George S. Rideout

[Petitions, November 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. The first one is the same as the one presented by the hon. member for Kent dealing with assisted suicide.

[Mining Industry, November 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to point out the importance of the mining industry in Canada.

The mining industry is a real economic generator in the country. For example, we owe 16 per cent of the country's exports to the mining industry. It accounts for 4.6 per cent of GDP and provides 100,000 high paying skilled jobs in areas of the country where there is otherwise very little economic activity.

We only have to cast our eyes about this room to recognize how important the mining industry is to our daily lives. While today's high tech and manufacturing industries rely to varying

degrees on the mining industry, the mining industry also incorporates much advanced technology in many of its processes.

We must properly recognize that the mining industry is important to our economic well-being and do what we can to keep mining in Canada.

[Social Security Program, November 21st, 1994]

Madam Speaker, I stand here amazed by the member's approach to this issue. The real question must be is anybody on the top side of God's green earth prepared to defend this deal on its merits? Is the member defending the way the members of the now defunct Conservative administration set up this deal? Do we understand from this that the member is defending the consortium's right to $445 million of taxpayers' money when it did not put one new nail in the terminal, did not paint a wall and did not pour a drop of concrete?

It is up to Parliament to decide on the public policy and to defend the interest of taxpayers. Out of curiosity, is there anyone else on that side of the House who would believe that we should increase the deficit by $445 million in one fell swoop?

The Reform Party decries the length of time it takes to go through due process for individuals, wanting us to tell judges what they should be doing. When it comes to taking care of the taxpayer, after this government reviewed the process and public policy questions on this deal, the Reform Party cries for due process.

Sure, the member wants due process for his new found Tory friends who are anxious to protect their claim for $445 million of taxpayers' money. People on the west coast must be reeling trying to keep up with the Reform Party and its new found ties to the erstwhile targets in the Senate. They have had the experience of watching their members embrace a $445 million Tory trip to the trough and now we have the incredible sight of the Reformers in bed with their Tory bosom buddies in the other place taking a final fling up the coast.

I can promise that we will be vigilant in protecting the taxpayers' interests especially in light of the apparent abandonment of any fiscal responsibility by the party opposite.

[Social Security Program, November 21st, 1994]

Madam Speaker, first I want to compliment the parliamentary secretary on an excellent and insightful discourse. The sheer volume of facts, figures and information was quite edifying for all members of Parliament I am sure. I would like to ask a couple of questions in two areas.

With his experience in international trade as parliamentary secretary to the minister, I am sure he is aware of the types of educational requirements needed. If we are going to make this economy work, not only do we have to make government function better but we have to make the economy grow. The Prime Minister in his trip to China and the Asia-Pacific has shown the opportunities that are available to Canadians. We have to make the Canadian workforce ready for those opportunities. Perhaps the parliamentary secretary could show us how the social safety net could be utilized in order to take advantage of those international opportunities.

Perhaps the parliamentary secretary could also discuss some of the things experienced in New Brunswick. There are disincentives built into the present system. I am thinking particularly of the UI system in which it is better to stay on UI than to go out and get a job. I am thinking of the welfare system in which it is better to stay on welfare because after taking a low paying low skilled position and getting off welfare the benefits available under the welfare system such as dental care, clothing allowances and allowances for single parents are lost.

For anyone to say that the status quo is acceptable, that we can leave things exactly the way they are obviously has no real understanding of the tremendous change that is necessary and which this government has embarked upon.

I would ask the parliamentary secretary to comment on the disincentives in the UI system and in the welfare systems in the different provinces and also to offer some hope to Canadians through the opportunities in the international marketplace.

[Social Security Program, November 21st, 1994]

Absolutely.

[Mil Davie Shipyards, November 4th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, it is being reviewed. The whole matter will be considered by the agency. I think it would be ill advised for the government to get involved in it at this particular time. When all is done, fairness will have won out.

[Mil Davie Shipyards, November 4th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows this matter has been under review by the agency responsible for offshore gas and oil in Newfoundland. The whole subject matter will be studied and a report will be given. We do not want to prejudge what that agency is going to do.

[Translation]

[Energy, November 4th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to give the House an update on the program to increase energy efficiency.

Next week in Bathurst the energy and environment ministers will get together to discuss voluntary measures to increase energy efficiency.

In September of this year the federal ministers of natural resources and environment along with the provincial representatives of this initiative sent letters to about 250 CEOs of major companies involved in industry such as forestry, manufacturing, and oil and gas seeking voluntary commitments to limit greenhouse gas emissions. To date we have received about 100 replies indicating an overwhelming support for such measures. This support should be duly recognized.

May the efforts of the ministers next week in New Brunswick advance this important initiative.

[Department Of Public Works And Government Services Act, October 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to talk about the legislation presently before the House and to look at the amalgamation of different government agencies into consolidated departments, particularly this one of public works and government services. The amalgamation of most of the federal government's common services into one portfolio is a sound step toward improved efficiency and better service delivery of government programs and services.

The first and most obvious opportunity is the capacity of a centralized body to reduce wasteful duplication with consequent savings to the taxpayers. This is already apparent within the Department of Public Works and Government Services. It will become even more so over the next four years as the overall staff requirements are reduced by close to 30 per cent.

This consolidation of operations will bring annual savings of hundreds of millions of dollars and make a real contribution to streamlining government operations and contributing to deficit reduction.

Cost effectiveness can only be one of the reasons why amalgamation of the government's common services makes good sense. It also provides a single focal point to the scores of government departments and agencies that depend on public works and government service for services. It creates an environment in which Public Works and Government Services Canada is better able to understand the whole range of its clients' needs and deal with them on a comprehensive basis. Similarly it provides a single operational point of contact for the tens of thousands of companies and individuals that do business with government every year.

By standardizing policies and procedures and by developing more streamline procurement systems, Public Works and Government Services Canada can make it more fair, more simple and less costly for these people to do business with the government. Finally, the consolidation of our common services creates a really impressive body of specialized expertise on a wide variety of matters relating to government services and government administration.

One of these centres of expertise that has come into the department through the amalgamation is the government's translation bureau. Few people are fully aware of the wide range of services and enormous volume of output that this organization provides to Parliament and to government on a continuing basis. With a staff of some 1,200 employees the translation bureau looks after translation and interpretation services for Parliament and government departments, agencies and commissions, as well as acts as the prime authority for the standardized terminology throughout government.

Besides its basic responsibilities relating to Canada's two official languages, the bureau provides translation services in more that 150 languages as well as interpretation services for some 40 languages and dialects including sign language. The translation bureau is also an important user of services provided by the private sector in this field, issuing in a typical year more than 8,000 contracts for outside work. On average the bureau translates over 300 million words annually. To give some idea of the scope of this accomplishment, it represents the contents of about 4,000 books each of 250 pages in length. If you have heard my French, Mr. Speaker, you would realize how important good translation is.

The bureau also translates more than 100,000 weather bulletins a year through its Météo system, a computer assisted translation system. It provides about 20,000 person days of interpretive services. On top of all this the bureau responds to an estimated 150,000 telephone inquiries each year from client departments, suppliers and the general public seeking information regarding correct terminology.

The move of the translation bureau under the umbrella of Public Works and Government Services Canada was and is a logical and sensible move. The bureau provides an important common service to departments and agencies and to the public. It does extensive procurement for services with the private

sector. In other words, it shares the same characteristics as the other common service elements of the department and will benefit from being integrated with them.

Another of the important but sometimes overlooked common services that Public Works and Government Services provides for the government is that of the receiver general. This responsibility which was transferred to the minister from the former Department of Supply and Services Act covers a multitude of central financial and banking functions vital to government operations.

The duty of the receiver general includes the issuance of payments in response to inquiries, settlement and redemption of payments, performance of other treasury operations such as receipt processing, payment of banking fees relating to inflows and outflows from the consolidated revenue fund, maintaining the general ledger and preparing the financial statements of the government.

The receiver general is basically responsible for all public moneys received and disbursed by the government and for all balances held on deposit in the Bank of Canada and with other financial institutions. The receiver general must also maintain the official accounting records of the government and provide extensive analysis and reporting on the government's transactions and positions as may be required by Treasury Board, the finance department or others.

The volume of transactions generated by these responsibilities is enormous. Each year the receiver general must process some 30 million deposits and over 200 million payments. With this volume of work the function of the receiver general is one that can benefit from the application of new technologies now available to speed service, deliver and reduce the cost of delivery.

There has been considerable progress on this front. For example, of the 200 million payments made annually 30 per cent are now made by direct deposit and this percentage is growing each year. Over the last three years the department reports that some 133 million paper cheques have been converted to direct deposits. This conversion has resulted in initial savings of some $41 million in postage and banking fees, and annual savings are now in the order of $18 million. I am sure members of the Reform Party will be more than delighted at this progress and will be supportive of what we are doing here.

The cost cutting measures already taken by Public Works and Government Services Canada over the past year demonstrate the wisdom of consolidating the department's common services into a single department. The bill will give the department the legislative base it needs to continue to accelerate its efforts to provide better and less costly common services.

[Indian Affairs, October 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as indicated by the minister of heritage, we are working with the Metis in order to assist them. We have not committed large sums of money on this project yet.