Evidence of meeting #50 for Public Accounts in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was contracts.
A video is available from Parliament.
11:50 a.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
We are in the process of developing the maritime security strategy, led by the Coast Guard, but with all of the members of the marine security working group. As I said in my opening remarks, they are Transport Canada, DND, RCMP, CBSA, and DFO. Of course, we're also engaging very closely with indigenous communities in the north.
We're expecting to have the strategy completed by June of this year.
I don't know if the commissioner wants to share more on it.
11:55 a.m.
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The report should be finalized by June, and that will come with an action plan looking forward on how we're going to implement it, basically looking at how the MSOCs are working today and what they could improve on in the future in sharing information and so on.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Valerie Bradford Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
What is the marine security operation centre information-sharing protocol and third party review, and when will it be able to identify the measures planned to be incorporated and identify gaps in monitoring and assessing?
11:55 a.m.
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
In June.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
11:55 a.m.
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Valerie Bradford Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
Okay. That's great.
I think that's probably my time.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Valerie Bradford Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
Getting back to Mr. Thompson, what is the economic benefit and impact that the national shipbuilding strategy brings to communities across Canada?
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Williamson
That is a big question. You have about 20 seconds.
I stopped the clock while I was talking.
11:55 a.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Rather than trying to summarize it in 20 seconds, I might refer the member to our annual report on the national shipbuilding strategy, which has all the job creation numbers that are updated on an annual basis.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Williamson
Thank you. I'll be sure to have our analysts grab that report for committee members. It's a wonderful read, I'm sure.
We'll turn now to Ms. Sinclair-Desgagné.
You have the floor for two and a half minutes.
11:55 a.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to follow up with the Office of the Auditor General on the way responsibilities are shared between the different departments when it comes to the national shipbuilding strategy.
Could you briefly describe the cooperation that you are seeing between the various departments?
11:55 a.m.
Deputy Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General
The departments should cooperate to establish the ways the ships could meet the requirements and needs contained in the strategy.
Moreover, the departments should work with Public Services and Procurement Canada to define requirements and timelines.
11:55 a.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
In other words, you have discovered obvious shortcomings in the way responsibilities are shared and the way the departments communicate with each other.
In your opinion, would there be less risk if the roles of the departments were more clearly defined?
11:55 a.m.
Deputy Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General
The roles and the mandates of the departments are clear. The problem is one of implementation.
11:55 a.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
Could you give us more details? If the roles are well defined, where is the problem? Are people not doing their work?
11:55 a.m.
Deputy Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General
There are many reasons why projects such as this strategy can get bogged down. Perhaps my colleague could answer your question.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
11:55 a.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
Are you able to answer in 33 seconds? If things are clear, what is the issue?
11:55 a.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I can answer the question. We have a system of governance for the responsibilities of the three departments. The Canadian Coast Guard is responsible for operational requirements, Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for the procurement process, and Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada is responsible for looking at the economic impact.
These three departments work together to manage the risk and the work plan for each of the shipyards.
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I will now turn to aspects of the testimony that was made by each member with regard to the environment. I think I may have actually seen Mr. Pelletier at a different committee, maybe the defence committee, where we talked a little about the utilization of Canada's military equipment when it is deployed to combat environmental catastrophes. My unique position, I think, in some ways, is to suggest that it may not be the best use of those resources. It was mentioned several times by both the DFO and Public Services that this is one of the areas of last resort for the country.
My question is in direct relation to the equipment. The audit makes very specific recommendations in relation to the age of the equipment and the inadequacy of that equipment for both monitoring and, in some instances, the environment.
Is the fleet, the assets we currently have in the north, capable of actually responding to environmental catastrophe in the way Canadians would expect? Is it tailored for that solution?
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Williamson
Thank you very much.
Mr. Desjarlais, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
Noon
Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
We have, through OPP 1, renewed all our environmental response equipment, and there will be further investment through OPP 2 as well. We have 19 environmental response caches in the Arctic. We're updating all of the equipment. Also, we're engaging with the community to train them on how to use the equipment, how to report, and how to assess a spill, and we're hiring people on the ground as well.
Part of your question earlier was how many people from the north we have working in the north. We just finished a selection process where we're going to be bringing a number of environmental responders in the Arctic.