House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 39% of the vote.
Committees Of The House November 28th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties and I think you will find consent for the following motion.
I move:
That the Standing Committee of Finance be empowered to televise its proceedings the week of November 27th, 1995 from the cities of Calgary, Fredericton, Montréal and Vancouver pursuant, to the extent possible, to the principles and practices governing the broadcasting of the House of Commons.
(Motion agreed to.)
Department Of Public Works And Government Services November 27th, 1995
As my hon. friend from Hamilton West says, that is as it should be. I agree.
This being the case, members can rest assured that these powers vested in the minister under clause 17 with the amendment I have proposed will not be abused. Passage of Bill C-52 with this amendment will give the minister the legislative authority he needs to continue working for more efficiency and cost effectiveness in government operations.
Department Of Public Works And Government Services November 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member who has just spoken really was discussing section 16 of the act rather than the amendment he has put before the House regarding advertising in newspapers.
While there may be some relevance and I am not arguing that, I think he has misunderstood the thrust of the amendment that has already been proposed and which is subject to a vote. Also, I think he will be well satisfied with this bill and the Canadian public will be well satisfied when we have completed the amendments that have been proposed in the House today. I think the hon. member for Québec-Est knows that perfectly well.
I would like to speak in support of the amendment I proposed to clause 17 of this bill. Clause 17 deals with the powers of the minister to fix certain charges that may apply to the various services provided by the minister's department.
The government's original intent was that the legislation dealing with the departments of public works and government services, industry, and heritage would all include an identical clause dealing with fees for the sake of consistency and uniformity. However it is recognized that public works and government services differs from the other two departments in that the focus of its mandate is internal to government as opposed to delivering government programs to the Canadian public which is the case in the other departments I listed.
The vast majority of contractual arrangements that the minister signs and that involve charging for goods or services are made with other federal agencies. Generally speaking, the department delivers common services to some 150 federal departments and agencies. These services cover a wide range of activities.
They include: providing office furnishings and supplies; consulting services; real property and realty services; architectural and engineering services; communications and telecommunications services; and many more. The important point is that these are essentially intergovernmental arrangements that do not impinge directly on the department's relations with outside interests.
As a result and subsequent to debate on this clause, I put forward an amendment to its wording. Under the proposed amendment, the full wording of the clause would be as follows:
- The minister may, subject to any regulations that the Treasury Board may make for the purposes of this section, charge for services provided by the department pursuant to this act or any other act in force at the time this section comes into force.
Not only does this revised wording simplify the description of the minister's power in this area, it also more accurately describes the nature of the department and its functions. The use of the words "charging for services" rather than the original wording "fixing fees and charges" reflects the reality of the service nature of the department. It is in line with the wording found in the existing Supply and Services Act. For this reason I ask hon. members to support this amendment.
Clause 17 of this bill as amended establishes a clear, relatively simple and unbureaucratic regime for establishing charges for services made by the department. It is in line with the general thrust of the bill, which is to streamline government operations, reduce red tape and make the delivery of common services more cost effective.
However, the minister's powers in this area are by no means unlimited. One of the major constraints is that many of the services his department provides to the government are optional; that is, the client may accept them or look elsewhere for better value. This in itself is a powerful incentive to make sure the department's schedule of charges is well thought out and competitive with outside sources. Of course in establishing charges the minister must take into account the rules and guidelines of his own department, the Treasury Board, and other government bodies.
By giving the power to set charges to the minister rather than the department, clause 17 ensures the minister will be ultimately responsible to Parliament to answer any questions that may arise with regard to charges.
Department Of Public Works And Government Services November 27th, 1995
moved:
Motion No. 6
That Bill C-52, in Clause 17, be amended by replacing lines 5 to 16, on page 6, with the following:
"17. The Minister may, subject to any regulations that the Treasury Board may make for the purposes of this section, charge for services provided by the Department pursuant to this Act or any other Act in force at the time this section comes into force."
Questions On The Order Paper November 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
Questions On The Order Paper November 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, question No. 244 will be answered today.
Question No. 244-
Committees Of The House November 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I think you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:
That the 103rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.
(Motion agreed to.)
Committees Of The House November 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 103rd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate membership of standing committees.
If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 103rd report later this day.
Government Response To Petitions November 27th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 14 petitions.
Questions On The Order Paper November 24th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I move that all questions stand.