House of Commons Committees - PACP (40-2) - Minutes of Proceedings

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met in a televised session at 4:31 p.m. this day, in Room 237-C, Centre Block, the Chair, Shawn Murphy, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: David Christopherson, Bonnie Crombie, Luc Desnoyers, Meili Faille, Daryl Kramp, Hon. Shawn Murphy, Yasmin Ratansi, Andrew Saxton, Bev Shipley, John Weston and Terence Young.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Andrew Kitching, Analyst ; Alex Smith, Analyst.

Witnesses: Office of the Auditor General of Canada: Sheila Fraser, Auditor General of Canada; Neil Maxwell, Assistant Auditor General. Department of Finance: Rob Wright, Deputy Minister; Barbara Anderson, Assistant Deputy Minister, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch. Treasury Board Secretariat: Rod Monette, Comptroller General of Canada; John M. Morgan, Assistant Comptroller General, Financial Management and Analysis Sector. Privy Council Office: Alfred A. MacLeod, Assistant Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Policy; Krista Campbell, Acting Director General, Sectoral Analysis. Public Sector Accounting Board: Nola Buhr, Chair; Tim Beauchamp, Director.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(g), the Committee commenced consideration of Chapter 1, "A Study of Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories" of the December 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada.

Sheila Fraser, Rob Wright, Rod Monette and Nola Buhr made statements and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Committee business.

The Chair presented the Fourth Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure which read as follows:

Your Subcommittee met on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, to consider the business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. That, in relation to the Committee’s order of February 26, 2009, to resume consideration of draft reports prepared during the 39^th Parliament in relation to the following studies:

Chapter 7, "Acquisition of Leased Office Space" of the May 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (Place Victoria);

Chapter 3, "Human Resources Management - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada" of the May 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada;

Main Estimates 2008-2009: Vote 15 under FINANCE, and Part III - Report on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Report of the Office of Auditor General of Canada;

Chapter 1, "Safeguarding Government Information and Assets in Contracting" of the October 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada;

Chapter 1, "Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies" of the May 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada;

the evidence and documentation received by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts during the 39^th Parliament be taken into consideration by the Committee in this session.

2. That the draft report on Chapter 1, "Management of Fees in Selected Departments and Agencies" of the May 2008 Report of the Auditor General of Canada be added to the Committee’s agenda for March 5, 2009.

On motion of Yasmin Ratansi, it was agreed, — That the Fourth Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts be adopted.

At 6:03 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Joann Garbig
Clerk of the Committee

2009/03/04 2:20 p.m.