Mr. Chairman, I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating the new minister on his portfolio and on the outstanding job that he is doing in it.
I am very fortunate to have in my constituency the superannuation directorate of the Department of Public Works and Government Services. This directorate of the minister's department manages the pension plan and pays pension benefits to almost a quarter of a million retired public servants and their survivors.
The superannuation directorate, as one can imagine in a small community in Atlantic Canada with 410 employees, is a major source of economic prosperity for that community. I had a chance to visit this directorate of the department on two occasions. The directorate has a new director general. She is an outstanding public servant and a very dynamic new director. The employees are very pleased with her energy, dedication and desire to motivate them to continue to do the excellent work they have done.
This directorate of the Department of Public Works and Government Services serves as an excellent example of a decentralization policy of a previous Liberal government. I can tell everyone that Atlantic Canada communities like Shediac, where this unit is located, have benefited enormously from the presence of these public service jobs.
I said I had the opportunity to visit that unit of the department on two occasions and the second time it was with the minister's predecessor.
Two months ago the former minister came with me to Shediac. We met all the employees and I must say that their enthusiasm resulting from the presence of the minister in their community did a lot of good.
I hope I will have the opportunity to invite the new minister to visit this unit at the appropriate time.
The minister's predecessor had indicated to me that the department was looking at a modernization initiative for the superannuation directorate. When we visited the unit and spoke to many of the employees we were struck by the need to upgrade and improve many of the information systems and some of the technology that these dedicated public servants were using to serve their clients so well.
The objective of the Department of Public Works and Government Services and the superannuation division, our directorate in Shediac, would be greatly improved if the government proceeded with this modernization study to see how, for example, new technology, new information systems and perhaps, in some cases, additions to the current building and infrastructure that exists in Shediac might better serve the clients of this directorate.
I am wondering if the minister might be able to inform us on his department's plans for the superannuation directorate. I had a discussion with his predecessor about some of the concerns that employees would have. For example, the word out-sourcing for public servants in a community like Shediac, New Brunswick, obviously leads to some concern about their jobs either being downsized or eliminated. There is also a real concern that in some cases some functions are being pulled back to Ottawa, repatriated back to headquarters, and the important work done by these dedicated public servants in Shediac, New Brunswick would somehow be diminished.
I would be interested to know if the minister could update us and reassure the employees who work in Shediac and who contribute enormously to their communities that the work they do is valued by the government, as I know it is, and that they can continue to provide the excellent service they do to the many clients they serve.