Debates of Oct. 3rd, 1997

Diane Marleau Minister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for Francophonie

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has a system called the open bidding system. That is how contracts are allocated.

People tender for them and win them based on how good their tender is. CIDA puts its contract on the OBS as well.

Stéphane Bergeron Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Human Resources Development admitted that at least five funding proposals being processed by his department were the subject of blackmail and influence peddling to raise funds for the Liberal Party of Canada.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister tell us what concrete measures his government has taken to ensure that in future no one will have access to Department of Human Resources Development funding lists?

Herb Gray Deputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as the minister pointed out yesterday, immediately upon receiving the information regarding these allegations, he brought it to the attention of the RCMP.

At this point, all we have are allegations. But it is obviously up to the Minister of Human Resources Development to review the procedures in his department and I think that, with his integrity and good judgement, he has the matter under review. But, for the time being, the situation is—

Stéphane Bergeron Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, we now know that a close collaborator of the Liberal Party of Canada with responsibility for the Mauricie region in the last election may have had access to Department of Human Resources Development funding lists.

In this specific case, what has the government done to ensure that this collaborator will no longer use confidential government information for the purpose of influence peddling?

Herb Gray Deputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, for the time being, allegations are all we have. No formal complaint has been filed.

At the same time, I am certain that the Minister of Human Resources Development will be reviewing procedures in his department.

Paul Crête Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

In his letter of March 5, 1997, the Minister of Human Resources Development informs us that at least six projects were in the analysis phase with a view to ministerial approval under the transition job fund.

Can the minister inform us as to whether these projects have been approved since then?

Herb Gray Deputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I do not have that information. I will do my best to obtain it for my hon. colleague. For the moment, I can only quote the letter from the minister. He says, in his letter to the RCMP:

“Allegations have come to my attention that at least five different proposers”, et cetera, et cetera.

We must make sure that we refer only to allegations at this time, but the entire situation is under RCMP investigation.

Paul Crête Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about the current investigation. We just want to find out about the projects.

Can the minister clarify the situation and make things more transparent by tabling a list of these projects?

Herb Gray Deputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I will be pleased to bring the hon. member's question to the attention of my colleague, the Minister of Human Resources Development.

But I am again asking why the hon. member has not commended the minister for his promptness, integrity and good judgment in immediately bringing these allegations to the attention of the RCMP.

Allan Rock Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the member is profoundly misinformed. We are complying with the commitment we made during the election campaign.

I know the hon. member would want us, before embarking on a national pharmacare program, to look into its design, its funding and its delivery. That is exactly what we are doing.

In the months ahead I will be meeting in a national conference with my provincial counterparts, with interested and knowledgeable people, to talk about how Canadians can be best served by a pharmacare program that will work.

Judy Wasylycia-Leis Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, that was an awfully vague answer about a specific question. Let me ask about a very specific concern.

We know that lobbyists for the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada, which is fighting to scrap a national drug plan, are coming from former employees of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board.

Given the revolving door between industry and government and real concerns about conflict of interest, we want to know if Canadians can be assured that the federal government and not the brand name industry is setting drug prices.