Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2007-12-12 17:00:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"837443\">Mr. Speaker, government information on funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees issued by departments and agencies is based on parliamentary authorities for departmental or agency programs and activities. This information is listed by department and government organization in the public accounts and disclosed on the web sites of government organizations. However, government organizations do not compile or analyze expenditure information by electoral district. Consequently, at present, it would not be possible to provide the information in the form requested.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"837444\">Over the course of the 39th Parliament, a number of government organizations have undertaken efforts to identify federal expenditures by postal codes which could then be summarized by electoral districts using a tool developed by Statistics Canada. While there is some promise in this approach, there remains a significant potential for error since many postal codes straddle two or more electoral districts. Moreover, the government would have significant concerns about the quality of the financial data derived by this approach because there is no way to track the geographic area in which federal funding is actually spent. For example, federal funding could be provided to the head office of a firm situated in one electoral district, while the funding was actually spent by a subsidiary located in another electoral district. This may also be the case for payments to individuals, organizations or foundations. For these reasons, and the fact that fewer than half of government organizations have acquired the Statistics Canada tool, it is not possible to produce an accurate and comprehensive answer to this question at the present time. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"837445\">That said, Statistics Canada has initiated a process to enhance the accuracy of the tool that provides the link between postal codes and electoral districts. The process will allow departments which use the tool to better approximate by electoral district data gathered on a postal code basis. The improved tool is expected to be available at the end of January 2008, and training for government organizations on the use of this tool is planned for February--March 2008.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"837443\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident ,les renseignements gouvernementaux sur les fonds, les subventions, les pr\u00eats et les garanties de pr\u00eats accord\u00e9s par les minist\u00e8res et les organismes sont fond\u00e9s sur des cr\u00e9dits parlementaires faisant autorit\u00e9 quant aux programmes et aux activit\u00e9s des minist\u00e8res et des organismes. Ces renseignements sont class\u00e9s par minist\u00e8res et organisations gouvernementales dans les Comptes publics et affich\u00e9s sur les sites Web des organisations. Toutefois, les organisations gouvernementales ne compilent et n\u2019analysent pas les renseignements sur les d\u00e9penses en les classant par circonscriptions \u00e9lectorales. Par cons\u00e9quent, \u00e0 l\u2019heure actuelle, il serait impossible de fournir les renseignements sous la forme demand\u00e9e.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"837444\">Depuis le d\u00e9but de la 39<sup>e</sup> l\u00e9gislature, plusieurs organisations gouvernementales ont entrepris d\u2019\u00e9num\u00e9rer les d\u00e9penses f\u00e9d\u00e9rales en les classant par codes postaux, pour ensuite classer ces codes postaux par circonscriptions \u00e9lectorales gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 un outil cr\u00e9\u00e9 par Statistique Canada. Bien que cette approche soit prometteuse dans une certaine mesure, les risques d\u2019erreur demeurent \u00e9lev\u00e9s car un grand nombre de codes postaux sont employ\u00e9s dans deux circonscriptions \u00e9lectorales diff\u00e9rentes ou plus. En outre, le gouvernement aurait de s\u00e9rieux doutes quant \u00e0 la qualit\u00e9 des renseignements financiers obtenus gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 cette approche, car il ne peut d\u2019aucune fa\u00e7on d\u00e9terminer la r\u00e9gion g\u00e9ographique dans laquelle les fonds f\u00e9d\u00e9raux sont r\u00e9ellement d\u00e9pens\u00e9s. Par exemple, il pourrait advenir qu\u2019un financement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral soit octroy\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019administration centrale d\u2019une entreprise situ\u00e9e dans une circonscription, mais qu\u2019il soit en fait d\u00e9pens\u00e9 par une filiale de cette entreprise situ\u00e9e dans une autre circonscription. Il pourrait en \u00eatre de m\u00eame pour des paiements faits \u00e0 des particuliers, \u00e0 des organisations ou \u00e0 des fondations. En raison de tout cela et du fait que moins de la moiti\u00e9 des organisations gouvernementales ont fait l\u2019acquisition de l\u2019outil de Statistique Canada, il nous est impossible, pour l\u2019instant, de vous fournir une r\u00e9ponse exacte et compl\u00e8te \u00e0 cette question.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"837445\">Cela \u00e9tant dit, Statistique Canada a entrepris un processus visant \u00e0 accro\u00eetre l\u2019exactitude de son outil qui permet d\u2019\u00e9tablir un lien entre les codes postaux et les circonscriptions \u00e9lectorales. Ce processus permettra aux minist\u00e8res qui utilisent cet outil de mieux r\u00e9partir approximativement par circonscriptions \u00e9lectorales les donn\u00e9es qu\u2019ils auront recueillies en fonction des codes postaux. Il devrait \u00eatre possible d\u2019acqu\u00e9rir l\u2019outil am\u00e9lior\u00e9 \u00e0 la fin de janvier 2008. Les organisations f\u00e9d\u00e9rales recevront la formation n\u00e9cessaire en f\u00e9vrier ou mars 2008. </p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2007/12/12/tom-lukiwski-10/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/tom-lukiwski/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/1534/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "p837443",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Routine Proceedings",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Questions on the Order Paper",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Question No. 143",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2007/12/12/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2007%2F12%2F12%2F"
    }
}