Government Operations Committee on May 15th, 2007

[Garth Turner, Conservative, Halton, ON]

Have we factored that in as an option, as opposed to selling and leasing back?

[Mike Hawkes]

It will be assessed in the overall assessment of options. It has to be assessed.

[Garth Turner, Conservative, Halton, ON]

By whom, sir?

[Mike Hawkes]

That will be assessed through the process of the fairness monitor and it will be assessed by the Department of Finance.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Madam Nash.

Oh, Monsieur Poilievre, I said one more question--

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I would want to add one point to that. You're talking about borrowing money. We paid over $22 billion towards the debt over the last couple of years. It's a positive thing to pay down the debt. It's also very aggressive and it makes me think that if money were used for investing in our assets--

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

We're not going to hear an argument on that.

Mr. Poilievre, you have one more--and we're going to ask somebody from finance, I think, to come and speak to us about that.

Mr. Poilievre.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Yes, I simply want to make clear that it's not the position of the government that we should increase the national debt by an additional $2 billion and start paying interest to bankers in order to finance some cockamamie scheme put forward--

[Garth Turner, Conservative, Halton, ON]

Well, that's so--

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Can you be quiet while someone else makes a comment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

I think it's time--

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

No, it's not time. I'm going to make a comment.

[Garth Turner, Conservative, Halton, ON]

Let's adjourn.

[Poilievre]

We believe that we shouldn't be running budgetary deficits. I don't know if that might be a departure from that point of view on the side of the Liberals--

[Garth Turner, Conservative, Halton, ON]

It's not a budgetary deficit. It's called a mortgage, buddy. Do you own a house?

[Poilievre]

--but we also believe that you're on the right side of this debate in allowing government to focus on its core business instead of--

[Garth Turner, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I think you rent.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

We all recognize that real estate is not part of the core business of government. So we wish you well in--

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Thank you, Mr. Poilievre.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

--pursuing some new efficiencies as you move forward. Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

We have Minister Fortier, I'll remind you, coming on the 29th. It is on the 29th...the 31st. Oh, we keep it changing back and forth. We're going to continue to study the real estate issue.

I thank you very much for coming and for giving us this much information.

We have a guest on Thursday. We're dealing with procurement on Thursday and the trade laws that govern our procurement.

This meeting is adjourned.