Mr. Speaker, a technical error was recently discovered in Bill C-26, an act to establish the Canada Border Services Agency. The error was located in the coordinating amendments in subparagraph 144(4)(b).
In subparagraph 144(4)(b) of Bill C-26, the Canada Border Services Agency was added to schedule V in error. The Canada Border Services Agency should have been added to schedule IV, the list of organizations considered to be part of a core public service for which Treasury Board is the employer.
The Public Service Modernization Act adds new schedules to the Financial Administration Act indicating which departments and agencies have the authorities of separate employers, schedule V and which remain under the auspices of the Treasury Board, schedule IV. The PSMA, or Public Service Modernization Act, comes into force later this year.
The amendment will have no effect on the main part of the bill, nor will it have an effect on Bill C-26, until the entry into force of the Public Service Modernization Act. If this mistake is not corrected, the Canada Border Services Agency will be deemed to be a separate employer when the Public Service Modernization Act comes into force.
This was never the intent, as the orders in council creating the CBSA in December 2003 clearly established CBSA as an organization under which Treasury Board is the main employer, nor was it the intent of the subcommittee on public safety and emergency preparedness which reviewed this legislation.
Treasury Board does the collective bargaining and sets the terms and conditions of employment for the core public service currently including the Canada Border Services Agency and the policy intent behind Bill C-26 is for that relationship to continue.
For these reasons, I believe that should you seek it, Mr. Speaker, you would find unanimous consent in the House to adopt this amendment and proceed immediately to third reading.