Mr. Speaker, I read the statement made by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services concerning the Canada Communication Group. Some elements sound vague and raise some very serious concerns.
As all stakeholders and certainly the minister himself knew, the outside firm Deloitte and Touche confirmed there was a conflict of interest in this special operating agency or SOA.
The minister either did not keep his eyes open or did not have the ability to review this matter himself, since it was an outside firm that made him see the light. In any case, it may be better this way since this firm only took six weeks to write its report whereas the minister would surely have taken six or twelve months if not more to do the same.
The first concern relates to the transfer of the Canada Communication Group's purchasing operations with all 150 employees affected to the supply operations arm of the department. Should this transfer exercise not be subject to an extensive review to rationalize departmental staff and resources?
The Bloc Quebecois periodically asks for a comprehensive review of public expenditures. Would it not be appropriate to take advantage of this adjustment to streamline spending and cut the waste of public funds?
Can the minister also assure us that the supply operations group within his department will be completely transparent and that the new status of the 150 employees will effectively stop any conflict of interest with the Canada Communication Group?
The announcement by the minister that an advisory committee will be set up to examine the status of the Canada Communication Group does not come as a big surprise to us. The Liberals have become the undisputed champions of advisory committees. We wonder whether ministers need their own staff since they always rely on advisory committees. Do ministers of this government have the authority to analyze, consult and make decisions on their own? Can they do the job themselves?
What guarantee do we have that this other advisory committee will not be made up of friends of the Liberals? On what basis and under what conditions will members of that committee be appointed? There are numerous concerns, Mr. Speaker.
I suggest to the minister that all members of the Standing Committee on Government Operations should sit on that committee. The minister should use a committee which already exists and whose members are MPs elected by the public. Instead of doing your usual show, I ask you, when the committee does its work, to open the books, to provide all necessary information, to invite your civil servants and let them express their views, and to consult all those interested in this issue. In this way, we will be able to shed some light on the issue and propose new options through a transparent and open process, as is the public's wish.
We are concerned by two other aspects in the minister's statement. While setting up an advisory committee, the minister is asking Communications Canada to develop and release a policy on conflicts of interest. Why is that not the committee's responsibility? Given its mandate, it is incumbent upon the committee to recommend such a policy. Again, more duplication of studies and consultation processes!
Finally, the minister says that he is reviewing the whole issue of Special Operating Agencies, including Communications Canada. What a mess, Mr. Speaker. The minister is looking at SOAs, the advisory committee is looking at a SOA, and the SOA is looking at itself. As far as we are concerned, this is pure improvisation.
Logic, intelligence, simplicity and common sense do not seem to be the forte of the minister responsible for SOAs.