Ottawa, Ontario
May 6, 2015
John Traversy, Secretary General
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Check against delivery
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My name is John Traversy. I am the Secretary General and Chief Financial Officer of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). With me today is Jim Stefanik, the CRTC's Director General of Finance and Administrative Services, who is the Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
We are pleased to have this opportunity to appear before you and to discuss the CRTC's Main Estimates for 2015-2016.
The CRTC is an administrative tribunal that works to ensure Canadians have access to a world-class communication system. The CRTC regulates and supervises Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. In addition, the CRTC enhances the privacy of Canadians by enforcing the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules and certain sections of Canada's anti-spam legislation.
We also ensure that Canadians can access 9-1-1 services and that they can receive critical and timely information through their television and radio services during an emergency situation.
This work is carried out under four programs: Canadian Content Creation, Connection to the Communication System, Protection Within the Communication System and Internal Services. We commonly refer to these as three pillars—create, connect and protect—which are supported by a commitment to management excellence. Details regarding the financial and human resources that will be allocated to these programs, along with the CRTC's organizational priorities, are noted in our Report on Plans and Priorities for 2015-2016.
The CRTC's overall operating budget for 2015-2016 is $59.9 million.
Of this amount, $47.6 million is vote netted and funded by CRTC fee payers—broadcasting licensees and telecommunications service providers, as well as telemarketers that subscribe to the National Do Not Call List.
The remaining $12.3 million is the amount reflected in Part II of the Main Estimates. Of this amount, $5.4 million requires Parliamentary approval, while $6.9 million is a statutory vote pertaining to employee benefit plans.
Compared to the Main Estimates for 2014-2015, our budget has increased by $1.7 million. This increase is attributable to a number of factors, which are outlined in the CRTC's Highlights section in Part II of the Estimates. They include the additional funding we received to implement the new Voter Contact Registry.
As a responsible and transparent public organization, the CRTC is mindful of the need for strong financial stewardship. No matter the source of the funds we receive, we commit ourselves to using them responsibly. Canadians expect and deserve nothing less.
As such, management excellence is one of the pillars of our organization. Rigorous internal processes have been established and financial planning is integrated into the CRTC's overall planning cycle. These efforts are reflected in our annual Three-Year Plan, which was updated last week for the years 2015 to 2018.
Soon after his appointment in 2012, our Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pierre Blais, made a commitment to reduce the CRTC's operating costs by 5% over a period of three years. These savings have since been achieved and returned to our fee payers, the broadcasting and telecommunications companies we regulate.
I want to highlight one example of our commitment to sound financial stewardship. Between 2012 and 2014, we realized substantial reductions of nearly 50% in our expenses for travel, hospitality and conferences.
Our cost containment initiatives have not, in any way, impeded our ability to deliver on our core mandate. In fact, last year, the CRTC held an unprecedented number of public proceedings that will redefine Canada's communication system for years to come.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, the CRTC is a prudent administrator of public funds. We invest our resources where it is important for Canadians and to achieve our core mandate. We would now be happy to answer your questions about our Main Estimates for 2015-2016.
Thank you.
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