Transport Committee on May 27th, 2010

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Minister, you promised that last time and you didn't do that. So I wonder, here, in a public committee, will you make a very specific undertaking? Can you tell us how many jobs the billions of dollars you put forward for infrastructure stimulus programs created, and by project? Will you release the schedule H that all the project people are required to fill out to say how many jobs are being provided?

Will you release that here to the committee? Will you be accountable, or is it just propaganda that you're talking about in terms of these funds?

Your record is to not get very much money out at all. Tell us what you have done. Will you agree to make sure that it is tabled here by your office?

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

Anything that we can get you, we certainly will.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

What does that mean, Mr. Minister? Why can't you give us what I'm asking for?

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

It has been 150 days since you asked me a question on infrastructure in the House. I expect that if you were concerned you hadn't got it, you should have asked for it again.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Well, Minister, I've asked 11 times to be briefed by your ministry. I raised this with you last fall. You said you would do something, but you did nothing. You have no credibility. You've offered an accountability act that has no accountability for yourself.

Again, Minister, will you provide this information to the public, never mind me? Will you say whether jobs were created or not?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean, on a point of order.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Kennedy is out on a hunt that has nothing to do with estimates in relation to the Accountability Act. We've gone from one end to the other of the Accountability Act--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, I understand there is a time issue. I would rely on you not to allow interference.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

--and there is an issue in relation to documents that I don't remember him asking for specifically. He barely shows up, so I think I would remember that, but I would ask him to keep it relevant.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

That's not a point of order.

Please continue. You have one minute and 10 seconds.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Jean's distracting function is not of much value here.

Minister, I want to ask you whether you will provide the information on schedule H that every single project person has to fill out and that you have not provided to us. Would you make sure that all the data that went to the PBO through the general government committee is released to members of Parliament? Will you agree to that today?

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

I could ask--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Are you hiding the failures that you have in your program?

[John Forster]

The schedule H that you are referring to is an agreement between the Province of Ontario and its municipalities. We flow our money through the province.

In response to a motion from the operations and estimates committee, we've written to the Province of Ontario asking whether they are collecting that information and whether they are willing to provide it. We've shared that letter with the chair and the clerk of that committee, and we're waiting for a response from Ontario.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Forster, can you provide us with any figures about how many jobs the billions of dollars in infrastructure stimulus funds have created? Can you provide us with any information from your department?

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

We'll get you everything we've got. I'll send you a great report that the McGuinty government commissioned.

I can tell you the great thing about this challenging economic time we've been through. There's really an unprecedented amount of cooperation going on with the Liberal government.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Minister, I have no time to listen to propaganda--

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

They're all very satisfied with the work we've done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

When I get a chance to ask questions—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please. Your time is up.

I will go to Monsieur Laframboise.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

If we want to keep going, how about a fair shake for everyone?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I have given the floor to Monsieur Laframboise. We've gone over time.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to register a protest because the interference in my time was not properly regulated.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

The time was stopped.

Monsieur Laframboise, you have three minutes.