Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Department of Justice Canada 2019 - 2020
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 Department of Justice Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
Established in 1868, the Department of Justice Canada supports the dual roles of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada. Under the Department of Justice Act, the Minister is the legal advisor to Cabinet and ensures that the administration of public affairs is in accordance with the law. The Minister of Justice is responsible for matters connected with the administration of justice that fall within federal jurisdiction and fulfils this responsibility by developing policies, laws, and programs to strengthen the national framework. Under the Department of Justice Act, the Attorney General of Canada is the chief law officer of the Crown. The Attorney General provides legal services to the government and its departments and agencies. These services include the provision of legal advice, the conduct of litigation and the drafting of legislation and regulations. The Attorney General represents the Crown and not individual departments or agencies. Therefore, the Attorney General seeks to protect interests for the whole of government when providing legal advice and conducting litigation.
Department of Justice Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2020
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2020 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2019 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$5,110.00 |
$5,016.00 |
$94.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$170.00 |
$155.00 |
$15.00 |
Internal governance |
$455.00 |
$498.00 |
-$43.00 |
Training |
$1,247.00 |
$1,006.00 |
$241.00 |
Other |
$341.00 |
$418.00 |
-$77.00 |
| A. Total travel | $7,323.00 |
$7,093.00 |
$230.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $217.00 |
$193.00 |
$24.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $44.00 |
$76.00 |
-$32.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $7,584.00 |
$7,362.00 |
$222.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $12.00 |
$84.00 |
-$72.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental travel expenditures increased by $230K (3%). This variance is mainly due to travel costs associated with a two-day event entitled ‘Exploring Indigenous Justice Systems in Canada and Around the World’ held in May 2019 and other smaller increases throughout the department.
Hospitality:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by $24K (12%). This variance is mainly due to hospitality related costs for the two-day event entitled ‘Exploring Indigenous Justice Systems in Canada and Around the World’ held in May 2019.
Conference fees:
Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, departmental conference fees decreased by $32K (42%). This is due to reduced overall conference participation in 2019-20.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
Expenditures were incurred by the Minister and his staff to support governmental priorities. International travel decreased significantly by $72K (86%) in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19 due to the pause in travel during the 2019 federal election campaign and trip cancellations in March 2020, following COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions. Detailed travel information is available on the Open Government portal, in accordance with the requirement for proactive disclosure.