Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
Response to parliamentary committees
List of committee reports
Spring 2019: Government Response to the Fifty-Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP) entitled "Report 2, Disposing of Government Surplus Goods and Equipment, of the 2018 Spring Reports of the Auditor General of Canada" – (Public Services and Procurement Canada)
In spring 2018, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) tabled a report that reviewed departmental procedures for the disposal of surplus assets at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Shared Services Canada (SSC), and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The OAG recommended that all four departments/agencies review processes for donating surplus assets and that they should encourage the transfer of assets within the Government of Canada (GoC) and implement standardized document processes for disposal decisions. The OAG also recommended that PSPC explore the feasibility of creating a single, government-wide platform to facilitate donations and transfers.
PACP studied the OAG report and tabled their own report on February 6, 2019, where they concluded that the federal organizations selected by the OAG for this audit "did not always dispose of surplus goods and equipment in a manner that maximized benefits" and made four recommendations to help ensure that federal organizations improve their management of surplus assets.
The Government Response agreed with all four of PACP's recommendations to provide additional, detailed reports within prescribed timelines and reports on work underway by PSPC, RCMP, SSC, and CRA to strengthen and enhance processes for donation and transfer of goods, as well as documentation of disposal decisions. The Government Response also highlights steps being taken by PSPC to put in place and enhance existing government-wide programs to promote and encourage departments to donate or transfer assets, including progress on a GoC-wide donation proof of concept pilot.
On Recommendation 1, the RCMP is reviewing its life-cycle processes and has identified the need for an organization-wide communication strategy to promote the reuse of assets prior to the acquisition (procurement) phase as well as the disposal phase of the life-cycle, and will be further supplemented by a disposal guidance document. The RCMP is consulting with PSPC on the feasibility of using GCTransfer to better facilitate the internal redistribution of assets within the RCMP.
On Recommendation 2, the RCMP is reviewing its internal processes relating to the donation of surplus assets and has identified the need for more detailed direction on this method of disposal. A disposal guidance document will be drafted to include process maps specifically relating to the donation process. The RCMP continues to collaborate with PSPC on a proof of concept for donations, as well as exploring mechanisms for the donation of RCMP assets that ensure fairness and transparency.
On Recommendation 3, the RCMP will be using the lessons learned from the disposal of surplus assets following the 2018 G7 Summit to enhance its draft internal disposal guidance document. The RCMP is continuing to assess the ability to modernize disposal through an electronic approval process, which would incorporate justification of disposal decisions and result in standardized documentation. Part of this assessment is identifying efficiencies to be gained by incorporating the disposal form and the electronic approval process in a one-phase approach, and whether these efficiencies outweigh the delay in timelines originally proposed by the RCMP.
Spring 2019: Government Response to the Thirty-Third Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security entitled: "Study on Crime in Rural Areas in Canada" – (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
On May 16, 2019, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) tabled its 33rd report entitled, "Study on Crime in Rural Areas in Canada". The report includes three observations pertaining to rural crime in Canada:
- Provinces and territories are strongly encouraged to increase investments in policing and innovative solutions, including emergency response and dispatch centres;
- The RCMP should consider ways to partner with other policing agencies to improve access to policing, victim services, and programs; and,
- The RCMP should make greater use of the auxiliary and reserve programs in rural areas.
The SECU report did not put forward specific recommendations.
A Government Response was requested and was due to be tabled within the 120 calendar day period, as stipulated in the Standing Orders. However, due to the general election, the 42nd Parliament dissolved on September 11, 2019, and the government was no longer required to provide responses to committee reports from the 2015-2019 session.
Spring 2019: Question of Privilege Related to the Matter of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Publications Respecting Bill C-71, An Act to Amend certain Acts and Regulations in Relation to Firearms – (Treasury Board Secretariat)
On May 29, 2018, the Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat–Cardston–Warner, Glen Motz, rose in the House of Commons on a question of privilege concerning information he found on the RCMP website that he alleged led the public to believe that Bill C-71, An Act to Amend Certain Acts and Regulations in Relation to Firearms, had already been enacted by Parliament, even though the Bill was still before Parliament and subject to its approval.
The Government's response commits to reinforcing with departments and agencies, particularly those officials responsible for the management and coordination of communications activities, that government communications must be timely, clear, objective, factual, accurate, non-partisan, and written in plain language. Particular emphasis will be placed on communicating about legislation and providing clear and accurate depictions of the status of legislation that has not received Royal Assent.
Spring 2019: Report 12 – Moving Toward Ending Homelessness Among Veterans – (Veterans Affairs Canada)
On May 1, 2019, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs issued a report that examined the issue of homelessness among Canadian Veterans. During this study, the Standing Committee focused on the following three aspects:
- Scope of the problem based on the most recent statistics and their identified shortcomings;
- Priority that the Government of Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada in particular, places on fighting homelessness among Veterans; and,
- The many community-based and private-sector initiatives designed to assist Veterans who are homeless, and the support that the Government of Canada could provide them.
The Report makes 10 recommendations for improvements and requests a comprehensive response from the Government. There was one recommendation that pertained to the RCMP, which recommended that Veterans Affairs Canada and the RCMP sign a memorandum of understanding to make RCMP veterans eligible for the Veterans Emergency Fund under the same terms and conditions as Canadian Armed Forces veterans.
A Government Response was requested and was due to be tabled within the 120 calendar day period, as stipulated in the Standing Orders. However, due to the general election, the 42nd Parliament dissolved on September 11, 2019, and the government was no longer required to provide responses to committee reports from the 2015-2019 session.
Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
List of title and chapter of the audit reports
May 2019: Report 5 – Equipping Officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
This audit focused on whether the RCMP provided its officers with hard body armour and semi-automatic weapons, called carbines. A key use for this equipment is to protect officers in active shooter situations. The audit also looked at officer training on the use of carbines and pistols and at the maintenance of those firearms.
The RCMP Detailed Action Plan to the Recommendations of the Equipping RCMP Officers Audit in the Spring 2019 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada will address the audit recommendations.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
There were no audits in 2019-20 requiring a response.
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