Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking. There are just 400 days until the year 2000. Do we know if our government will be ready?
The federal government insists that it is doing all it can to prepare itself for the year 2000, but is it doing too little too late in trying to cure the millennium bug?
Only now are Canadians starting to realize the serious implications of the Y2K problem, but a recent Industry Canada survey shows that many people still feel the government will be ready in time. We know that will not happen.
Senior bureaucrats testifying before the industry committee say that parliamentarians can play an important role in raising public awareness of this issue. But how can we when the government is not providing an accurate picture of its own readiness?
We have seen little leadership from government ministers. They are all too willing to pass the buck. They offer no clear leadership or direction. How can government leaders say that they are doing all they can to be ready for the year 2000?