THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Tuesday, March 21, 2023
(48)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 9 a.m., in room W110, 1 Wellington St., the deputy chair, the Honourable Éric Forest, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Boehm, Bovey, Dagenais, Duncan, Forest, Gignac, Loffreda, Marshall, Moncion, Pate and Smith (11).

Participating in the meeting: Tracy Amendola, Administrative Assistant, Committees Directorate; Shaowei Pu and Sylvain Fleury, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, the committee began its examination of the expenditures set out in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

WITNESSES:

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:

Annie Boudreau, Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector;

Karen Cahill, Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer (by videoconference);

Monia Lahaie, Assistant Comptroller General, Financial Management Sector;

Samantha Tattersall, Assistant Comptroller General, Acquired Services and Assets Sector;

Paul Wagner, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Transformation;

Jean-François Fleury, Assistant Deputy Minister, Research, Planning and Renewal;

Mireille Laroche, Assistant Deputy Minister, People and Culture, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer;

Rod Greenough, Executive Director, Expenditure Strategies and Estimates.

Transport Canada:

Ryan Pilgrim, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services;

Stephanie Hébert, Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs;

Serge Bijimine, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy;

Lisa Setlakwe, Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security;

Martin McKay, Acting Director General, Centre of Excellence on Strategic Investments.

Employment and Social Development Canada:

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

Brian Leonard, Acting Director General, Corporate Financial Planning and Deputy Financial Officer;

Annik Casey, Director General, Employment Insurance Benefits Processing, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch;

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

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

Christine McDowell, Assistant Deputy Minister, Citizen Service Branch (by videoconference);

Nisa Tummon, Assistant Deputy Minister, Program Operations Branch;

Karen Hall, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch;

Atiq Rahman, Assistant Deputy Minister, Learning Branch;

Elisha Ram, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch;

Mary Crescenzi, Assistant Deputy Minister, Integrity Services Branch (by videoconference);

Michael MacPhee, Assistant Deputy Minister, Temporary Foreign Workers Program;

Helen Smiley, Director General, Strategy Partnerships, Skills and Employment Branch.

Annie Boudreau, Ryan Pilgrim and Karen Robertson each made a statement and, together with Catherine Adam, Serge Bijimine, Stephanie Hébert, Mireille Laroche, Catherine Demers, Paul Wagner, Brian Leonard and Elisha Ram, answered questions.

At 10:58 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mireille K. Aubé

Clerk of the Committee