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Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Table 3.17: The CBSA’s Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits


Response to Parliamentary Committees
 
Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) conducted a review of Chapter 5 (“Keeping the Border Open and Secure”) of the 2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada.

In February 2008, the PAC held a meeting to examine Chapter 5, which focused on the CBSA. The PAC met with the Assistant Auditor General and CBSA senior officials before tabling its report in May 2008.

The report made four recommendations:

  • The CBSA should provide the PAC with a status report on the implementation of the audit recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) by December 31, 2008;
  • The CBSA’s risk-management strategies should be reported in its Departmental Performance Report (DPR);
  • The CBSA should include a status report on the implementation of the Agency’s training models in its 2008-2009 DPR; and
  • The CBSA should review the examination fees process to ensure there are no additional charges levied for random inspections.

In addition, the PAC stated it was concerned with the CBSA’s ability to assign the needed resources to best manage the risks inherent in its mandate.

At the end of 2007–2008, the CBSA was working on its response to the PAC’s report, which it subsequently completed in early 2008–2009.


 


Response to the Auditor General of Canada
(including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
 
“Keeping the Border Open and Secure”
The OAG conducted an audit of CBSA operations between October 2006 and May 2007 that examined the extent to which the Agency’s approach to border management is based on threat and risk assessments and achieves the desired levels of border openness and security (2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 5, “Keeping the Border Open and Secure”). 

The audit covered the following:

  • strategic planning and risk management;
  • pre-arrival targeting of high-risk people and goods;
  • facilitation of low-risk people and goods; and
  • operations at the border.
The audit made 14 recommendations and was tabled in October 2007. The Agency’s response is included in the audit report.
“Detention and Removal of Individuals”
Between October 2007 and February 2008, the OAG conducted an audit of the CBSA’s management of the detentions and removals programs (2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 7, “Detention and Removal of Individuals”).

The audit examined the following:

  • Whether the CBSA and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) have clearly articulated their respective accountabilities for administering the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
  • Whether the CBSA manages and reports on the detention of individuals consistently, in compliance with its policies and standards and with due regard to economy; and
  • Whether the CBSA removes individuals from Canada consistently based on the risks they present and whether it does so cost-effectively.

The audit made three recommendations:

  • The CBSA, in conjunction with CIC, should develop and implement processes to ensure the quality of the temporary resident permits program;
  • The CBSA should develop suitable policies and procedures for detentions and removals to ensure risks, situations and individuals are treated in a consistent manner; and
  • The CBSA should improve the data and level of analysis to better manage detentions and removals.

The audit was tabled in May 2008. The Agency’s response is included in the audit report.

Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) Petition 223 – Green Procurement of Paper for Publications and Internal Use by Federal Departments
The CESD forwarded petition 223 to the CBSA in November 2007. The petition was from a Canadian resident who requested information from 27 departments and agencies on their commitment to implementing the Government of Canada’s green procurement policy. Specifically, the petitioner requested information concerning departmental and agency use of recycled paper for publications and internal documents. The Agency’s response, which was included in the Minister of Public Safety’s response, was provided in March 2008.

 


External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.)
 
None