Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences 2017-18

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for the Department of Public Safety Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, except for information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by Public Safety Canada are in support of its mandate and the government's priorities.

Public Safety Canada plays a key role in discharging the Government's fundamental responsibility for the safety and security of its citizens. Legislation governing the Department sets out two essential roles:

  1. support the Minister's responsibility for all matters, except those assigned to another federal minister, related to public safety and emergency management including national leadership; and
  2. coordinate the efforts of Public Safety Canada's Portfolio agencies as well as provide guidance on their strategic priorities.

The Department provides strategic policy advice on: national security, border strategies, countering crime, and emergency management. The Department also delivers a number of grant and contribution programs related to emergency management and community safety and national security.

For more detailed information on Public Safety Canada's mandate, including roles and responsibilities, please refer to the Department's 2017-18 Departmental Plan (DP) and the 2017-18 Departmental Results Report (DRR).

Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences of Public Safety Canada (in thousands of dollars)
Expenditure Category Expenditures for the Year Ending March 31, 2018 ($000) Expenditures for the Previous Year Ending March 31, 2017 ($000) Change ($000)
Travel[1]
Operational activities 1,692 Not applicable Not applicable
Key stakeholders 981 Not applicable Not applicable
Internal governance 109 Not applicable Not applicable
Training 105 Not applicable Not applicable
Other Not applicable Not applicable
A. Total Travel 2,886 3,049 (163)
B. Hospitality 288 506 (218)
C. Conference Fees 82 88 (6)
Total [A+B+C] 3,256 3,642 (386)
International Travel by Minister and Minister's Staff [2] 64 14 50

[1] International travel incurred by the Minister and Minister's staff is included in Travel: Operational activities and Key stakeholders. It is also reported separately for information purposes at the bottom of the table.

[2] Includes international travel that is part of the Department's program.

Travel, Hospitality and Conferences (THC) expenditures by Significant Initiative in 2017-18
Significant Initiatives Description THC Actuals[1] ($000)
Countering Radicalization to Violence The Government of Canada is taking a whole of government approach to preventing radicalization to violence. The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence provides leadership on Canada's response to radicalization to violence by coordinating talent and expertise, mobilizing and supporting community outreach and enhancing research in the area. 184
Public Service Broadband Network (PSBN) The Government of Canada, through a newly-created Federal PSBN Task Team, is in consultations with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, first responders, and the private sector on implementation models for a potential PSBN in Canada. 119
Drug Impaired Driving & Cannabis Public Safety Canada is working federal, provincial and territorial partners and with road safety advocates to help raise awareness of the dangers of driving while impaired by cannabis or other drugs. 54
Five Country Ministerial (FCM) Meeting between Interior Ministers, Immigration Ministers, and Attorney General of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States in Ottawa on June 26, 2017 to discuss both national security challenges facing our nations and proactive areas for collaboration. 48
Canada's 2018 G7 Presidency and Leaders' Summit Delivery of logistics and security for Canada's 2018 G7 Presidency, enabling Canada to host a series of high-profile events across the country, including the G7 Leaders' Summit to be held in Charlevoix, Québec in June 2018. 44
Child Sexual Exploitation Consultation Minister Goodale held a national meeting that brought together expert stakeholders, including law enforcement organizations, provinces and territories, Indigenous organizations, academics, victim services, criminal justice, technology companies and communications service providers to share their knowledge and insights on this issue. 36
Guns and Gangs Summit - March 7, 2018 On March 7, 2018, the Minister Goodale hosted a Summit on Gun and Gang Violence, to engage stakeholders and provide them an opportunity to share challenges, opportunities and best practices in the fight against gun crime and in combatting the deadly effects of guns and gangs in communities across Canada. 36
Total Significant Initiatives 521
Departmental THC 2,735
Total 3,256

[1] Significant initiatives THC actuals are presented for information purposes to bolster transparency and are based on a fair estimate of expenditures for these initiatives.

Significant Variances Compared With Previous Fiscal Year

Overall, the travel, hospitality and conferences expenditures decreased by $386K or 11% compared to 2016-17.

Travel

Compared to fiscal year 2016-17, departmental travel expenditures decreased by $163K or 5%. This decrease is mainly due to lower travel expenditures for internal governance and training. The decrease is in line with continued efforts to ensure that travel expenditures are managed in the most effective and economical manner by promoting the use of available technologies such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing.

Hospitality

Compared to fiscal year 2016-17, departmental hospitality expenditures decreased by $218K or 43%. This decrease is mainly due to hospitality costs related to the Fifth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas which was hosted by the Government of Canada in 2017 and brought together hundreds of delegates from across the Americas to discuss efforts to reduce disaster risks posed by natural and human-induced hazards.

Conference fees

Compared to fiscal year 2016-17, departmental conference expenditures decreased slightly by $6K or 6%. This decrease is in line with continued efforts to ensure that conference expenditures are managed in the most effective and economical manner.

Minister and minister's staff

Compared to fiscal year 2016-17, departmental international travel expenditures by the Minister and his staff increased by $50K or 372%. This increase is due to more requirements for international travel and participation in international events for the Minister and Minister's staff in fiscal year 2017-18.

Approved by the Chief Financial Officer

Caroline Weber
Chief Financial Officer and
Assistant Deputy Minister,
Corporate Management Branch
Public Safety Canada
Ottawa, Canada
October 24, 2018

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