Foreign Affairs Committee on April 9th, 2014

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Because we aren't doing our bit, sir.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

There's a lot of—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

We need to do more. At least please invest the money that you're given, that Parliament gives you, that taxpayers give you. This, sir, is not about waking up and spending money. This is about your approving projects on your desk that you don't seem to be able to move.

One of them I'm underlining as very important is the issue of what happened to bring people to justice in Guatemala. As you know, we invested there. They were doing good work. They wanted to finish it and we decided to cut them off. Why?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Listen. Last year, the best estimates from the public service say that in various programs, we spent over 96%, over 97%, and two of them, over 99.9% and 99%. So that's pretty—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Three hundred million dollars out of your department was not spent. Your own nice graph shows you that and it's all here in blue. It's in yellow—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

It's a big sum of money.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'm asking you, why weren't you able to actually invest in programs that actually help our country work with other countries—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

We don't have a big—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

—to do good work in your department?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

We don't just have a big red approve stamp that we stamp on everything that comes through our door, Mr. Dewar. I'm accountable to taxpayers, and whether I think projects have value—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

This is basic math here.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Let me answer. I'm accountable to taxpayers—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Why not Guatemala? Why not invest in Guatemala?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

You've raised a specific grant. I'd be happy to look at the one if it wasn't approved—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

You met with the attorney general when she was here. I met with her.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I did not meet with her.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'm surprised. I mean this is a program we've been investing in for years. It was one that was very important dealing with impunity, dealing with mass atrocities—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

You said I met with the attorney general of Guatemala. I have not.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I think that there are other.... The problem is that all of these approvals are on your desk. I think you have the biggest desk in Ottawa.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'll take you and I'll show it to you. There's not that much stuff on it.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

All of these approvals are there—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

It's right upstairs. I'll show you.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

—and what's happened is that we have $300 million in your department not being appropriated because you can't figure out how to get the money out the door. I don't understand that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you, Mr. Dewar. That's all the time we have.

We're now going to move over to Ms. Grewal, for five minutes.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Ministers, thank you for your time and your presentations.

My question is for Minister Baird. Minister, in March 2011 the regime of Syrian President al-Assad violently repressed peaceful demonstrators who were seeking respect for human rights and democracy. Minister, what is your view on the current crisis in Syria? In particular, what has Canada done to address the humanitarian crisis there?