Finance committee  Good morning. My name is Sherry Harrison. I am the Executive Director responsible for the Financial Management Directorate at the Department of Finance. With me today are departmental officials, who are here to assist me in responding to your questions. I would ask them to briefl

Finance committee  We are here today to answer your questions on the 2009-2010 main estimates for the Department of Finance. As you are aware, the department's responsibilities include preparing the federal budget, developing tax and tariff policy and legislation, managing federal borrowing on fin

Finance committee  That's correct. The decrease of $1.815 billion, or 5.4%, is due to a revision of forecasted interest rates on the public debt.

Finance committee  The Toronto waterfront revitalization initiative at Harbourfront Centre is a transfer of contribution programming from Environment Canada.

Finance committee  In the 2008-09 main estimates, the funding for those initiatives was reported under the Department of the Environment, and in 2009-10 the responsibility for that programming has been transferred to the Department of Finance.

Finance committee  Yes, I'll let Paul respond to that.

Finance committee  In the fall, the departmental performance report is tabled, which would have information on the actual cost of the prior fiscal year. As well, the Public Accounts of Canada are similarly tabled in the fall and relate to the prior fiscal year expenditures.

Finance committee  If I may add, we'll also use the supplementary estimates process, as required, to update the statutory forecast information. Those are the items that have been approved through enabling legislation. So where there's material forecast change from the previous main estimates, we'll

Finance committee  The departmental performance report that I referred to, which is tabled in the fall, will provide the estimates funding, which is the mains, plus the various supplementary estimates, or received funding, against the actuals, with a narrative explanation of the changes. As I said,

Finance committee  In prior years, the Treasury Board Secretariat had asked all departments to reflect internal corporate services. These are things like financial, communication, legal, HR support, as part of and incorporated in each program activity. Starting with these main estimates, they have

Finance committee  My sense would be that it is for the transparency of those costs.

Finance committee  In the 2008-09 supplementary estimates (B), an amount of $5 million was provided to the department for advertising related to TFSA.

Finance committee  In the last fiscal year.

Finance committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. My name is Sherry Harrison. I am the executive director responsible for the Financial Management Directorate at the Department of Finance. With me today are officials who are here to assist in responding to your questions on the main estimates 2010-201

Finance committee  My opening comments were with respect to the departmental summary. We could have officials from the other organizations speak to their increases.