The Hill Times

By Bea Vongdouangchanh

The federal government has so far released more than $2.3-billion in government spending since the end of March on GG Special Warrants.

The newly-elected Conservative government is operating on GG Special Warrants until the federal budget is unveiled this spring and has so far released $2.3-billion for 25 departments, including spending on the Privy Council Office, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament and the Governor General's Office, acording to the Canada Gazette.

Meanwhile, the new Conservative government will face its first confidence vote on May 3, when MPs 2vote on the main estimates for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, but the opposition parties aren't in any hurry to bring the Tories down.

Government House Leader Rob Nicholson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) tabled a motion last Tuesday to deal with the process of supply, or Opposition Days, outlining when the main estimates and subsequent supplementary estimates should be tabled. The motion, which was passed by unanimous consent, stated that the main estimates will be tabled on or before April 25 and that on May 3, the House will "dispose of any motion relating to interim supply and for the passage at all stages of any bill or bills based thereon," possibly giving the opposition parties their first opportunity to defeat the new government.

But Liberal MP Keith Martin (Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, B.C.) said it's not his party's intention to defeat the government. "Unless the government does something completely ludicrous, and that was going to be quite damaging to Canadians, we will not be defeating the government but we will be fighting quite hard on the estimates to make sure that those estimates reflect the interests of the Canadian public and that they're going to show an effective expenditure for the needs of Canada."

The main estimates, which "identify the spending authorities and amounts to be included in subsequent appropriation bills ... to enable the government to proceed with its spending plans," do not always reflect the Budget because they are prepared months in advance of a fiscal year. "For example, the main estimates would not include expenditures for initiatives announced in the Budget that require separate legislation or further development to implement, or that were not known in advance due to Budget secrecy," according to a backgrounder on the Estimates Process from the Treasury Board website.

Under the House of Commons Standing Orders, or House rules, supply bills must be voted on the last available opposition day. Prior to this, the main estimates in the form of legislation will be debated line by line where any member on the floor of the House can bring forward an "opposed item." At any time in the process, the government can deem any vote relating to the main estimates as a confidence vote.

The budget has still yet to be announced, but the government has launched a national web-based pre-budget consultation initiative.

"This approach opens the pre-budget consultations up to all Canadians, giving taxpayers in every corner of this vast country an opportunity to share their views," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (Whitby-Oshawa, Ont.) said in a press release. "This is another example of how the new government is taking accountability and openness to a higher level."

The government is seeking input on "areas where the government can spend less or deliver programs in a more efficient and effective way." The consultation process ends on April 19. The budget will be released after.
A Treasury Board spokesperson said that while the main estimates could be tabled before the budget, it will not necessarily reflect the budget.

NDP House Leader Libby Davies questioned the process. "If these estimates are before we've seen a budget, what do they mean?" she said last week. "We've been told that they are the status quo, and when the budget comes down, of course they haven't told us that date, that whatever addition there is or changes, they will be tabled as supplementary estimates."

Although she didn't say whether her party would defeat the government on May 3, she said the NDP will look at the estimates very carefully. "Individual votes are not necessarily confidence, but the main vote is, and there may be issues, lines that we're concerned about," she said. "Believe me, we're going to go through them very carefully. We're going to take note of what kind of expenditures are being earmarked for example around Afghanistan. I'm not going to predict how we're going to vote on them, but we're certainly aware that the main vote on the estimates is confidence."

Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Sask.), the former federal finance minister, said that there's no reason to think of this as out of the ordinary. "The desirable thing is to have the mains follow the budget and things can be adjusted later on, but there's no reason to assume that there's something odd here," he said. "The question is, we're now into April and we're past the fiscal year, and I'm very curious to know how the government is accounting for all of their transfers, their expenses and investments and where the legal authority came from."

Treasury Board said that the President must report back within 15 days of a new Parliament forming on how the government's expenditures were covered through Governor General Special Warrants.

Almost $2.3-billion handed out in GG Special Warrants

Twenty five departments, the Privy Council Office, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament and the Governor General's office received almost $2.3-billion for operating and program expenditures between Feb. 20 and March 31 through Special Warrants.

Because of an earlier-than-anticipated election campaign, $13.5-billion in supplementary estimates which were due to be passed last December never saw the light of day. But federal government departments, some of whose operating budgets were contained in the supplementary estimates, were still able to keep afloat with Special Warrants from the Governor General.

According to the Canada Gazette, $2,291,725,056 was authorized to be distributed by the Governor General on Feb. 16.

The House of Commons received $9,507,000 while the Library of Parliament received $250,000. The Governor General's office received $1,155,613 while PCO received $24,039,374.

The Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness department received the most Special Warrant money at $426,487,732 for the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Correctional Service, National Parole Board, Office of the Correctional Investigator, the RCMP, and the RCMP Public Complaints Commission.

The department of National Defence received the second highest amount of money at $421,251,667, of which $180,000 went toward the Canadian Forces Grievance Board.

Every other department received special warrants for everyday operating and program expenses such as employee salaries, training and services to Canadians.

The federal government's fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31. Because there is still no budget and the main estimates have not yet been tabled, departments will have to continue to rely on Governor General Special Warrants. Some have been approved until May 15.

A Treasury Board spokesperson said that it's not certain how much more money will be expended in Special Warrants and that the only way to know is when it is published in the Canada Gazette, 30 days after an Order in Council is passed to approve the Special Warrants.

Almost $4-billion has been spent through Special Warrants since Parliament was dissolved on Nov. 28.
BOIE meetings shouldn't be more open, say BOIE MPs

The powerful, secretive Commons Board of Internal Economy which oversees the functions and finances of the House of Commons should not be opened up for more public access, say MPs from the three national parties in the House.

"There's a lot of tradition that goes with the operation of the Parliament Hill Precinct," Chief Government Whip Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River, B.C.) said last week. "There's a lot of information that's dealt with there in a sensitive nature because you're dealing with--in most cases--human resources, people, so I think there's a need for confidentiality and privacy."

Liberal Whip Karen Redman (Kitchener Centre, Ont.) said that the way the board operates right now is sufficient. "The contents of the meeting are sensitive to specific individuals enough of the time that it's good the way it's handled now," she said.

NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, Man.), a staunch advocate for access to information and open government, said that the secret meetings are fair. "I've never been one to call for more openness from Board of Internal Economy meetings," he said. "There's good reason for them to have to conduct their affairs in camera because of the unique give and take situation of their decision making process."

Mr. Hill said that the BOIE operates on consensus, unlike normal House committees, although the board is not a committee. "There's a lot of give and take there and I would say non-partisanship but on a lot of very sensitive issues that we do deal with on the Board, there are times when people take some very strong positions," he said. "I think the only reason they can do that is because they're in camera. I believe they're held in confidence for a reason."

The members of the board are: Government House Leader Rob Nicholson (Niagara Falls, Ont.), National Revenue Minister Carol Skelton (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, Sask.), Mr. Hill, Conservative MP Joe Preston (Elgin-Middlesex-London, Ont.), Ms. Redman, Liberal MP Lucienne Robillard (Westmount-Ville Marie, Que.), Bloc Québécois MP Michel Guimond (Charlevoix-Montmorency, Que.) and NDP House Leader Libby Davies (Vancouver East, B.C.). The Speaker of the House is the chair of the Board. The Clerk of the House, Audrey O'Brien, is the secretary of the board.

The board is responsible for "all financial and administrative matters respecting the House of Commons, its premises, its services and its staff; and the Members of the House of Commons." It is also responsible for approving the annual budget estimates of the House, including budget expenditures for committees, and salary scales for non-unionized employees on the Hill, before the Speaker submits it to Treasury Board. The Board meets approximately every two weeks when the House is sitting.
 
bvongdou@hilltimes.com
The Hill Times

The week ahead in Parliament:

Federal Accountability Act to be introduced

The House passed a motion to extend the sitting days to Monday and Tuesday of this week before MPs head off to their ridings for an Easter break.

Treasury Board President John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) said that the Federal Accountability Act will be introduced this week, but did not confirm when. It will be the Conservatives' first piece of legislation, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) promised in the election campaign.

While some say the Federal Accountability Act is too big to rush to an introduction in the early days of Parliament, Mr. Baird said his government is ready. "It's a complex, big piece of legislation," he said in a post-Question Period scrum with reporters last week. "We've done about six months worth of work in about six weeks. We hope we'll have a great opportunity to engage with members of Parliament on all sides of the House and engage Canadians. We're excited about it. A lot of work has gone into it. I think it'll be the first real big opportunity that we begin to rebuild the public trust."

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth days of debate for the Throne Speech will take place on Monday and Tuesday when the Liberal amendment to not increase taxes will be voted on.

Monday, April 10, MPs will have a "take note" debate on Canada's involvement in Afghanistan.

The House will adjourn on Wednesday, April 12 and return on Monday, April 24 when the Throne Speech will be voted on.

The Senate adjourned last week until Tuesday, April 25 at 2 p.m.

STATUS OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bills that died on the Order Paper of the 38th Parliament

•C-16 Impaired Driving Bill (committee)
•C-17 Marijuana Decriminalization Bill (committee)
•C-19 Competition Bill (committee)
•C-21 Not-For-Profit Corporations Bill (committee)
•C-27 Food Regulation Bill (report)
•C-37 Unsolicited Telecommunications Bill (Senate amendments)
•S-40 Hazardous Materials Information Review Bill (first reading)
•C-44 Transportation Sector Bill (first reading)
•C-46 Corrections and Conditional Release Bill (first reading)
•C-47 Air Canada Official Languages Bill (committee)
•C-50 Cruelty to Animals Bill (first reading)
•C-51 Judges Pay Bill (first reading)
•C-52 Fisheries Leases and Licences Bill (second reading)
•C-59 Foreign Investments Review Bill (first reading)
•C-60 WIPO Treaties Bill (first reading)
•C-61 Canada Marine Act Modernization Bill (first reading)
•C-63 Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act Review Bill (committee)
•C-64 Vehicle identification number Bill (committee)
•C-65 Street Racing Bill (committee)
•C-67 Allocation of Unanticipated Surpluses Bill (second reading)
•C-68 Pacific Gateway Bill (second reading)
•C-69 Agricultural Marketing Programs Act Bill (first reading)
•C-70 Conditional Sentencing Bill (first reading)
•C-72 DNA Identification Bill (committee)
•C-73 Telecommunications Act Bill (second reading)
•C-74 Wiretap Bill (second reading)
•C-75 Public Health Agency Bill (second reading)
•C-79 Third Party Election Advertising (second reading)
•C-81 National Security Committee of Parliamentarians Bill (second reading)
•C-83 Drug Export Restrictions Bill (first reading)
•S-39 Sex Offender Database Bill (committee)