair, I can speak to a couple of those issues.

The budget is actually relatively small. We ask for a certain amount of money, and then we are reimbursed by the registration fees. The costs are also shared with the legislative auditors. It's a joint meeting. Part of the meeting is held together and then each group goes off and does its business meeting. They share the costs sixty-forty. They're smaller, so they get 40%. It ends up that the actual dollar amount is not very large for this size of a conference. It's only held for approximately two and a half days. There's a registration fee, and of course people pay their own accommodations and whatnot.

In terms of who does the planning, the executive committee is made up of the chair of the public accounts committee of the host for the present year, the chair of the committee that hosted the previous year, and the chair of the committee that's hosting the following year. They do the planning, and the implementation is done by parliamentary staff and the Auditor General's office staff as well, because they are jointly involved with the planning.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Are there any other questions?

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Through you, Madam Chair, to the clerk, who was the chair at the time for the future meeting?

[The Clerk]

Of the executive board or of this committee?

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Of this committee. Was it Mr. Sorenson?

[The Clerk]

Yes, it was Mr. Sorenson.

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Okay.

So we would have to tap into his knowledge as well in order to work with this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Thank you, Mr. Webber.

Are there any other questions? If not, perhaps I could follow up with one.

Madam Clerk, you indicated that the budget is rather small. Do you have an approximate number to share with this committee so that we have a point of reference for what “small” might mean?

[The Clerk]

I'm trying to remember, but I believe it was something like $25,000. As I say, we actually get back about 60% of that in registration fees and whatnot. The normal participation in this conference is about 100 people. It's a reasonably significant meeting for a reasonably minimal cost. Any members I've spoken to who have attended have found it very useful to their work on public accounts committees.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.

I see that one of our analysts would like to weigh in.

Please go ahead.

[Dillan Theckedath, Committee Researcher]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We will be providing a proper agenda of past meetings, but perhaps I could take just 30 seconds here. It's a typical conference. It's three nights and two to two and a half days long. There is an opening cocktail reception and usually a plenary. The bulk of things will take place on the second day.

Usually on the second evening there is the expectation of a meal that's part of an excursion. In the past we went to a colonial site. There was a meal presented in a traditional cabin, a huge cabin. Other things included boat cruises, bus tours and things like that. On the second day there is keynote speaking and guest speakers. By the end of the second day, usually the auditors group will separate and the public accounts group will separate and have meetings. In the past four that I've been to, the chair of federal public accounts committee has always been invited to speak, as has the Auditor General.

It is a combination of most conferences that we've all attended. That's sort of the general structure. There would likely be, for people coming to Ottawa, a lot of excitement, because it isn't one of the provincial capitals. The Gatineau hills, the canal, the rivers and that sort of thing would also come into effect.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Fergus.

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I would like to say to all of my colleagues on this committee that it's very important for these folks to participate. I'm fully supportive of this. But I think it's particularly important for people to have the full experience of the national capital region. I hope I can count on your collective support to encourage people to cross that bridge and come over to Hull—Aylmer, which we all know is really the crown jewel of this area. We will certainly show all participants a great time on our side of the river.

I'm asking all my colleagues here to make sure that we encourage our clerk to have a good part of this event over on the Quebec side of the river.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

We're having it at Greg's house.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Madam Chair, I disagree. I think we should have the federal meeting in Nova Scotia in wine country, in the Annapolis Valley. There's nothing saying that all of our federal activities have to happen in Ottawa, in the capital region.

Despite Mr. Fergus's great suggestion about his hometown, come to the Annapolis Valley.

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

If it were to happen in the national capital region, I hope I could count on your support.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Thank you very much, both of you.

I believe Ms. Yip would like to weigh in.

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I attended a conference in P.E.I. and found it very useful, especially since I was really new to the committee. It was very interesting to hear how the provinces functioned. It made me very grateful for all the resources we have at the federal level. I think it's definitely worth hosting.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Thank you very much, Ms. Yip.

I appreciate all of the interventions that have been made on this motion.

I'm wondering if the committee is ready to adopt the motion in the report regarding this conference.

I'm seeing thumbs up. All right. It looks like that's supported.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall the report be adopted?

(Motion agreed to)

Great.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 17.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, I have a last question about the training session with the Canadian association.... I don't remember the name of the association we were supposed to have here. Is it still in the plans of the committee? We didn't talk about it at the subcommittee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Thank you very much, Mr. Berthold.

Yes, most of the members, if not all, had indicated that they would like to continue the training that we started this session with. I will refer back to the clerk to provide us with an update.

I was remiss not to have put that on the agenda for our subcommittee. Thank you for bringing that forward.

[The Clerk]

I apologize as well for not bringing that to the committee's attention.

They had indicated that they would be able to do a presentation, but not until late November. We haven't set a specific date. We would probably have to do it in one of our committee meetings, as the new schedule we received for two meetings per week indicates that we cannot sit in the evenings, in the 6:30 to 8:30 time slot, because those slots will be reserved for other committees as their regular sitting time. They had indicated they would prefer to come in the week of the 24th or 25th of November. Perhaps members could think about that, and we can discuss it at our next meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly Block]

Mr. Berthold, would you like to respond?