Debates of March 13th, 2000

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, again I must categorically reject the assertions of the hon. member. Perhaps if instead of reading interim draft reports members would read the final report, they would see that we have taken this audit seriously. They would see that we have a plan of action that is working. We are training our employees. We have got a national auditing structure that is going office by office and monitoring reports—

Charles Caccia Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, from a recent publication by the Department of Natural Resources we learn that the fossil fuel industry's greenhouse gas emissions are increasing dramatically and will have grown by 64% by the year 2010.

Can the Minister of Natural Resources inform the House when Canada's national strategy will be ready and what he intends to do about the fossil fuel industry's skyrocketing emissions?

Ralph Goodale Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, federal, provincial and territorial ministers of energy and the environment will begin meetings later this month. They will continue with meetings through this year on a national implementation strategy with respect to climate change.

We hope by the end of this year to have made very real progress in getting that strategy into place. What it might include could be greater measures for energy efficiency, energy conservation, energy diversification, more alternative and renewable fuels, co-generation, district energy systems and cleaner industrial processes. Underlying all of that is new technology. Our budget most recently put $600 million into that very important effort.

Yves Rocheleau Trois-Rivières, QC

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

Last week, the Prime Minister was in his riding. Since then, everyone claims that he is as pure as the driven snow, even though the RCMP is conducting at least three investigations in his riding.

Out of solidarity with the Prime Minister, who seems to be in deep trouble with this scandal, should the minister not immediately order an independent public inquiry to protect him from his political buddies in his riding?

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, again I would remind the hon. member that the auditor general will be doing a study, a review, of the grants and contributions in my department. I look forward to his recommendations.

Libby Davies Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, even the banks have walked away from the Canada student loans program because even they recognize the mess of huge debts facing students. Students are cheering that news. But the bad news is unless the government addresses the root causes of this crisis, debt loads will still be enormous.

Will the minister now commit to work with the provinces to lower dangerously high tuition fees by restoring public funding that put them up in the first place? Will the minister do that?

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, again I would remind the hon. member that as of the most recent budget two weeks ago, an additional $2.5 billion has been made available to the provinces for health care and education.

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, again as I said earlier, I will look into this project and provide an undertaking to the member.

Diane Ablonczy Calgary—Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, I think the human resources minister should have one more opportunity to explain why an audit which her department had a whole plan to release at the end of August in fact was not released until after an opposition access request in January. How does that square with her claim of transparency? I invite the minister to explain that.

Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to say again to the hon. member that there was no access to information that forced us to make the audit public.

I want to say that I have resented personally the accusations that the member has made against me, calling me a liar outside of the House, because she is wrong.

Chuck Cadman Surrey North, BC

Yes, I did, Mr. Speaker.