Jim Hart

[Government Contracts, June 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Reformers believe that Canadian companies can bid in an open competitive process and win those bids. This government just awarded the largest service contract in Canadian history, a $2.85 billion contract to Bombardier. Here are the facts.

NATO was flexible on the time lines. The tendering process was ignored and the 15 day guidelines for publishing of sole source contracts were nixed by this cabinet. Will the Minister of Public Works and Government Services shut down the Bombardier contract just like he did Frontec? Why the double standard?

[Government Contracts, June 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government admitted that it fudged the procurement rules by awarding a half billion dollar contract to Frontec Corporation without allowing Frontec's competitors to bid.

When this was revealed the government's response was it froze the deal with Frontec Corporation. The official opposition has been asking about the $2.85 billion sole source contract to Bombardier.

When will the Minister of Public Works and Government Services freeze that contract as well in favour of an open bidding process?

[Motions For Papers, June 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of Okanagan—Coquihalla, I would like Motion No. P-18 to be called.

Motion No. P-18

That an Order of the House do issue for copies of the Corrections Canada report into the 24-hour delay by Corrections Canada officials in reporting the disappearance of Kevin Machell from day parole on September 6, 1997.

[Canada Pension Plan, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the constituents of Okanagan—Coquihalla who have serious concerns about the Canada pension plan disability program, in particular an appeals board that is backlogged with cases from March 1997.

Delays of more than one year have left many disabled Canadians in dire financial straits. Many are forced to apply for social assistance which they cannot get without first signing a repayment guarantee for benefits they may never receive.

The Liberals have failed disabled Canadians. They have left many disabled Canadians with no source of income. The Canada pension plan has been so badly mismanaged that it fails to provide Canadians with secure retirement. Now it fails to provide disability security.

The official opposition believes in the principle of a social safety net that provides security for those members of our society who are most in need.

On the day that Rick Hansen is on Parliament Hill will the government show compassion to disabled Canadians and expedite their appeals?

[Petitions, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to deliver a petition to the House from 665 petitioners from around British Columbia who are asking parliament to revisit the issue of the hepatitis C compensation package.

The petitioners are asking that the House reflect on the concerns of citizens of Canada and offer a fair, compassionate and humane compensation package to all who received tainted blood.

[National Defence, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the government's record on investigations in the military is absolutely tragic. The government has shredded documents, lied to military police and undermined the Somalia inquiry.

Canadians cannot rely on the government to investigate the dozens of sexual harassment allegations with its past record. How can the members of the Canadian Armed Forces trust the government when all the minister cares about is cover-ups of the government and not protecting their interests?

[National Defence, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, from day one the Minister of National Defence said that he would not tolerate issues of sexual harassment in the military, but Canadians also recall the government saying that the Somalia inquiry would be allowed to do its work. Instead, what Canadians saw was the delay of documents delivered to the inquiry of commission and the eventual silence of the inquiry by shutting it down early.

Now we see that Justice Létourneau, the chairman of the Somalia inquiry, has accused the government of conspiracy to undermine the inquiry.

Given the government's track record, how can the defence minister expect any member of the Canadian Armed Forces—

[Hepatitis C, May 15th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians heard the government's position yesterday from the victims of hepatitis C who were at the meeting. The government's position lacks compassion and is extreme.

The person to blame is the Prime Minister of Canada. The Prime Minister of Canada has been teasing the victims of hepatitis C. The Minister of Health for weeks has been holding out hope that a new deal would be reached and nothing new was produced yesterday.

What is the government doing? What kind of twisted game is being played?

[Hepatitis C, May 15th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has again failed the victims of tainted blood. The meeting yesterday between the federal health minister and his provincial counterparts was a disaster. It was a disaster because the senior partner, the federal Minister of Health, went to this negotiation with absolutely no position.

Is the minister prepared to accept responsibility for that failure, or will he simply blame the victims of tainted blood for wanting justice?

[Hepatitis C, May 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government is responsible because it was the federal regulators who made the error.

For a solid month now we have been hearing the government denying its liability. In fact, it has been blaming other governments. The Liberals have no problem fingering a government when they were not in power. The fact is this scandal goes back to the Trudeau Liberals. Why does this government insist on protecting its own political butts instead of protecting Canadians through a healthy blood system? Compensate all victims.