Oh my goodness, Madam Speaker, where do I want to start? Let us go back to the myth that it was the Reform Party which forced our hand through access to information. Categorically that is wrong. I say again: I made this internal audit public.
The member talks about the 10,000 pages and about the itemization of grants and contributions. I wonder if the hon. member has taken the time to go to her local office and ask them about those individual projects, or maybe even to visit them and see the impact and the difference they make in the lives of Canadians. Somehow I doubt it when I read her comments in the press. She just ignores that as if this money is not about people at all. That is one of the most insulting things about the approach from that side.
They are basically telling Canadians who have been the beneficiaries of these grants and contributions that they are a waste. There is nothing that could be further from the truth. On this side of the House we believe in ensuring that every Canadian counts and that every Canadian has the opportunity to participate in this great country through grants and contributions.
Let me look at some of the other things the member talked about. She talked about access to information. Let me quote from the special report to parliament of the Information Commissioner of Canada tabled last month. Here is what he said about the Department of Human Resources Development Canada:
During the review period every access request received by HRDC was answered within 30 days—no extensions were claimed. This show of respect for the rights of Canadians to timely responses represents an outstanding feat of good leadership, good management and hard work. Kudos to HRDC are well deserved and unreservedly given by this Commissioner.
Let me point out that we have been inundated by access requests, given the grants and contributions question. We remain firmly committed and are working with the information commissioner to ensure that those requests are met because, as I pointed out, we are in this to ensure that we are disclosing information and that we are being transparent and open with the Canadian people.