Yes, the minister's reserves are right there. We have to ask a question in rebuttal. The grants and contributions performance tracking group was established in September 1999. It was stated in the program integrity audit on page 14, released on January 19. This is hardly something new and creative which she came out with in February, March and April.
The directive on the issuance of payments was issued January 20 requiring sign-off by senior executives prior to any new payments anyway. What is the big deal about everything being new and wonderful?
Deloitte & Touche brought forward its recommendations on February 2. It said in committee that the final draft was completed February 6. This version was put on the Internet on February 21 along with lots and lots of pages of grants and contributions made public by the department. Deloitte & Touche never even got another look at it. It was hired to look at it and made a few little changes. You will see in a minute, Mr. Speaker, and I am sure you are rapt with attention on this, that the final version of the six point plan is precious little different from the draft version Deloitte & Touche looked at and said was abysmal.
The number one subject was to ensure that payments meet standards. Here is the six point plan. I am sure there are Canadians who wonder if there really was a six point plan. There is.
Number one is to ensure payments meet standards. Number two is to resolve issues with past files. Number three is to equip and support staff. Number four is to get the best advice available. As if they needed to come up with a new six point plan to say to get the best available. Number five is accountability in reporting. Number six is communications. As if this is something new and creative.
These basic things should have been in there since the beginning. Ensure payments meet standards; obviously. Resolve issues with past files; who is not going to give money who has not checked it out? Equip and support staff; that would be a really smart thing to do. That should have been done off the top. Get the best advice available; anybody would know that. Accountability in reporting; as if this is something new with government money. It should be accountable and report every cent. Communications; sometimes we need good communications to get our point across.
That is the six point plan. It is unbelievable that a minister of the crown would stand and trumpet that day after day, as if there has been an amazing discovery and everything is okay and from now on the government will look after us.
The draft version which Deloitte & Touche looked at said that there would be no new payments without verification, to review all files by April 30 and have two senior officials approve them, and to monitor new agreements. In the final version the same points were addressed, the same officials were named and there was the same timeline. When the minister stood in her place a couple of weeks ago and said they had taken its recommendations, they had not done a thing. They just reprinted them in the next column.
The draft version said to resolve all issues with past files by February 29; review 37 files and develop methods to choose others for review; by August 31 apply screening methods; and to study cost effectiveness of looking at files prior to 1998-99. Those were the draft version recommendations. The final version says by February 18, review the 37 files. So the date was changed by 11 days. Oh, those are substantive changes.
On number three the draft version says to “equip and support staff, conduct training, arrange temporary additional resources, add staff response on the standing item on national management board agenda”. That was Deloitte & Touche in the draft version. In the final version the same vague steps were implemented, but the first round of training was scheduled to take place by February 28. That was a real sign of commitment, putting a date in there. This is hardly a substantial amendment.
Number four was to get the best advice available. Deloitte & Touche in the draft version said to “consult with TB, AG”—that is the treasury board and the auditor general—“other deputies, contract senior private sector financial expert for technical advice”—that is, the best advice available—“review progress quarterly with treasury board and meet monthly with the assistant auditor general”.
In the final version, the same steps were taken. It notes that it incorporated treasury board and AG advice. The website was changed on May 3 to read that it incorporated Deloitte's as well as treasury board's on-site executives' advice. On May 3, much later, the website was changed, “Whoops, got to fix this up and make sure everything looks parallel”.
Number five in the six point plan is accountability in reporting. “Report regularly to the minister, staff, senior managers, obtain outside expert advice on progress of plan, by March 31 assess cost benefit of applying the ISO 9000 to programs”.
This is what happened in the final version. The dates were changed. The dates of June 2000 and January 2001 for external review of the progress of the plan were added. I hardly think the minister could stand in her place and brag about the fact that they have brought in all these recommendations. They changed a date here and there. This is hardly substantive.
Number six was communications. Deloitte & Touche said “Brief sponsors, press, correct misinformation as appropriate, brief all staff on February 7, communicate regularly with program staff”. This is what the minister's draft version looked like. Deloitte & Touche had some serious concerns about all these draft versions of the HRD six point plan.
The final version added “report to parliament through parliamentary committee and performance report”. The final version said that they are going to report to parliament, through parliamentary committee and performance report. The minister clearly would come in, stand, make a fuss and say, “Everything is okay. Trust us. I am from the government and I am here to help you. Remember me? I have a six point plan implemented and everything is absolutely fine. It is going along well”.
That six point plan is unbelievable. The minister talks about the six point plan, and especially number six, the communications angle of it, I would bet a dollar that she is not terribly impressed with the communications. Many in her own department have come forward and she did not act of course, “Uh oh, looks like this could be a real land mine”.