House of Commons Hansard #61 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.

Topics

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Herb Gray Liberal Windsor West, ON

If this is the case, he is wrong, in my opinion.

The BudgetOral Question Period

March 2nd, 2000 / 2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, the government tabled a budget with two cents for health care for every dollar in tax cuts. Now, not surprisingly, it has swung into full damage control. Now it is hinting, no, no, there will be more money.

I ask the finance minister if there will be more money for health care. With the health care system in such crisis, why is the government withholding it?

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the NDP wants to talk about money, let us talk about money. The NDP's own platform in the 1997 election said it wanted a floor of $15 billion in cash for the CHST. We have exceeded that.

NDP members said they wanted to restore $7 billion for health. We have doubled that already. On November 4, 1998, the leader of that party in the House called for an additional $2.5 billion for health. Since then we have invested over $14 billion.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, we talked cash this morning and we will talk cash again. Let us talk changes. The health care system does need change.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, we will talk money again but let us talk about the change the minister says we need. Very conveniently he omits the references to the home care and the pharmacare promise and the money needed for that.

We need the government to be a leader in the changes that are required if we hope to maintain a Canada-wide health care system. Federal cash is the ticket of admission to participating in those changes. No cash, no clout. No clout, no Canada-wide health care. Will there be more federal cash, and if so when and how much?

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, as to clout and cash, as I mentioned yesterday the Government of Canada now contributes over one-third of all public health spending in the country every year.

I also emphasize that apart from the additional money we are working constructively for the kinds of changes that are needed. The provinces recognize it is not just a matter of money.

Minister Bernard Landry's statement yesterday made it clear. He said “The problem in health is not a problem of money, it is a planning problem, a management problem”. I fully agree.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, it seems that wherever the Prime Minister's good friends René Fugère and Gilles Champagne go taxpayer money is sure to follow.

Would the Minister for International Trade please explain how the addition of these two individuals to the board of directors of Earth Canada suddenly qualified that company for a $10 million credit? And, would the minister tell us what matters most here? Is it qualifications or friendship to the Prime Minister?

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, as I told the Leader of the Opposition very well earlier, I will look into that file very carefully.

I can say that the Export Development Corporation has a very good record of helping Canadian companies to export around the world. Are we against exports? No. EDC is doing a wonderful job assisting a lot of Canadian companies to do better on international markets, and I will look into this particular file later on.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, there are a few basics the minister should keep in mind. For example, René Fugère is under criminal investigation by the RCMP. Neither Mr. Fugère nor Mr. Champagne has registered under the Lobbyists Registration Act.

My question is for the Minister for International Trade. Why is his department even dealing with these individuals? For the sake of the integrity of the system and of saving taxpayer money, will the minister suspend this loan until we get to the bottom of this, until the air has cleared?

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, the EDC takes its full responsibility. It has its way of dealing with Canadian companies that is fair and equitable.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. Members have heard the question. I think we should hear the answer.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew Liberal Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is quite clear that the EDC is working on a commercial basis with a lot of Canadian companies. It is helping Canadian companies do well in international markets, exporting Canadian goods and creating job opportunities in this country. The EDC made a profit of $118 million last year for the Government of Canada. It is doing a great job.

I will look into the particular file which the opposition party—

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Calgary—Nose Hill.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

Diane Ablonczy Reform Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Fugère first popped up four days before the last election, announcing a big grant in the Prime Minister's riding before that grant had ever been approved. Since then he has been directly connected with at least four other grants of public money. He is under RCMP investigation for unregistered lobbying. Now we find that with his appointment to the board, another company magically receives a transfusion backed by the taxpayer.

Will the government please explain to Canadians why their money is anted up so promptly for this friend of the Prime Minister?

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I find the opposition a little repetitive today. It is unfortunate that the budget is not able to provide them with opportunities to put questions of interest.

I have made it very clear that I will look into the specific file of the hundreds or thousands of files that we have. Members of the opposition did not indicate that they would be raising the matter of a particular file. I will look into it and report back to the House. I am confident that the EDC is doing a wonderful job for Canadian companies in international markets.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

Diane Ablonczy Reform Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have a news flash for the government. We are going to keep asking these questions until we get answers.

Here is something from Earth Canada's website after the Prime Minister's friends joined its board: “Meetings were held in Ottawa in connection with the export financing of future sales”. Boy, were these meetings ever successful. They netted a $10 million line of credit from the Export Development Corporation, backed by the Canadian taxpayer.

What is it about these men that has such influence with the Liberal government?

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, if the opposition were really serious about getting an answer on a specific file it would have given notice to the government.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have here two lists, one obtained under the Access to Information Act and the other from the minister, with two sets of figures.

In the first list, Household Finance received $2,505,000 in the riding of Mercier to create 522 jobs; in the other, the same company received $2,841,600 in Hochelaga—Maisonneuve to create 592 jobs.

How does the minister explain this difference of 70 jobs and $300,000?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, as I have said on a number of occasions, there are no master lists. Indeed, we have collected the information from seven different databanks. The information does change. Companies have name changes. There are circumstances when companies do not survive. The lists may change with a specific request made. The 10,000 pages that we presented to parliament last week are there. I would be glad to confirm the difference in the information the hon. member has if she wants to provide me the details.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC

Mr. Speaker, the problem is far more serious than the minister is saying.

The list obtained under the Access to Information Act referred to a payment $2,505,000. The director of the East Montreal human resources centre told us that only $120,000 was paid out. And she told us that it was initially intended to be $2,841,000. Where did the money go?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, I will be glad to reconcile the lists for the hon. member. Again, let us be clear. There were no master lists.

In response to the hon. member, when the human resources development committee asked for information on the details of federal grants and contributions from my department on a riding by riding basis, we provided it.