THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Thursday, February 25, 2021
(10)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day by videoconference at 1 p.m. [ET], the chair, the Honourable Percy Mockler, presiding. This meeting is considered to have taken place in the parliamentary precinct.

Members of the committee present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Boehm, Dagenais, Deacon (Ontario), Duncan, Forest, Galvez, Klyne, Loffreda, Marshall, Mockler, Richards and Smith (12).

Other senator present by videoconference: The Honourable Senator Pate (1).

In attendance: Andrea Mugny, Procedural Clerk, Committees Directorate; Sylvain Fleury and Shaowei Pu, Analysts, Parliamentary Information and Research Services, Library of Parliament.

Also present: The official reporters of the Senate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, the committee began its examination of the expenditures set out in the Supplementary Estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.

WITNESSES (by videoconference):

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:

Glenn Purves, Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector;

Lola Paulin, Senior Director, Expenditure Strategies and Estimates;

Karen Cahill, Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer;

Sonya Read, Acting Assistant Secretary, Digital and Services Policy;

Roger Ermuth, Assistant Comptroller General, Financial Management Sector, Office of the Comptroller General;

Sandra Hassan, Assistant Deputy Minister, Employment Conditions and Labour Relations.

Department of Finance Canada:

Darlene Bess, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Corporate Services Branch;

Katharine Rechico, Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Finance Branch;

Soren Halverson, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy Branch;

Evelyn Dancey, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Economic Development and Corporate Finance Branch;

Miodrag Jovanovic, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy Branch;

Galen Countryman, Director General, Federal-Provincial Relations, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch;

Bradley Recker, Director General, Fiscal Policy.

Mr. Purves made a statement and, together with Ms. Cahill, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Paulin and Mr. Ermuth, answered questions.

At 2:33 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 2:36 p.m., the committee resumed.

Ms. Bess made a statement and, together with Ms. Dancey, Ms. Rechico and Messrs. Recker, Jovanovic, Coutryman and Halverson, answered questions.

At 3:57 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Maxime Fortin

Clerk of the Committee