PACC Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met in a televised session at 9:14 a.m. this day, in Room 237-C Centre Block, the Chair, John Williams, presiding.

The Chair tabled a copy of a letter dated March 4, 2004, from Alex Himelfarb, Clerk of the Privy Council along with additional cabinet documents relating to the sponsorship program, as well as a letter dated March 10, 2004, from I. David Marshall, Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services along with a series of documents requested by the Committee.

By unanimous consent, Marlene Jennings moved, — That the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, write a letter to the Department of Public Works and Government Services, requesting that PWGSC write all parties who received a sponsorship grant from the time of the program's inception and ask those parties to provide a description of their event, when they first learned of the sponsorship program, how they applied for the grant, the amount of moneys that were approved each year and the amount of money that they actually received each year for their event;

That a copy of the organization’s response be provided to the Clerk; and,

That PWGSC provide the Committee with a summary of this information broken down by constituency.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

The Chair presented the Second Report from the Subcommittee on the Protection of Witnesses and Testimony which read as follows:

The Subcommittee met on Tuesday, March 2 and Tuesday, March 9, 2004 and agreed to make the following recommendations:

That the Report to the House recommended by the Subcommittee in its First Report to the Committee include a recommendation that a mediation process be established involving the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Integrity Officer to resolve matters relating to employees who suffered any loss as a consequence of having reported instances of wrongdoing with regard to the sponsorship program; and that the instances judged to have merit be reported to the House;

That the Law Clerk draft a letter to be given to witnesses who appear before the Committee advising them of the Committee’s Report to the House respecting the protection of witnesses;

That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses, as well as reasonable childcare expenses, be reimbursed to witnesses who appear before the Subcommittee, and that these expenses be charged to the budget of the Committee; and,

That Allan Culter appear before the Committee on Thursday, March 11, 2004.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the First Report of the Subcommittee on the Protection of Witnesses and Testimony, presented to the Committee on Monday, March 1, 2004, and the Second Report of the Subcommittee on the Protection of Witnesses and Testimony, presented to the Committee earlier this day, be concurred in.

The Committee commenced consideration of a draft report on whistleblowing.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the draft report be adopted.

ORDERED, — That the Chair present the report to the House.

By unanimous consent, Marlene Jennings moved, — That the Privy Council Office be ordered to provide to the Committee copies of the minutes and all records from all meetings of any cabinet committee or ad hoc committee (including all documents created and generated by such committee) wherein communications and sponsorship activities/programs were discussed between January 1, 1994 and February 10, 2004.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

At 12:09 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:19 p.m., the sitting resumed.

By unanimous consent, on motion of Marlene Jennings, it was agreed, — That the Committee request that the Right Hon. Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, authorize that all members of the Privy Council and public office holders called to appear before this Committee be released from their oath of secrecy and confidentiality in matters directly related Chapter 3, the Sponsorship Program, Chapter 4, Advertising Activities, and Chapter 5, Management of Public Opinion Research of the November 2003 Report of the Auditor General of Canada.

By unanimous consent, on motion of Marlene Jennings, it was agreed, — That the Committee request that the Prime Minister and the Clerk of the Privy Council immediately inform all departments and Crown corporations that the production of any and all documents requested by this Committee be produced in their entirety and retroactively, notwithstanding the Privacy Act and the Protection of Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act, and that, should any part or parts of said documents be subject to said legislations, the department or Crown corporation so inform the Committee in a separate and covering document.

At 12:59 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.