PACP Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met at 11:04 a.m. this day, in Room 209, West Block, the Chair, Shawn Murphy, presiding.

John Wiersema, Michelle d'Auray and George Da Pont made statements and, with other witnesses, answered questions.

Borys Wrzesnewskyj moved, — That, given that on February 4, 2008, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, admitted that he violated Treasury Board guidelines in awarding a contract to Hugh MacPhie for work provided in relation to Budget 2007; and that Access to Information requests have shown that the Minister of Finance has offered untendered contracts valued at $24,900 to Conservative Party supporters in order to by-pass Treasury Board guidelines requiring public tender for contracts valued at $25,000; and that Despite these violations, the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board has taken no actions to sanction the Minister of Finance; the Public Accounts Committee call the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, Rob Wright, Deputy Minister of Finance, Wayne Wouters, Secretary of the Treasury Board, Hugh MacPhie and Sara Beth Mintz to appear as witnesses in order to further study these violations of Treasury Board guidelines.

Debate arose thereon.

Jean-Yves Laforest moved, — That the motion be amended by:

a) replacing the words “and that, Access to Information requests have shown that the Minister of Finance has offered untendered contracts valued at $24,900 to Conservative Party supporters in order to by-pass Treasury Board guidelines requiring public tender for contracts valued at $25,000;” with the words “and that, information obtained under the Access to Information Act shows that the Minister of Finance has awarded a number of contracts worth between $24,000 and $24,900, just under the amount at which contracts must be tendered, without a competitive process;”

b) by deleting the words “and that despite these violations, the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board has taken no actions to sanction the Minister of Finance”; and

c) by replacing the words “the Public Accounts Committee call the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, Rob Wright, Deputy Minister of Finance, Wayne Wouters, Secretary of the Treasury Board, Hugh MacPhie and Sara Beth Mintz to appear as witnesses in order to further study these violations of Treasury Board guidelines” with the words “The Public Accounts Committee has asked the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Vic Toews, Treasury Board President, Rob Wright, Deputy Minister of the Department of Finance, Wayne Wouters, Secretary of the Treasury Board, Hugh MacPhie and Sara Beth Mintz to appear before it in order for the Committee to look into these practices, which appear to be inconsistent with Treasury Board guidelines”.

Debate arose thereon.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Jean-Yves Laforest and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 9; NAYS: 0.

Pierre Poilievre moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “the Honourable Vic Toews, Treasury Board President”.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment of Pierre Poilievre and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 5.

John Williams moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Hugh MacPhie and Sara Beth Mintz”.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment of John Williams and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 6.

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

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, given that on February 4, 2008, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, admitted that he had broken Treasury Board guidelines by awarding a government contract to Hugh MacPhie for work on the 2007 budget; and that information obtained under the Access to Information Act shows that the Minister of Finance has awarded a number of contracts worth between $24,000 and $24,900, just under the amount at which contracts must be tendered, without a competitive process; The Public Accounts Committee has asked the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Rob Wright, Deputy Minister of the Department of Finance, Wayne Wouters, Secretary of the Treasury Board, Hugh MacPhie and Sara Beth Mintz to appear before it is in order for the Committee to look into these practices, which appear to be inconsistent with Treasury Board guidelines.

At 1:20 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.