Statement made on 12 May 2010 by Senator Maria Chaput
Hon. Maria Chaput:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. On Monday, May 3, 2010, the Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board, announced that he would conduct strategic reviews of 13 government organizations, which would yield $1.3 billion in savings.
However, I was reading in the Ottawa Citizen that the Auditor General has expressed concerns about these reviews.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser said:
. . . departments have been put through so many reviews over the years that there is little room for significant cuts unless they start eliminating programs or invest in technology . . . . "I personally don't think there are a lot of easy wins," she said. "They would have been identified by now."
Of these 13 federal organizations that will come under scrutiny, three are regional agencies that work with communities and small businesses: the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Western Economic Diversification Canada.
Could we be advised of the criteria for this strategic review? Will there be a consultation process? What form will it take and who will be consulted?
Will there be an analysis of the impact on these francophone and anglophone communities and small businesses before certain programs are curtailed, cancelled or replaced? Could the leader obtain the answers from the minister responsible?
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