Treasury Board President: Decisions and Actions during First 100 Days

[redacted] In particular Treasury Board as the Employer:

• Must submit to a Public Interest Commission its collective bargaining positions for the Program and Administrative Services group on pay and other measures by November 20, 2019. This group is represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
• [redacted]

[redacted]

[redacted] pay and leave provisions are collectively bargained with various bargaining units; and, benefits are negotiated outside of the collective bargaining process. The public service is at an important crossroads. Demographics, emerging technology and socio-economic changes are all contributing to a work environment that is changing and a workforce that is evolving. [redacted]

As per section 106 of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act, the Government must bargain in good faith to conclude collective agreements in a timely manner. [redacted]

[redacted]

[redacted]

Sandra Hassan
Assistant Deputy Minister
Employment Conditions and Labour Relations Sector
613-907-5100

Marie-Chantal Girard
Assistant Deputy Minister
Pensions and Benefits Sector
613-907-5201

The Treasury Board Secretariat is seeking the President’s approval to [redacted]

Approval is required by November 29, 2019.

The benefit plans update their contribution rates based on plan experience and annual recommendations from the insurer/plan administrator. [redacted]In October, the Office of the Chief Actuary reviews the recommendations and supports the recommendations to the President who has the authority to update the premium rates.

[redacted]

The Disability Insurance Plan is required by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to have a minimum surplus of 40% of annual premiums. [redacted]

Marie-Chantal Girard
Assistant Deputy Minister
Pensions and Benefits Sector
613-907-5201

redacted

redacted

The Public Service Health Care Plan is an employer-sponsored health care plan that offers benefits to over 1.5 million lan members and dependants. The Plan is negotiated with bargaining agents at the Public Service Health Care Plan Partners Committee, outside the pay/leave collective bargaining process. The Partners Committee is a collaborative forum comprised of employer, bargaining agent and pensioner representatives and it operates under the umbrella of the National Joint Council. According to section 7.1.1 of the Financial Administration Act, Treasury Board has the ultimate authority to make changes to benefit plans based on the Partners Committee joint recommendations.

The cost of the Public Service Health Care Plan is increasing due to rising benefit costs, redacted and the growing size of the public service. redacted

redacted

Marie-Chantal Girard
Assistant Deputy Minister
Pensions and Benefits Sector
613-907-5201

The Next Generation HR and Pay initiative seeks to identify a solution to replace the current Phoenix Pay System.

Since problems with the Phoenix Pay System began to surface in early 2016, the Government of Canada has been working to stabilize the system. In 2018 the government announced its intention to move away from Phoenix toward a new system, and in 2019 the government committed to continue this work including through pilot projects, to identify a new solution.

The Next Generation HR and Pay Team (NextGen team) was established in June 2018 within the Treasury Board Secretariat under the Chief Information Officer of Canada, with functional leadership from the Chief Human Resources Officer, as the business owner, and procurement support from Public Services and Procurement Canada.

The NextGen team launched a procurement process in October 2018 to identify options for a new HR and pay solution. The process has allowed the government to work directly with industry and stakeholders to understand what technological solutions are available before a long term commitment is made. Vendors were asked to demonstrate their capacity to deliver an HR and pay solution through a series of three evaluations (“gates”). Pending the completion of the evaluation process, the next step would be to pilot a new solution with at least one federal department to determine whether the Government of Canada can adopt and operate that solution under real-world conditions.

To date, three vendors have been deemed qualified to deliver a new solution for the Government of Canada: Ceridian, SAP and Workday. The NextGen team is currently completing the last part of its evaluation to identify a preferred vendor from this list.

Pending the outcome, work would begin with the preferred vendor on pre-definition work on the pilot(s) in preparation for testing with departments.

[redacted]

In order to be successful, any new technological solution must support the requirements of the business owner and be supported by complementary HR business processes and a robust change management strategy. Carrying out the pilot(s) will enable NextGen to identify areas where HR business must be transformed or the technological solution need to be adapted to the Government of Canada’s business, as well as key change management needs. Additionally, the pilot(s) will help inform and define a broader deployment strategy for the long-term as well as a decommissioning strategy of the 33 HR systems across the public service.

Identify a preferred vendor by January 2020, with whom the Government of Canada can work on the pre-definition phase of the pilots; [redacted]

Jacquie Manchevsky
Corporate Secretary
NextGen HR and Pay
613-882-1082

Approval of the revised National Joint Council Relocation and National Joint Council Commuting Assistance Directives is required and approval of the Accommodation and Car Rental Directory.

January 1, 2020 for the Accommodation and Car Rental Directory.

February 1, 2020 for the National Joint Council Directives in order to implement the revised directives on April 1, 2020.

The National Joint Council is comprised of public service bargaining agents and employer-side representatives and serves as forum for multilateral collaboration on a broad range of labour relations issues. National Joint Council Directives are co-developed under the auspices of the National Joint Council and are subject to a cyclical review process, which is interest-based. All elements, including the timing, are determined in this consensus-based approach. Once approved, the directives form part of collective agreements and will be used by departments and agencies in the Core Public Administration.

[redacted]

The Accommodation and Car Rental Directory provides the rates which apply for travel under the National Joint Council Travel Directive. The Directory is updated annually on January 1st of every year.

The current Relocation Directive dates from 2009 [redacted]The Commuting Assistance Directive was last revised in 2010. [redacted]

Sandra Hassan
Assistant Deputy Minister
Employment Conditions and Labour Relations
613-907-5100

The President’s signature, and a decision on timing, will be required for parliamentary tabling of the Departmental Results Reports of over 80 federal departments and agencies for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

A decision on timing is required by November 26, 2019, which will determine the required-by date for the President’s signature.

The President is responsible for tabling the Estimates documents, on behalf of the government, in the House of Commons. These include the Departmental Results Reports. The reports are departmental accounts of results achieved for the recently completed fiscal year, for which Ministers are accountable. In a non-election year, the reports are normally tabled in late October or early November.

As Parliament will resume on December 5, 2019, there are two options for tabling the reports.

• Option 1: table reports in early 2020
  • By delaying the tabling of the reports until January and February 2020, Ministers would have additional time to review and approve their respective Reports, which the President would also have to do as Minister responsible for the Treasury Board Secretariat. This practice is supported by precedent
• Option 2: table the reports in December 2019
  • Ministers may not be prepared to review and approve the reports so shortly after being sworn into their new positions

Deferring this decision delays planning and resource management for more than 80 federal organizations and their Ministers.

Glenn Purves
Assistant Secretary
Expenditure Management Sector
613-369-9568

The President of the Treasury Board’s approval is sought to table in Parliament the triennial Office of Chief Actuary Report on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police pension plan.

The President of the Treasury Board’s approval is also sought to set the Government contribution rates for calendar years 2020 and 2021.

In addition, the President of the Treasury Board’s approval is sought for the adjustments to balance the accounts.

The tabling in Parliament of the triennial Office of Chief Actuary report must be done within 30 sitting days of Parliament resuming, as required by the Public Pensions Reporting Act.

However, in order to allow the necessary implementation of the new contribution rates, a decision from the President of Treasury Board is required by November 29, 2019. This would also allow sufficient time to communicate the new contribution rates to plan members by January 1, 2020 and make adjustments by March 31, 2020.

The Office of Chief Actuary prepares a triennial report to evaluate the financial position of each public sector pension plan, called an actuarial report.

The report presents the financial position of the pension accounts and Government contributions that are required to fulfill the pension plan benefit obligations.

In addition the report proposes adjustments as per the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act to take place by the last day of the fiscal year that the report is tabled (i.e. by March 31, 2020).

In order to respect the Act, tabling must occur within 30 sitting days of Parliament resuming.

[redacted]

Marie-Chantal Girard
Assistant Deputy Minister
Pensions and Benefits Sector
613-907-5201

The President’s approval is required for the Report to Parliament for the 2018 to 2019 Fiscal Year: Federal Regulatory Management Initiatives, and for the tabling of the report in Parliament before the end of December 2019.

Approval of the report is required by December 6, 2019 for tabling in Parliament in December 2019.

The annual report to Parliament on federal regulatory management initiatives is the government’s principal public reporting tool on the regulatory system.

The section in the annual report on the One-for-One rule satisfies the requirement in the Red Tape Reduction Act to report publicly on the rule by December 31, 2019. The Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Limiting Regulatory Burden on Business further specifies that this report must be tabled in Parliament by December 31, 2019.

This third annual report covers regulations finalized in the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year and reports on: the benefits and costs of significant-cost-impact regulations; the implementation of the One-for-One rule; and the Administrative Burden Baseline, which is a count of the total number of administrative requirements in federal regulations. The report also provides an update on the implementation of the Cabinet Directive on Regulation.

There is an obligation under the Red Tape Reduction Act to publicly report on the One-for-One rule by December 31. Failure to do so would result in non-compliance with the Act. As Parliament will resume sitting on December 5, 2019, the President will be able to table the report.

Tina Green
Assistant Secretary
Regulatory Affairs Sector
613-369-9518

Approval of the Treasury Board Secretariat annual report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act for 2018 to 2019.

Approval by December 12, 2019 will allow for tabling of the report by legislative due date.

Under section 94 of the Access to Information Act and 72 of the Privacy Act, the head of every government institution is required to prepare and table annual reports in the House of Commons and Senate on the administration of these Acts.

Under access to information and privacy legislation, the annual reports must be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after September 1 of the year in which the report is prepared.

Failure to publish the report by the 15th sitting day would result in non-compliance with the legislation.

Kelly Acton
Assistant Secretary
Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs
613-369-3199

Signature and tabling by the President of the Treasury Board of the 2019 Public Accounts of Canada.

Tabling of the Public Accounts is required by December 31, 2019. To support the tabling, the President’s signature will need to be sought by Friday November 22.

The Public Accounts are jointly signed by the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement (as the Receiver General for Canada) and the Deputy Receiver General for Canada. The submission of the Public Accounts to Parliament is required in accordance with section 64 of the Financial Administration Act.

As outlined in the Act, the President must table the Public Accounts no later than December 31 of each year. In the event that the House of Commons is not sitting during that period, tabling must occur within the first 15 days following the first day that the House of Commons is in session.

Documentation requiring the President of the Treasury Board’s signature will be provided by the Office of the Comptroller General in preparation for the tabling. Specifically, the transmittal page and signature card will be required within the first two to three weeks of the President’s appointment to commence printing of the Public Accounts. The tabling of letters to the Clerks of the House of Commons and Senate are required by the selected tabling date.

The risk of not addressing this action is non-compliance with the Financial Administration Act.

Roger Ermuth
Assistant Comptroller General
Financial Management Sector
613-369-3119

Approval by the President of the Treasury Board of the 2018 to 2019 Treasury Board Secretariat Departmental Results Report for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

Approval required by late December 2019.

The Departmental Results Reports inform parliamentarians and Canadians of the results achieved and resources used by departments and agencies during the most recent fiscal year. They are part of the Parliamentary Estimates process.

AThe Treasury Board Secretariat Departmental Results Report for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year reports on progress against performance targets set in the Treasury Board Secretariat Departmental Plan for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

As President of Treasury Board, you are responsible for tabling all Departmental Results Reports in Parliament (See note entitled “Tabling the Departmental Results Reports” at Tab 4.1). As the Minister responsible for the Treasury Board Secretariat, you would need to approve the Secretariat’s own Departmental Results Report. We anticipate approval would be required no later than late December.

There are two options for tabling the reports.

• Option 1: table reports in early 2020
  • By delaying the tabling of the reports until January and February 2020, Ministers would have additional time to review and approve their respective Reports, which the President would also have to do as Minister responsible for the Treasury Board Secretariat. This practice is supported by precedent
• Option 2: table the reports in December 2019
  • Ministers may not be prepared to review and approve the reports so shortly after being sworn into their new positions

Late approval of the report may not leave enough time to finalize the report’s production before the tabling date, which could delay the tabling of all Departmental Results Reports.

Samantha Tattersall
Assistant Secretary
Priorities and Planning
613-369-9433

Tabling in the House of Commons of the Audit Report on the Office of the Auditor General, for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

The Auditor General Act stipulates that the Audit Report on the Office of the Auditor General must be tabled in the House of Commons by the President of the Treasury Board within 15 days of receipt, when the House resumes sitting on December 5, 2019. It is anticipated that the report will be submitted to your office in fall 2019, depending on when it is provided by the Office of the Auditor General.

The Auditor General Act stipulates that an auditor nominated by the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada must annually examine the receipts and disbursement of the Office of the Auditor General. The resulting reports are due to President of the Treasury Board on or before the 31st day of December in the year to which the report relates. The President of the Treasury Board is responsible for tabling the report in the House of Commons within 15 days of receipt, when the House is sitting. The 15 sitting day timeline begins only when the House reconvenes on December 5, 2019.

There is a legal obligation to table the Audit Reports within the timeline. Missing the deadline would result in non-compliance with the Auditor General Act.

Siobhan Harty
Assistant Secretary
Government Operations Sector
613-369-9538

The President of the Treasury Board is required to table the 2018 to 2019 Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act annual report in each House of Parliament.

In accordance with the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, the report must be tabled in each House of Parliament within 15 sitting days.

The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (the Act) establishes procedures for handling allegations of wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal. It requires the Chief Human Resources Officer to prepare and submit to the President of Treasury Board an annual report providing an overview of activities under the Act. The President must then table the report in each House of Parliament within 15 sitting days, accompanied by letters to the Clerk of the House of Commons, the Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments.

This year’s report will be the 12th since the Act came into force on April 15, 2007. The report is based on information reported by public sector organizations subject to the Act. It does not include information on disclosures made to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, whose annual report is tabled separately, most recently in June 2019.

There is a legal obligation to table the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act Annual Report within the timeline. Deferral of the tabling would result in non-compliance with the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.

Tolga Yalkin
Assistant Deputy Minister
Workplace Policies and Services Sector
613-907-7828

The President of the Treasury Board’s approval is required for the Fees Report for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

Although approval is required by March 20, 2020, the department would be prepared to engage your office in early January.

The Service Fees Act came into force in 2017. As part of the Act, section 21 requires the President of the Treasury Board to make a report accessible to the public, no later than March 31, 2020, that consolidates all of the fees reports that individual departments have tabled in Parliament for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year. This provision allows Canadians to have access to all tabled reports for the previous fiscal year in one place. The report for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year is the second report of its kind.

The President of the Treasury Board’s approval is required in order to publish the 2018 to 2019 report on the Treasury Board Secretariat’s website.

There is a legal obligation to publish the Fees Report within the timeline. Deferral of the publication would result in non-compliance with the Service Fees Act.

Roger Ermuth
Assistant Comptroller General
Financial Management Sector
613-369-3119

Approval of the form for the proactive publication of Question Period notes, which is required by the updated Access to Information Act.

Approval is sought by December 10, 2019 to allow for publication by mid-January 2020, as required by the Act.

Paragraph 74(c) of the Access to Information Act requires departments, agencies and other federal entities to proactively publish Question Period notes prepared for their Minister twice annually. The Question Period notes must be published within 30 days of the last House of Commons sitting day in December and June (mid-January and mid-July).

The President must approve the form of the Question Period notes that are proactively published (subsection 79(1)). The form will be used by departments, agencies and other federal entities to publish Question Period notes on the Open Government online portal, open.canada.ca, to meet the legislated deadline.

Failure to approve the form would mean the legislated deadline would not be met.

Sonya Read
Acting Assistant Secretary
Digital Policy and Services
613-369-9637

Approval of the annual government-wide statistical report on the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act for 2018 to 2019.

Approval by December 13, 2019 will allow for publication of the report by December 31, 2019.

Paragraph 70(1)(d) of the Access to Information Act requires the President of the Treasury Board to publish a report annually on the performance of access to information and privacy programs across the federal government. To meet this statutory requirement, the report must be published by December 31, 2019.

Failure to publish the report by December 31, 2019 would be contrary to the requirements of the legislation.

Sonya Read
Acting Assistant Secretary
Digital Policy and Services
613-369-9637

Approval of a new Delegation Instrument setting out the delegation of financial authorities, as per the Treasury Board Directive of Spending and Financial Authorities (the Directive).

Submitted to the President for signature within 90 days of appointment.

The spending and control of public funds is given to ministers and deputy heads by Parliament through Appropriation Acts, the Financial Administration Act, and related regulations. Delegation of financial signing authorities is a mechanism for ministers to authorize departmental officials to exercise authorities on his or her behalf in order to facilitate the achievement of their mandate. Examples of delegations include approvals of travel expenses, hospitality, and contracting. This delegation must be in writing and the mechanism used is the Delegation Instrument.

The risk associated with deferring the approval of the delegation instrument is low. Provisions are in place whereby the current delegation order remains in effect until a new one is signed.

Karen Cahill
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary
Corporate Services Sector
613-369-9440

Approval by the President of the Treasury Board of the delegation instruments pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, which designate departmental officials that may exercise signing authority or perform any of the powers, duties or functions of the President, as the head of the department.

Approval is requested at the president’s earliest convenience. Timely approval of the delegation order would demonstrate leadership consistent with the President’s role as the Minister responsible for overseeing the government-wide administration of the Acts. In addition, the Treasury Board Secretariat annual report to Parliament on Access to Information will also be provided for your approval.

The President is responsible for ensuring compliance with the legislative obligations under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The delegation of duties covers activities associated with implementing the legislation and includes: receiving and responding to requests, monitoring and reporting on compliance, and drafting annual reports.

Pursuant to the Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act and the Directive on the Administration of the Privacy Act, the delegation order is to be reviewed when circumstances surrounding the delegations have changed, such as the appointment of a new Minister.

Delegation of duties is a standard practice across government organizations and is considered a best practice by the Information and Privacy Commissioners.

The risk associated with deferring the approval of the delegation instrument is low. Provisions are in place whereby the current delegation order remains in effect until a new one is signed.

Kelly Acton
Assistant Secretary
Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs
613-369-3199

Governor in Council or Ministerial approval is required to fill several vacancies, such as directors for the Public Sector Pension Investment Board.

While there are current vacancies, there is no formal time by which the appointments are required.

The President of the Treasury Board is responsible for making three types of appointments:

• Governor in Council appointments for positions such as the Directors of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board
• Ministerial appointments for boards that oversee administration of the major public service benefit plans
• Appointment of members, via Treasury Board, who sit on a Departmental Audit Committee

Please see the annex of new appointments and re-appointments of incumbents whose terms have expired or will expire in the next 100 days.

Provisions are in place whereby incumbents continue in office once their term expires until a replacement is found or a reappointment is made. As such, memoranda will be prepared to seek approval for a number of new appointments or re-appointments at the President’s convenience.

Kelly Acton
Assistant Secretary
Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs Sector
613-369-3199

Direction will be sought from the President of the Treasury Board on key recommendations and the proposed implementation approach for the Horizontal Fixed Asset Review.

[redacted] direction from the President will be sought before December 31, 2019.

The Government of Canada’s fixed assets or real property (e.g. buildings, dams, military bases) are a critical enabler of program delivery. Recognizing the increasing liabilities as well as operational, financial, legal and reputational risks, a three-year Review was announced in 2017. Led by the President of the Treasury Board as the government’s lead on resource management, the Review seeks ways to enhance government assets or generate greater value from them.

[redacted] The final report will be completed by March 31, 2020. Treasury Board Secretariat will also prepare, for consideration by the President, [redacted]

[redacted] the liabilities and risks associated with the Government of Canada’s fixed assets would continue to accumulate while the gap between changing programs and real property platforms would increase. This could compromise the government’s ability to support federal programs that provide public services.

Diane Orange
Assistant Deputy Minister
Horizontal Fixed Asset Review
613-369-9659

Overview

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is the largest public sector union and is the bargaining agent for five bargaining units representing approximately 110,000 employees within the core public administration, or approximately 60% of unionized employees. The Public Service Alliance of Canada also represents 42,000 employees in separate agencies, including employees working at the Canada Revenue Agency and Parks Canada.

Collective bargaining

In May 2019, the Public Service Alliance of Canada declared impasse for the 2018 round of negotiations for four of its five groups and filed for conciliation with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. These four groups include:

• Program and Administrative Services (PA)
• Technical Services (TC)
• Operational Services (SV)
• Education and Library Science (EB)

Negotiations for the fifth core public administration group, the Border Services (FB) group, remain ongoing.

In late August 2019, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Public Service Alliance of Canada re-entered negotiations in an effort to reach a new collective agreement for the Program and Administrative Services group and to discuss an agreement on damages caused by the Phoenix Pay System for all Public Service Alliance of Canada members. The Public Service Alliance of Canada declined the Employer’s offers on both matters.

Conciliation hearings of the Public Interest Commission are scheduled for December 2019 and January 2020, after which the Chairpersons will provide non-binding recommendations for a settlement with the four groups. The Public Service Alliance of Canada has publicly stated that strike preparation is underway and that members will be entitled to vote on strike action should an agreement not be reached after the issuance of the Public Interest Commission recommendations.

Essential services negotiations between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat are ongoing. The parties are working toward reaching an essential service agreement by December 31, 2019.

Damages caused by the Phoenix Pay System

On June 12, 2019, the Government of Canada and 15 public service unions finalized a joint memorandum of agreement with regard to damages caused by the Phoenix Pay System. The Public Service Alliance of Canada participated in the negotiation of the agreement but in the end did not agree to sign. The memorandum of agreement allocates general damages to current and former employees; such as up to 5 days annual leave, and compensation for financial damages and severe personal and financial hardships.

As noted above, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Public Service Alliance of Canada returned to the negotiation table in late summer 2019, but no agreement was reached.

Chris Aylward
National President
Public Service Alliance of Canada
233 Gilmour St
Ottawa ON K2P 0P1
Tel: 613-560-4330

Overview

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada is the second largest bargaining agent in the federal public sector, behind the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents six bargaining units in the core public administration, covering approximately 35,000 employees, and 17,000 employees in separate agencies, including the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and National Research Council Canada.

Collective bargaining

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada was among the first bargaining agents to reach settlements with the Employer in the spring of 2019, establishing a pattern that has been replicated with other unions in this round of bargaining.

The government reached agreements with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada for five of their six bargaining units in the core public administration in the context of the 2018 round of bargaining. These include the:

• Research (RE) group
• Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP) group
• Audit, Commerce and Purchasing (AV) group
• Health Services (SH) group
• Architecture, Engineering and Land Survey (NR) group

The government has not reached an agreement with Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada for the Computer Systems (CS) group, which is the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada’s largest group with approximately 13,500 members. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada may file a request with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board for the establishment of a Public Interest Commission (impasse) to assist the parties in reaching an agreement through non-binding conciliation.

Essential services negotiations between the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada and Treasury Board Secretariat officials are ongoing. The parties are working toward reaching an essential services agreement by December 31, 2019.

Damages caused by the Phoenix Pay System

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada is one of the 15 bargaining agents that are signatory to the joint memorandum of agreement with regard to damages caused by the Phoenix Pay System, which came into effect on June 12, 2019. The agreement allocates damages to current and former employees. The provisions include up to 5 days of annual leave, and compensation for financial damages and severe personal and financial hardships.

Issues of note

In the 2014 round of bargaining, “no contracting out” was a key priority for the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. In 2017, provisions were included in the Computer Systems (CS) collective agreement requiring that the Employer make a reasonable effort to allocate work to existing or new Computer Systems group employees before contracting out information technology work. At this time, approximately 500 policy grievances involving 40 departments have been filed by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada alleging departmental breaches of the contracting out provisions. These grievances are following the applicable grievance procedure for resolution.

Debi Daviau
President
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
250 Tremblay Road
Ottawa ON K1G 3J8
Tel: 613-228-6310

Mandate

The Commissioner of Lobbying is an independent Agent of Parliament appointed under the Lobbying Act. The purpose of the Act is to ensure transparency and accountability in the lobbying of public office holders in order to increase the public's confidence in the integrity of government decision-making.

The Commissioner's mandate is to:

• maintain the Registry of Lobbyists, which contains information about all registered lobbyists
• develop the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct (the Code), which establishes standards of conduct for registered lobbyists
• develop educational programs to foster public awareness of the requirements of the Act
• conduct investigations to ensure compliance with the Act and the Code

Role of the President of Treasury Board

Since the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying falls under the President’s portfolio, the President receives funding requests from the Commissioner of Lobbying. The Commissioner’s funding requests are submitted through the President to the Minister of Finance, which, if approved, are then subject to Treasury Board approval before funds can be accessed.

The Lobbying Act falls under the President’s legislative portfolio. Should the government decide to amend the Act, the President would be responsible for sponsoring any bills introduced in the House of Commons and tabling any required Government Response to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Issues of note

Legislative Review of the Lobbying Act

The Lobbying Act requires a legislative review every five years. Since the last review was completed in 2012 by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, the Act is overdue for its next review. A review would be triggered when Parliament designates a parliamentary committee to undertake the review.

Increased Funding

In May 2019, at an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on the subject of Main Estimates, Ms. Bélanger noted that additional funding would be necessary to meet the Office’s increased technology costs, as well as the enhanced complexity and litigiousness of their work. She stated that she will make the necessary funding requests in fall 2019 to ensure that her Office can continue to meet its mandate. The 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates for the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying are $4.8 million.

Nancy Bélanger
Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada
Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada
410 Laurier Avenue West, 8th Floor
Ottawa ON K1R 1B7
Tel: 613-941-9873
Email: nancy.belanger@ocl-cal.gc.ca

Mandate

The authorities of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner derive from the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. The mandate of his Office is to provide an independent and confidential process for public servants and members of the public to disclose potential wrongdoing in, or relating to, the federal public sector.

The Office also investigates disclosures, reports founded cases to Parliament, and makes recommendations to deputy heads on corrective measures. The Office also provides a mechanism for receiving reprisal complaints from public servants and former public servants who have made a protected disclosure or have participated in an investigation, investigating such complaints for the purpose of coming to a resolution, and referring cases to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal.

Role of the President of Treasury Board

The President of the Treasury Board has several responsibilities under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, including promoting ethical practices in the public sector, and promoting a positive environment for the disclosure of wrongdoing. The President is responsible for establishing a code of conduct for the public sector, consulting bargaining agents on the establishment of the code, and tabling the code before both Houses of Parliament – Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector. The President is also responsible for tabling, before both Houses of Parliament, the Chief Human Resources Officer’s annual report on the activities, throughout the public sector, relating to disclosures of wrongdoing under section 12 of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.

Issues of note

In 2017, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates carried out a review of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, its administration and operation, as required by Section 54 of the Act. The Committee’s final report included 15 recommendations for legislative and administrative changes. In October 2017, the Government’s Response was tabled in Parliament. It included a commitment to implement improvements to the administration and operation of the internal disclosure regime. There was no commitment made to pursue legislative amendments.

In the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada’s 2017 to 2018 annual report, the Commissioner expressed concerns with the government’s decision not to pursue legislative amendments that had been proposed by the Commissioner and recommended by the Committee. Among other things, the Commissioner had recommended that the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act be amended to broaden the definition of the term “supervisor”, expand the definition of “reprisal”, and provide the Commissioner with new investigative authorities.

Joe Friday
Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
60 Queen St, 4th Floor
Ottawa ON K1P 5Y7
Tel: 613-948-9178
Email: friday.joe@psic-ispc.gc.ca

Mandate

The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is a Crown corporation governed by an 11-member Board of Directors and is accountable to Parliament through the President of the Treasury Board. Since April 1, 2000, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board has been investing the amounts transferred by the Government of Canada on behalf of the pension plans for the public service, the Canadian Armed Forces – Regular, the Canadian Armed Forces – Reserve (since its establishment on March 1, 2007), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Public Sector Pension Investment Board requests an annual meeting to brief the President of Treasury Board and another meeting once the fiscal year-end results become available.

Issues of note

The terms of three directors (Garnet Garven, Léon Courville, and Micheline Bourchard) expired on September 28, 2019, and Lynn Haight’s term will end on June 25, 2020. A search process for four new directors is underway.

Martin J. Glynn
Chair, Board of Directors
Public Sector Pension Investment Board
1250 René-Lévesque Boulevard West
Montréal QC H3B 5E9
Tel: [redacted]

Mandate

Created in 2004, the Canada School of Public Service’s primary responsibility is to provide a broad range of learning opportunities and establish a culture of learning within the public service. The Canada School of Public Service is mandated to:

• assist deputy heads in meeting the learning needs of their organization
• help managers and other public servants develop successful cooperative relationships at all levels
• ensure that managers have the skills and knowledge necessary to develop and implement policy
• study and conduct research into the theory and practice of public sector management and public administration
• formulate and provide training, orientation, and development programs for managers and employees
• encourage awareness of issues related to public sector management, public administration and the role and functions of government, and develop individuals and institutions to pursue excellence in public administration

Learning is a shared responsibility between employees, managers, deputy heads and the employer. The Canada School of Public Service delivers learning and related programming that is consistent with government priorities, Treasury Board policies and directives, as well as deputy head priorities for their respective organizations, who, in accordance with the Financial Administration Act, determine the learning, training and development needs of their employees.

The Canada School of Public Service is focused on: 1) equipping public servants with the core knowledge, skills and competencies required to fulfil their responsibilities; 2) developing more substantive skills across the public service (e.g. digital); and 3) creating unique learning offerings for specific contexts or groups, such as functional communities (e.g. financial management, human resources, procurement, etc.). To help achieve this, the Canada School of Public Service’s programming focuses on five business lines: Indigenous learning, the Digital Academy, government and public sector skills, transferable skills, and a respectful and inclusive workplace.

Role of the President of Treasury Board

The President of the Treasury Board is identified as the minister responsible for the Canada School of Public Service in the Financial Administration Act. As such, the President of the Treasury Board is accountable to Parliament for Canada School of Public Service activities, and Canada School of Public Service funding requests are submitted from the President of the Treasury Board to the Minister of Finance.

Overall, Treasury Board Secretariat works with the Canada School of Public Service to ensure that the Canada School of Public Service’s curriculum is aligned with government priorities for learning, and supports the development of key competencies required by public servants.

Taki Sarantakis
President
Canada School of Public Service
373 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1N 6Z2
Tel: 613-992-8165

Mandate

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the largest business association in Canada and connects businesses from across the country to advocate for public policies that will foster a competitive economic environment that benefits businesses and communities in Canada.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce supports, and is engaged in the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council. This Council aims to increase regulatory cooperation efforts between the U.S. and Canada, and promotes economic growth, competitiveness and job creation through the elimination of unnecessary regulatory differences between the two countries.

Issues of note

In May 2018, the council released Death by 130,000 Cuts: Improving Canada’s Regulatory Competitiveness. The report highlighted how Canada’s complex regulatory system is negatively affecting business and economic growth, and made recommendations for governments to address these shortcomings.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently published its 2019 Federal Regulatory Reform Report Card, which contains an evaluation of the government’s response to each of the recommendations put forth in Death by 130,000 Cuts. The government received an overall grade of “B”. That being said, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce gave the government a grade of “F” on the conduct of regulatory consultations and recommended that the government engage with business earlier prior to deciding if regulations are an appropriate tool.

The Honourable Perrin Beatty
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
1700-275 Slater Street
Ottawa ON K1P 5H9
Tel: 613-238-4000

Canadian Federation of Independent Business

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is a non-profit business organization representing the interests and concerns of over 110,000 Canadian owners of small and medium enterprises advocating for reducing red tape for small and medium sized enterprises. The organization publishes an annual Red Tape Report Card, which provides grades to federal, provincial and territorial governments on their progress in reducing red tape. Most recently, in 2019, the federal government was given a grade of B+.

The Treasury Board Secretariat has engaged the Canadian Federation of Independent Business various times on regulatory issues. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business submitted 25 recommendations for consideration for the regulatory review process and it has also submitted input into the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table process to reduce internal barriers to trade.

External Advisory Committee on Regulatory Competitiveness

The External Advisory Committee on Regulatory Competitiveness, was formally launched on May 3, 2019 and Ms. Jones was appointed Chair in May 2019.

The Committee, which brings together business leaders, academics and consumer representatives, advises the Treasury Board on increasing regulatory competitiveness and innovation, while ensuring Canadians’ health, security and safety, and protecting the environment.

The Treasury Board Secretariat has worked closely with Ms. Jones, who has organized meetings to build consensus among Committee members so they could provide two recommendation letters to the Treasury Board between May and July 2019.

[redacted]

Laura Jones
Chair
External Advisory Committee on Regulatory Competitiveness
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
625 Howe St
Vancouver BC V6C 2T6
Tel: [redacted]
Email: [redacted]

Mandate

The Business Council of Canada was founded in 1976 as a non-profit, non-partisan organization to represent chief executives and heads of 150 leading Canadian businesses from every major industry across the country. Together, members of the Business Council of Canada employ 1.7 million Canadians.

Issues of note

The Business Council of Canada has been an advocate for streamlining regulation and regulatory cooperation to reduce costs on business, to encourage companies to grow and to improve Canada’s attractiveness as a place to invest.

The Business Council of Canada has been actively engaged in federal regulatory initiatives the Treasury Board Secretariat has led, including the development of the Cabinet Directive on Regulation, international regulatory cooperation and targeted regulatory reviews of key economic sectors.

The Business Council of Canada regularly works with other organizations to publish reports on the state of the regulatory environment. The Business Council of Canada released the Competitiveness Scorecard, produced by Deloitte Canada, in March 2019. The scorecard analyzes data across a dozen key global competitor nations and summarizes Canada’s performance in eight key areas: talent, economic stability, capital and investments, customers, infrastructure, innovation, tax and regulation. A report analyzing the Scorecard found that Canada has a competitiveness challenge, and that the regulatory environment is a contributing factor.

Goldy Hyder
President and Chief Executive Officer
Business Council of Canada
99 Bank St, Suite 1001
Ottawa ON K1P 6B9
Tel: [redacted]

Mandate

The Canadian American Business Council was established in 1987 as a non-profit, non-partisan organization which presents the private sector perspective on issues that affect Canada and the United States. The objective of the Council is to maximize prosperity for all Americans and Canadians and to increase competitiveness for companies large and small in Canada and the U.S. Collectively, the council’s members employ about two million people and have annual revenues of close to $1.5 trillion.

The Canadian American Business Council’s members are multi-national companies with operations across many sectors, including aviation, energy, mining and healthcare. Its activities include high-level briefings on issues of current concern, assistance with practical trade and policy challenges, significant networking opportunities and informative seminars.

Issues of note

The Council provides support to the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council’s goals and objectives, which include reducing unnecessary differences between the countries’ regulatory frameworks. The Canadian American Business Council hosts roundtables with Canadian and U.S. politicians, hosts conferences, and recognizes businesspersons for leadership in the Canadian-American business community.

Maryscott “Scotty” Greenwood
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian American Business Council
1800 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, 2nd Floor
Washington DC 20036
United States of America
Tel: [redacted]

Sylvain Ricard
Interim Auditor General of Canada
Office of the Auditor General of Canada
240 Sparks St
Ottawa ON K1A 0G6
Tel: 613-995-3708
Email: Sylvain.Ricard@oag-bvg.gc.ca

Daniel Therrien
Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria St
Gatineau QC K1A 1H3
Tel: 819-994-584
Email: daniel.therrien@priv.gc.ca

Raymond Théberge
Commissioner of Official Languages
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
30 Victoria St
Gatineau QC K1A 0T8
Tel: 819-420-4875
Email: comm@clo-ocol.gc.ca

Caroline Maynard
Information Commissioner of Canada
Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria St
Gatineau QC K1A 1H3
Tel: 819-994-0002
Email: caroline.maynard@oic-ci.gc.ca

Yves Giroux
Parliamentary Budget Officer
Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
99 Bank St, Suite 900
Ottawa ON K1A 0A9
Tel: 613-992-8026
Email: Yves.Giroux@parl.gc.ca

Mario Dion
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
66 Slater St, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget and planning
• cannabis legalization
• economic analysis and statistics
• expense disclosure
• information on insurance, pensions and financial institutions
• investor relations, banking and payment security
• provincial audit committee and internal audit services
• taxes and levies
• unclaimed property

The Honourable Travis Toews
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Finance
Executive Branch
208 Legislature Building
10800-97 Ave
Edmonton AB T5K 2B6
Tel: 780-415-4855
Email: tbf.minister@gov.ab.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget
• public sector collective bargaining
• economic analysis and statistics
• public sector planning and reporting
• crown Agencies and board resourcing
• legislative consultations
• tax system reform (including carbon tax)
• housing affordability
• funding partnerships for capital infrastructure projects

The Honourable Carole James
Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier, Chair of the Treasury Board Committee
Parliament Buildings, Room 153
Victoria BC V8V 1X4
Tel: 250-387-3751
Email: FIN.Minister@gov.bc.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget and planning
• accommodation services
• business transformation and technology
• comptrollership
• financial institutions regulation
• financial literacy
• taxation
• research and statistics
• pension Commission
• procurement services
• public Utilities Board
• Treasury Board Secretariat

The Honourable Scott Fielding
Minister of Finance
Room 103, Legislative Building
450 Broadway
Winnipeg MB R3C 0V8
Tel: 204-945-3952
Email: minfin@leg.gov.mb.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget and planning
• capital investment
• financial management and regulation
• comptrollership
• human resources
• Office of the Chief Information Officer
• taxation
• research and statistics
• pensions

The Honourable Ernie Steeves
Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board
Chancery Place
PO Box 6000
Fredericton NB E3B 5H1
Tel: 506-453-2451
Email: Ernie.Steeves@gnb.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget and planning
• fiscal, financial, statistical and economic policy
• financial management and regulation
• treasury management
• comptrollership
• Cabinet committee support
• taxation
• pensions

The Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board
Main Floor, East Block, Confederation Building
PO Box 8700
St. John's NL A1B 4J6
Tel: 709-729-4882
Email: tosborne@gov.nl.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget and planning
• government finances and financial health
• public accounts
• insurance industry regulation
• credit union and trust regulation
• utility and Review Board
• economic growth
• economics and statistics
• investor relations

The Honourable Karen Lynn Casey
Department of Finance and Treasury Board
7th Floor, Provincial Building
1723 Hollis Street
PO Box 187
Halifax NS B3J 2N3
Tel: 902-424-5720
Email: FinanceMinister@novascotia.ca

Note: The Honourable Geoff MacLellan, Minister of Trade, Nova Scotia would be the key contact on regulatory matters. Mr. MacLellan’s profile and contact information can be found in the next profile.

The federal government works closely with the Nova Scotia Minister of Trade through the Committee on Internal Trade. The Committee on Internal Trade is a ministerial federal-provincial/territorial committee which oversees the overall implementation of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. The current Chair of the Committee on Internal Trade is the Honourable Geoff MacLellan, but his term is set to expire on December 31, 2019. The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Dwight Ball, is expected to assume the role of Chair of the Committee on Internal Trade in 2020. Most recently, the federal government was represented on the Committee on Internal Trade by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade.

The Honourable Geoff MacLellan
Minister of Trade
Department of Business
Centennial Building
1660 Hollis Street, Suite 600
PO Box 2311
Halifax NS B3J 3C8
Telephone: 902-424-0377
Email: TradeMinister@novascotia.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• public sector accountability
• expenditure management and comptrollership
• government labour relations
• corporate policy and agency governance
• internal audit
• human resources policy

The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy
Treasury Board Secretariat
Whitney Block, 4th Floor, Rm. 4320
99 Wellesley St. W
Toronto ON M7A 1W3
Tel: 416-327-2333
Email: peter.bethlenfalvy@pc.ola.org

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• public service management (finance, human resources, technology)
• Treasury Board support (policy and administrative)
• budget and Public Accounts
• expenditure management
• financial accountability
• cannabis legalization
• economics and statistics
• Interministerial Women’s Secretariat
• procurement

The Honourable Darlene Compton
Minister of Finance and Chairperson of the Treasury Board
Shaw Building, 2nd Floor, South
95-105 Rochford Street
Charlottetown PE C1A 7N8
Tel: 902-368-4050
Email: MinisterFinance@gov.pe.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• public service management (finance, human resources, technology)
• expenditure management
• procurement
• public infrastructure
• information and statistics
• materiel management
• challenge function

The Honourable Christian Dubé
Minister of Government Administration and President of the Treasury Board
Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor
875, Grande-Allée Est
4e étage, secteur 100
Québec QC G1R 5R8
Tel: 418-643-5926
Email: cabinet@sct.gouv.qc.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• taxation
• expenditure management
• procurement
• public infrastructure
• information and statistics
• materiel management
• challenge function

The Honourable Donna Harpauer
Minister of Finance
Legislative Building, Room 312
2405 Legislative Drive
Regina SK S4S 0B3
Tel: 306-787-6060
Email: fin.minister@gov.sk.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget
• financial advice to the Financial Management Board and Cabinet
• comptrollership (e.g., Financial Systems Management)
• reporting on government revenue and spending
• financial management policy
• human resources management policy (financial dimension)
• expenditure management
• Nunavut Liquor Commission
• internal audit services

The Honourable George Hickes
Minister of Finance
PO Box 1000, Station 200
Iqualuit NU X0A 0H0
Tel: 867-975-5041
Email: ghickes@gov.nu.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities are the following:

• budget and planning
• accounting policy and financial management systems
• tax policy and programs
• intergovernmental relations
• Indigenous relations
• economic research, analysis, and reports
• ongoing services (e.g., cash management, payments)
• statistics bureau
• intergovernmental financial arrangements

The Honourable Sandy Silver
Premier, Minister of the Executive Council Office and Finance
Box 2703
Whitehorse YK Y1A 1B2
Tel: 867-393-7142
Email: Sandy.Silver@gov.yk.ca

The Minister’s key portfolio responsibilities as Minister of Finance are the following:

• negotiating major financial arrangements with the federal government
• Treasury Board support (policy and administrative)
• providing analysis and advice to the Financial Management Board
• ensuring that financial and information resources are managed effectively, efficiently and economically
• regulating the insurance industry and controlling the sale of alcohol products in the Northwest Territories
• recruiting and retaining a competent, representative public service
• developing programs and policies that effectively serve the human resource needs of the public service
• creating a work environment that promotes employee development, safety and wellness, and positive labour/management relations

Honourable Caroline Wawzonek
Minister of Finance and Minister of Justice
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A2L9
Tel: (867) 767-9143 ext. [redacted]

The Office of Management and Budget is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Its most prominent function is to produce the President’s Budget, but it also measures the quality of agency programs, policies, and procedures. It is the U.S. equivalent to the Treasury Board Secretariat.

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is housed within the Office of Management and Budget. It oversees the implementation of regulatory policies and reviews regulations.

In 2011, the Prime Minister of Canada and the U.S. President announced the creation of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council. Its goal is to align regulatory systems between the two countries to avoid unnecessary regulatory differences; generate benefits for regulated parties, consumers, and regulators; and boost North American trade nd competitiveness. The council has been a bilateral forum for resolving regulatory barriers and improving business investment between Canada and the U.S.

In June 2018, Canada and the U.S. negotiated a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the foundation for the ongoing work and growth of the Regulatory Cooperation Council. The signing of the memorandum was well-received by stakeholders.

Regulatory cooperation has been a key component of Canada’s efforts to improve its regulatory framework. The U.S. also considers regulatory cooperation to be an important tool in achieving their domestic regulatory agenda. Regulatory cooperation initiatives count as deregulatory actions under the U.S. two-for-one rule.

Russell Vought
Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget
725 17th St NW
Washington DC 20503
United States of America
Tel: 202-395-3080

Her Majesty’s Treasury is the United Kingdom’s economic and finance ministry that maintains control over public spending, oversees the tax system, sets the direction for economic and infrastructure policy, and works to achieve economic growth. There are three Ministerial roles associated with the Treasury: the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury reports to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and is responsible for, among other things, annual spending reviews, public sector pay and pensions, efficiency and value for money in the public service, procurement, infrastructure spending, tax credits policy, and transport policy.

Unlike the Treasury Board Secretariat, the United Kingdom’s Treasury is not responsible for regulatory oversight. Instead, Canada engages regularly with the UK Ministry for Business, Enterprise, and Industrial Strategy on regulatory issues led the Right Honourable Andrea Leadsom, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Her Majesty’s Treasury, The Correspondence and Enquiry Unit
1 Horse Guards Road
London SW1A 2HQ, UK
Tel: +020 7219 5437
Email: rishi.sunak.mp@parliament.uk

Australia’s Minister of Finance is responsible for monitoring government expenditures and financial management, and shares many of the same management responsibilities of Canada’s President of the Treasury Board. In effect, the Minister of Finance serves as the deputy to the Treasurer (currently the Minister Frydenberg) as the Finance Minister acts as the Treasurer in the Treasurer's absence. Unlike the Treasurer, who by convention has been a member of the House of Representatives, the Finance Minister may come from either House of Parliament.

Canada and Australia participate in the Canada-Australia Public Policy Initiative, established in 2007 by the prime ministers of Canada and Australia to support learning opportunities on topics of mutual interest to both countries.

The Honourable Matthias Cormann
Minister of Finance
Department of Finance
1 Canberra Ave
Forrest ACT 2603
Australia
Tel: +61 2 6215 2222

Australia’s Treasurer oversees the Department of the Treasury and is responsible for economic policy, fiscal policy, market regulation, and the federal budget. The Treasury is composed of 17 portfolio organizations, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Taxation Office.

Canada and Australia participate in the Canada-Australia Public Policy Initiative (CAPPI), which was established in 2007 by the prime ministers of Canada and Australia to support learning opportunities on topics of mutual interest to both countries.

The Honourable Josh Frydenberg
Treasurer
Treasury of the Commonwealth of Australia
Australian Government, The Treasury
Langton Crescent
Parkes ACT 2600
Australia
Tel: +61 6263 2111
Email: department@treasury.gov.au

New Zealand’s Minister of Finance is the head of the New Zealand Treasury and is responsible for producing the annual New Zealand budget outlining the government’s proposed expenditure. The Minister of Finance in New Zealand is the equivalent of the President of Treasury Board. The Treasury supports the Minister, by providing economic and financial advice.

The Honourable Grant Robertson
Minister of Finance, Responsible Minister for the Treasury
The Treasury, New Zealand
1 The Terrace
Wellington 6011
New Zealand
Tel: +64 4 817 8703
Email: g.robertson@ministers.govt.nz

As Deputy Secretary to the President, Mr. Roballo is the Minister Responsible for the Digital Nations. In 2019, Uruguay served as the Chair of the Digital Nations and hosted the 6th Ministerial Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay in November 4 to 7, 2019. Following the Summit, Canada took over as Chair for one year and will be responsible for steering the group and hosting the 7th Ministerial Summit.

The Digital Nations provides a forum for the nine country participants to exchange information and best practices, collaborate on common goals and identify opportunities to use digital technology to create more effective and responsive digital governments. The group is guided by a non-binding Charter, first adopted by consensus at the group’s foundation in 2014. As of November 2019, member countries include Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

Canada joined the Digital Nations in February 2018 at the Ministerial Summit in Wellington, New Zealand. The group established a Secretariat in November 2018, which Canada agreed to support financially during a period of 12 to 24 months starting in 2018. Canada participates in the thematic groups on artificial intelligence, digital identity, and data 360.

Digital Nations members are also members of the Open Government Partnership, for which Canada served as the 2018 to 2019 Government Chair of the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee.

His Excellency Juan Andrés Roballo
Torre Ejecutiva, Plaza Independencia 710
Uruguay
Email: falta@presidencia.gub.uy