Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 42 of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2015-2016 annual report of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board.
House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2021, with 42% of the vote.
Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board November 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 42 of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2015-2016 annual report of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board.
Ethics November 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that all federal procurement processes are carried out in an ethical manner that protects the interests of Canadians.
We need to ensure that all procurement processes are open and accountable. That is what our government promised, and that is what we are going to do.
Remembrance Day November 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, today we honour our veterans for their courage, service and sacrifice, men and women in uniform who have answered the call and stood their ground to defend our democracy.
We must remember our veterans who have given their lives in times of war and also those who have served our country in times of peace.
We, as Canadians, are people of peace. Internationally, Canada stands as beacon of democracy. It is because of our veterans that Canada remains this way. For their service, their sacrifice, for our freedom, we thank them.
On November 11, I encourage all hon. members and Canadians to take a moment to remember, to share a family story, to shake a veteran's hand, to observe the clock striking 11 o'clock. Understand that our peace is not without sacrifice. Lest we forget.
Public Services and Procurement November 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, no public servant should have to go without the pay to which they are entitled. This is a difficult situation, but I can assure the members of the House that our officials are doing everything they can to resolve the pay problems of their colleagues.
Public Services and Procurement November 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the interest of the member opposite in this issue, and we agree that the ongoing public service pay problems are completely unacceptable. That is why I can assure the member that our team at PSPC is working tirelessly to ensure that all employees receive the pay they have earned.
Many employees across the public service are facing financial hardship because of the current pay issues, and I recognize how frustrating this situation is. Resolving these cases is our priority.
We are committed to openness and transparency throughout this process. We have held bi-weekly technical briefings, nine in total, and spoken in depth with the media. Our minister has already appeared twice at parliamentary committees, and she has met with union representatives. The deputy minister, at our request, meets on a regular basis with the joint union-management committee.
Over the summer we took a number of steps to address the issues associated with Phoenix. Temporary satellite pay offices were set up and additional staff were hired over the summer. Enhancements have been made and continue to be made to Phoenix, and employees across the government who use the system are becoming more adept with it as a result of training and experience. Compensation advisers are working day and night, seven days a week, with one priority in mind: to clear the backlog and ensure that each and every Government of Canada employee is paid accurately.
While I acknowledge the efforts of the men and women of our department, I am disappointed that we did not hit the October 31 deadline. I recognize how frustrating the situation is. Close to 75% of the backlog has now been dealt with, and there are cases remaining for approximately 22,000 employees. We continue to work tirelessly to close the remaining cases as quickly as we can.
These cases are more complex and require time-consuming manual calculations. In fact 82%, or four out of every five, of those cases predate the implementation of Phoenix, and some date back several years.
As I have said before, there is no justification for not paying public servants. Employees can request emergency pay advances through their department. These advances can be paid within 24 to 48 hours of the request. Anyone having difficulty obtaining an emergency pay advance should ask for help by filling out the Phoenix feedback form online.
As far as employees who have been overpaid are concerned, these sums will be recovered over several pay periods in order to reduce any related financial burden. A process was set up to reimburse employees for the out-of-pocket expenses they have incurred as a result of missing pay. This could include insufficient fund charges or penalties for late payments.
We will continue to keep public servants and the public informed of our progress.
Ethics November 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to making sure that all government procurement is done in an ethical way that protects the interests of Canadians. We must ensure that all procurements we undertake are done in an accountable and transparent manner, and that is why this government has committed to it, and that is what we will do.
Infrastructure October 31st, 2016
Madam Speaker, federal procurement activities operate within a complex framework of rules, policies, mechanisms, and international trade agreements that ensure fairness, and taken together are beneficial to Canadian suppliers of goods and services, as well as the Canadian economy.
Additionally, our government’s plan for investment in the Canadian economy includes revitalizing public infrastructure. Canadians will see benefits in terms of job creation across the country, particularly in the construction, engineering, and manufacturing sectors, and in the ensuing economic spinoff activity.
Infrastructure October 31st, 2016
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the interest of the member opposite in this issue. The Government of Canada wants all sectors of our economy to prosper, and at the same time it must carry out its procurement activities in a manner that enhances access, competition, and fairness. To provide more opportunities for Canadian suppliers, Canada has negotiated access to foreign government procurement markets through international trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trade agreements place the legal obligations for competition into a global environment, while greatly expanding the marketplace for Canadian goods and services and resulting in more opportunities for Canadian steel.
An open trade and investment environment allows firms to thrive and helps create better jobs for the middle class. This is particularly important for the Canadian steel industry, which is highly dependent on export markets and is part of an integrated North American market. Some 48% of Canadian steel shipments are exported, of which 81% go to the United States.
There are a number of ways the Government of Canada can favour Canadian industry. The Canadian content policy, for example, encourages industrial development in Canada by limiting procurement opportunities to suppliers of Canadian goods and services when there is sufficient competition. Sufficient competition is defined as at least two potential suppliers of Canadian goods or services. The Canadian content policy is applied to most publicly advertised, competitive procurements by the departments of Public Services and Procurement and National Defence valued at $25,000 or more.
To be considered Canadian, a good has to be wholly originated in Canada or, if it contains imported components, must have undergone a certain degree of transformation in Canada. A service is considered Canadian if it is provided by a company based in Canada.
Another procurement mechanism used to promote Canadian industry is the industrial technological benefits policy, managed by the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. This policy requires companies that are awarded defence and security contracts by the Government of Canada to undertake business activities in Canada valued at 100% of the contract award. Over the last three decades, the policy has been applied to 125 procurements and has led to $38 billion in obligations. These are just some of the ways that the Government of Canada seeks to maximize benefits for Canada in its procurements, and we are always looking for more.
My final point is that our government has an overarching strategy to spur economic growth across the country, and we believe strongly that the best way to foster future prosperity is by investing in the economy today.
The Alexandra Bridge project is covered by the Agreement on Internal Trade. The competitively tendered construction contract was awarded on August 1, 2016, to Stellaire Construction Inc. While the tender did not require that bidders provide Canadian steel, the specifications required that the steel quality meet the standards of the Canadian Standard Association, among others.
Public Services and Procurement Canada provides Infrastructure Canada, which leads the—
Public Services and Procurement October 26th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the problems currently affecting the public service pay system are totally unacceptable.
We know that this situation is extremely frustrating. Employees of the department are working non-stop; resolving this matter is our top priority.
Public Services and Procurement October 26th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the ongoing public service pay problems are completely unacceptable, and there is no question that there are many employees who are facing financial hardship as a result.
We understand and we feel for those employees, and we know that it is a frustrating situation. We are working extensively to meet the deadline and are now a little behind. However, resolving these cases remains our top priority.