Finance committee  Those decreases are because of our delays in preparing the documents. You gave budget 2017 as an example. Clearly, the FTEs are not included in the budget yet, but they will be starting next year. Over the years, when we receive funds from previous years and the related forecasts, some funds expire.

Finance committee  What you would see is the breakdown of the $444 million. Those numbers would be included and there would clearly be an increase. Except that there are other initiatives with funding coming to an end. For instance, budget 2012 expired recently. Efficiency measures at that level and other funds have expired and might be renewed.

Finance committee  I think the minister said it well. You'll have noticed in the last year that we actually had a new advertisement on the collection front, reminding Canadians that we're there to work with them, considering the realities on a case-by-case basis to make different payment arrangements.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee to present the Canada Revenue Agency's main estimates for 2017-18 and to answer any questions you may have on the associated funding. As you are aware, the Canada Revenue Agency is responsible for the administration of federal and certain provincial and territorial tax programs, as well as the delivery of a number of benefit payment programs.

Finance committee  I don't have those figures on hand. The government conducts an employee survey every three years. Obviously, it asks all kinds of questions about issues such as work environment and job satisfaction. Results from the most recent surveys were fairly positive as regards employees' work environment, job satisfaction, and sense that they received the support they needed.

Finance committee  We just want to consolidate—

Finance committee  Basically, to increase our capacity for collections.

Finance committee  It's mainly people, getting more collectors in the door. We have more volume. It's going to help us also by consolidating certain of these activities. We're going to be more efficient. Basically, we needed to rebase the number of people who actually work on the collections front.

Finance committee  Usually it's across government in the sense that when we move a position, we have to offer that relocation, whereby the employee can move with the position—

Finance committee  If an employee decides to stay, in most of these cases, we will be in a position to guarantee that employee a different job in the same location as the current job.

Finance committee  Sorry....

Finance committee  The large portion of that reduction is in relation to softwood lumber funding, and it's $125 million that's being reduced. We administer the softwood lumber program, and by doing so we remit these funds to the provinces. What happened is that we managed to remit these funds before the end of fiscal year 2015-16.

Finance committee  You referred to new jobs being created and some employees being offered the chance to move elsewhere. We're consolidating the different activities in different locations, so these folks are being offered a possibility to follow their current work. It doesn't mean that there will not be another job for that person in that location.

Finance committee  Yes, in all of these cases, as I was mentioning, we have to offer these people the possibility to relocate. You are absolutely correct. In some cases they will opt not to relocate, for whatever reason. It could be family reasons or others. In most of these cases, though, even if they elect not to relocate, they will not lose their jobs, because we will be offering them a new job in their current location with the training they will require to complete the new duties they will be assigned.

Finance committee  Absolutely.