Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to resume the debate.
When I heard my hon. colleague say this bill will somehow shake up or destroy the economic system of the nation, I think there is some exaggeration.
I heard my colleague say we are forcing businesses to pay taxes. My goodness, I think most businesses pay taxes rather willingly. Some have questioned some sections of the bill, but they have also acknowledged some of the meaningful changes that have been made.
When he suggests there ought to sober thinking here, I hope there is thinking and that the people who are doing the thinking are sober. If that is so, it would be sober thinking.
It has been almost a year since we debated this bill, as my colleague has pointed out. With Bill C-52, an act to establish the Department of Public Works and Government Services, four common service agencies are being integrated into one: Supply and Services Canada; Public Works Canada; the Translation Bureau and the Government Telecommunications Agency. The bill has a single and simple purpose, integration. The government is setting out a solid legislative process for integrating virtually all common service agencies within one organization. The result will be increased savings, efficiency and improvement in services for government, business and, most important, the Canadian taxpayer.
Through overlap and duplication reduction, system streamlining and expertise pooling, the cumulative savings for the Canadian taxpayer will be approximately $180 million by 1997-98.
We are talking here about integrating four former departments. We are talking about efficiency and about improving services to all Canadians. We are also talking about saving taxpayers' money.
Under this bill, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services will have the authority to provide services in several areas, including acquisition of material and services for other departments, printing and publishing, communications and translation, real property services, including the administering of federal real estate, realty services and architectural and engineering services, acting as a receiver general, providing administrative services such as management consulting, information services audit, accounting and financial management.
The authorities contained in Bill C-52 essentially reflect those contained in the legislation of the four components of government that are being amalgamated. However, changes were made to modernize the legislative responsibilities of the department and to ensure consistency across the newly amalgamated organizations.
The Public Works Act dates back to 1867 and the Supply and Services Act back to 1969.
We are merging four former departments. We take into account the legislation of these departments, of course, but we also modernize.
Bill C-52 is about savings, efficiency, improved services. The integration of virtually all common service agencies into one department is achieving savings, increasing efficiency and improving services by reducing overlap and duplication, streamlining systems and pooling expertise. This will ensure the most efficient and cost effective delivery of our services and generate significant savings for Canadians, savings I have indicated previously in the magnitude of $180 million annually.
As a result of budget and program review decisions, the department will reduce the workforce in five years by 5,263 full time equivalent positions, or by about 30 per cent of its current population. About 85 per cent of these reductions will occur by the end of 1997-1998 fiscal year.
This is about competition. The minister recognizes that more than ever the government has to be sensitive to the needs of the private sector and the real and legitimate concerns about unfair competition from the public sector. That is why the minister has moved swiftly to rectify the situation when specific examples of unfair competition have been brought to his attention.
In the case of architectural and engineering services, the minister has directed a review take place to determine the most cost effective means to deliver these types of services for the government as a whole.
A consultative committee has been established to guide this review, with representatives from industry associations and firms as well as union and government officials participating, including members of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada.
The minister has stated on several occasions that the department will not be allowed to compete against the private sector. This legislation will only be used by the department to support Canadian businesses to expand successfully, I might add, and to obtain a greater share of global markets, as well as to reduce overlapping duplication in all levels of government.
This bill has now the inclusion of a requirement for an order in council. The inclusion of a requirement for an order in council in section 16, proposed by the member for Guelph-Wellington, will ensure that the government obtain full direction from cabinet before the authority contained in this section is exercised and, therefore, ensuring accountability.