THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Tuesday, April 26, 2022
(10)

[English]

Pursuant to the order of the Senate of March 31, 2022, the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day in room W110, 1 Wellington Street, and with videoconference, at 9:32 a.m. ET, the chair, the Honourable Percy Mockler, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Boehm, Dagenais, Duncan, Loffreda, Marshall and Pate (6).

Members of the committee present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Forest, Galvez, Gerba, Gignac, Mockler and Richards (6).

Participating in the meeting: Kalina Waltos, Procedural Clerk and Annie Trudel, Administrative Assistant, Committees Directorate; Shaowei Pu and Michaël Lambert-Racine, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, March 3, 2022, the committee continued its examination of the expenditures set out in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.

WITNESSES (by videoconference):

Indigenous Services Canada:

Philippe Thompson, Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer;

Paula Hadden-Jokiel, Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations;

Keith Conn, Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch;

Ian Kenney, Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch;

James Sutherland, Director General, Operationalization Branch, Child and Family Services Reform.

Public Health Agency of Canada:

Stephen Bent, Acting Vice-President, COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Task Force;

Luc Brisebois, Acting Vice-President, Health Security and Regional Operations Branch;

Aline Dimitri, Acting Vice-President, Corporate Data and Surveillance Branch;

Cindy Evans, Vice-President, Emergency Management Branch;

Martin Krumins, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Management Branch;

Dr. Howard Njoo, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer and Interim Vice-President, Infectious Disease and Prevention and Control Branch;

Candice St-Aubin, Vice-President, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch.

Employment and Social Development Canada:

Karen Robertson, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister;

Jason Won, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Chief Financial Officer Branch;

Peter Littlefield, Chief Information Officer, Innovation, Information & Technology Branch;

Mary Crescenzi, Assistant Deputy Minister, Integrity Services Branch, Service Canada;

Nisa Tummon, Assistant Deputy Minister, Program Operations Branch;

Peter Simeoni, Assistant Deputy Minister, Citizen Service Branch, Service Canada;

Alexis Conrad, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch;

Andrew Brown, Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch;

Catherine Demers, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch;

Atiq Rahman, Assistant Deputy Minister, Learning Branch;

Catherine Adam, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Service Policy Branch;

Cliff Groen, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch.

Philippe Thompson, Karen Robertson and Martin Krumins each made a statement and, together with Cliff Groen, Catherine Adam, Catherine Demers, Mary Crescenzi, Alexis Conrad, Howard Njoo, Candice St-Aubin, Aline Dimitri, Stephen Bent, Keith Conn, Cindy Evans and Paula Hadden-Jokiel, answered questions.

At 11:31 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mireille K. Aubé

Clerk of the Committee