PACP Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts met in a televised session at 3:29 p.m. this day, in Room 269, West Block, the Chair, Shawn Murphy, presiding.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to the motion adopted on Thursday, April 23, 2009, the Committee’s study of Chapter 1, "National Security: Intelligence and Information Sharing" of the 2009 Status Report of the Auditor General of Canada take place on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 with witnesses from the following organizations: the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Privy Council Office, the Department of Transport and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Sheila Fraser made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

The Committee resumed consideration of the motion of Yasmin Ratansi, — Whereas on February 26, 2009, President of the Treasury Board tabled in the House of Commons the 2009-2010 Main Estimates totaling $236.1 billion in expenditures.

And whereas included in the Main Estimates is Treasury Board Vote 35, an unprecedented item for $3,000,000,000 that will provide departments with funding for as yet unspecified projects allegedly for Canada’s Economic Action Plan starting April 1, 2009.

And whereas the spending of this amount is outside of normal parliamentary rules and procedures in respect of transparency and accountability.

And whereas the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts, given the highly unusual nature of this appropriation, should receive from the Comptroller General of Canada detailed reports as to the expenditure of this $3,000,000,000 appropriation.

Be it resolved:

That the Comptroller General of Canada present to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts every 7 days commencing May 19, 2009 and every 7 days thereafter a report on expenditures approved from this $3,000,000,000 appropriation;

That each of these weekly reports set out, as of its date the number of times that Vote 35 has been used, the aggregate amount that has been drawn down under that Vote and the numbers of jobs projected to be created by the funds expended;

That these weekly reports continue until the entire $3,000,000,000 is expended or until such time that the amount is included in the Estimates process in the ordinary and normal course of parliamentary appropriations.

The Chair ruled the motion admissible, provided that the preamble is not part of the motion and that the motion be amended by deleting the words “and the numbers of jobs projected to be created by the funds expended”.

It was agreed, — That the motion be amended to read as follows:

That the Comptroller General of Canada present to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts every 7 days commencing May 19, 2009 and every 7 days thereafter a report on expenditures approved from this $3,000,000,000 appropriation;

That each of these weekly reports set out, as of its date the number of times that Vote 35 has been used and the aggregate amount that has been drawn down under that Vote; and

That these weekly reports continue until the entire $3,000,000,000 is expended or until such time that the amount is included in the Estimates process in the ordinary and normal course of parliamentary appropriations.

Debate arose thereon.

Whereupon, Daryl Kramp appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:YEAS: David Christopherson, Luc Desnoyers, Meili Faille, Andrew Kania, Yasmin Ratansi — 5; NAYS: Daryl Kramp, Andrew Saxton, Bev Shipley, John Weston, Terence Young — 5.

The Chair's decision was sustained as the question was not negatived.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the motion, as amended, was agreed to.

At 5:40 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.