Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Department of Justice Canada 2022 - 2023
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, 2023.
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 (the Department) 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.
Additional information can be found in the Organization’s Departmental Results Report.
Department of Justice Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2023
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2023 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2022 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$3,399.00 |
$557.00 |
$2,842.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$316.00 |
$6.00 |
$310.00 |
Internal governance |
$209.00 |
$2.00 |
$207.00 |
Training |
$379.00 |
$25.00 |
$354.00 |
Other |
$264.00 |
$61.00 |
$203.00 |
| A. Total travel | $4,567.00 |
$651.00 |
$3,916.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $58.00 |
$1.00 |
$57.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $20.00 |
$14.00 |
$6.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $4,645.00 |
$666.00 |
$3,979.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $40.00 |
$5.00 |
$35.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Compared to the fiscal year 2021-22, there was an increase in the departmental travel expenditures of $3,915k (602%) mainly due to the easing of travel restrictions brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the resumption of normal activities. This led to the beginning of a return to domestic/international travel requirements related to training and operational activities in support of program delivery and in-person engagement meetings. However, this amount is still lower than pre-pandemic levels (by about 38%). Next year's figures will likely continue to trend upwards following the resumption of normal operations following the pandemic.
Hospitality:
Compared to the fiscal year 2021-22, there was an increase in the departmental hospitality expenditures of $57k (5,462%) mainly due to the removal of public health restrictions. However, this amount is still lower than pre-pandemic levels (by about 73%). Next year's figures will likely continue to trend upwards following the resumption of normal operations following the pandemic.
Conference fees:
Compared to the fiscal year 2021-22, there was an increase in the departmental conference expenditures of $6k (42%) mainly due to the removal of public health restrictions. However, this amount is still lower than pre-pandemic levels (by about 54%). Next year's figures will likely continue to trend upwards following the resumption of normal operations following the pandemic.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
Compared to the fiscal year 2021-22, there was an increase in international travel mainly due to the easing of travel restrictions. Detailed travel information is available on the Open Government portal, in accordance with the requirements for proactive disclosure.