Debates of Feb. 24th, 2000

Maria Minna Minister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party was the minister for seven years of CIDA. For seven years he did not make any changes.

With respect, I have already implemented 80% of the recommendations, and if the hon. member wants I will table the list tomorrow.

Monte Solberg Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, in a desperate attempt to show that he is not stuck in the seventies like the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance recently told a reporter that governments should not be subsidizing business. Apparently fountains are okay, though.

However, here he is financing the HRD minister's nasty little habit with millions for Dairy Queen, Videotron and a contractor for Wal-Mart, to name but a few of the thousands of examples.

How does the minister square his comments of a week ago with his role as the chief financier of the business subsidy sweepstakes at HRD?

Jim Peterson Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, Reform's preoccupation is to deliver huge tax cuts to the rich. Unlike Reform, we believe that the role of government is to be there when Canadians need help.

Reform is the party that has called for cuts to equalization, cuts to farm support programs and cuts to health care. This is not the role of government.

Monte Solberg Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, if that were true the finance minister would be in favour of tax cuts for the rich. In fact he might even bring his ships home and register them here, and maybe we could collect some taxes on them.

Monte Solberg Medicine Hat, AB

I want to know what the minister's excuse is for writing all those cheques. Is it that Wal-Mart really needs the money now? Or, maybe he thinks that peanut buster parfaits are the hot sector in the new economy.

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, the moneys that flowed to the projects that included Wal-Mart did not go to Wal-Mart. They went to Metrus Properties.

In this particular project in the city of Cornwall, which I have visited, I can say that 300 men and women will be employed. The problem with that party is that it wants to play politics. It wants to forget about people. I also point out that its kissing cousins, the Government of Ontario, supported this project.

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

Mr. Speaker, on October 27, 1997, Human Resources Development Canada had the hon. member for Rosemont approve a project to create 106 jobs in his riding.

On December 16—

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

Mr. Speaker, on October 27, 1997, Human Resources Development Canada had the hon. member for Rosemont approve a project to create 106 jobs in his riding.

On December 16, 42 jobs were approved by HRDC. On April 9, 1998, the file was transferred to the Prime Minister's riding and, five days later, the sum of $165,984 was paid out in the Prime Minister's riding.

Are we to understand that the reason the project dates have disappeared from the minister's new lists is simply to prevent us from making such discoveries?

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I have made the comments about the individual project, and my officials continue to look at it.

The hon. member makes reference to the list. We have provided to the House an unprecedented volume and scope of information at the request of members of the House. That information is available. It should be used. If there continue to be questions on individual projects we will answer them.