Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
Response to the Second Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled The Vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking Communities: From Myth to Reality. On October 6, 2011, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled its Second Report entitled The Vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking Communities: From Myth to Reality which included 16 recommendations. The Government Response was signed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and tabled in the House of Commons on March 15, 2012. In its report, the Committee reiterated the need for federal institutions to be aware of the daily challenges and needs experienced by English-speaking communities in Quebec and to take positive measures to enhance their vitality. The recommendations are intended to follow up on the five keys findings: i) a lack of commitment to the English-speaking communities on the part of federal institutions in Quebec; ii) lack of consultation; iii) the absence of communications about existing federal programs; iv) a poor fit between the policies of the province and those of the federal government; and v) a lack of transparency in the use of funds transferred from one order of government to the other. In its response, the government addressed the Committee’s concerns since a significant number of recent and ongoing Government initiatives are consistent with the spirit of the Committee’s proposals. The response also reaffirms the federal government’s commitments toward Quebec’s English-speaking communities. It also provides assurance to the Committee that the Government will « continue taking steps to stay abreast of the challenges and needs experienced daily by Quebec’s English-speaking communities ». Link to the Government Response: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/411/ollo/rep/rep02GovResponse-e.htm
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
June 2011 - Chapter 3—Internal Audit http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201106_03_e_35371.html#appa The focus of our audit was to find out whether departments, agencies, and the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada have acted upon the commitments they made in response to the observations and recommendations of our 2004 report. The one recommendation addressed to all departments selected, were in relation of the external quality assessment that should be conducted as requested by Internal Audit Policy. PCH agreed and responded with a management action plan to complete quality assessment by 2015. PCH was recognized as a better practice for using in the audit report, a rating system to identify whether controls are adequate.
External audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
There were no external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in 2011-12.