HUMA Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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Minutes of Proceedings
David Kiron, Danick Soucy and Yana Lukasheh made statements and answered questions.
Tracy Gray moved, — That, given that,
the Auditor General of Canada recently issued a scathing report on the Liberal government’s Benefits Delivery Modernization programme, identifying delays, cost overruns and concerns on the viability of increasingly outdated technology;
this project was budgeted for $1.75 billion when launched in 2017 but has nearly doubled in cost, to $3.4 billion;
new reports from ESDC projects a revised cost estimate of $8 billion marking a 357% increase from the original price tag;
the completion date for the project has been pushed to 2034;
the committee undertake a study of no less than four meetings to review the government’s Benefits Delivery Modernization program and the Auditor General of Canada's report on this matter and that, the Auditor General of Canada, the Minister of Citizens' Services, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, the President of the Treasury Board, and all relevant officials from these departments be invited to appear before the committee on this matter for two hours each; and that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.
Debate arose thereon.
The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Scott Aitchison, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Tracy Gray — 4;
NAYS: Louise Chabot, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Peter Fragiskatos, Irek Kusmierczyk, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 7.
Questioning of the witnesses resumed.
Tracy Gray moved, — That, pursuant to the order of reference of Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, the Minister of Labour and Seniors, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and the Minister of Citizens’ Services, appear before the committee for no fewer than two hours each to consider the Supplementary Estimates (B) 2023-24 before Friday, December 1, 2023.
Debate arose thereon.
Michelle Ferreri moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “before Friday, December 1, 2023” with the words “starting on Friday December 1, 2023”.
Debate arose thereon.
At 5:52 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 5:55 p.m., the sitting resumed.
The debate continued.
The question was put on the amendment of Michelle Ferreri and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Scott Aitchison, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Tracy Gray — 4;
NAYS: Louise Chabot, Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Peter Fragiskatos, Irek Kusmierczyk, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 7.
The debate continued.
Peter Fragiskatos moved, — That the motion be amended by:
replacing the words “two hours” with the words “one hour”;
adding after the word “each” the following: “in two panels of three”;
deleting the words “before Friday, December 1, 2023”.
Debate arose thereon.
Louise Chabot moved, — That the amendment be amended by deleting the words “in two panels of three”.
Debate arose thereon.
Bonita Zarrillo moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.
The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Peter Fragiskatos, Irek Kusmierczyk, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 6;
NAYS: Scott Aitchison, Louise Chabot, Rosemarie Falk, Michelle Ferreri, Tracy Gray — 5.
On motion of Bonita Zarrillo, it was agreed, — That the committee proceed to sit in camera.
At 6:16 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 6:21 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.
At 6:30 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.