House of Commons Hansard #76 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was program.

Topics

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough.

Bill C-68Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, on July 21, 1997 the commissioner of the RCMP wrote to the deputy minister of justice stating that grossly flawed and misleading firearms data was used by the former Minister of Justice and the Liberal government during the debate on Bill C-68.

Does the current Minister of Justice agree with the commissioner that the figures, upon which the government operated, justified and garnered support for Bill C-68 prior to and during the election campaign, were grossly flawed?

Bill C-68Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member missed my answer to the same question yesterday from the Reform Party.

The deputy minister and the commissioner of the RCMP have agreed that there was a methodological confusion on the part of the RCMP in relation to how the statistics were collected. As I understand it today there is no disagreement between the two.

Bill C-68Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming very apparent that the government did use false information prior to and during the election campaign for its own political gains. The commissioner confirmed this in his letter. Furthermore the RCMP have demanded that the record be corrected and the minister has yet to comply.

Will the minister commit now to correcting the data and provide Canadians an opportunity to accurately debate information that might result in flawed legislation?

Bill C-68Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I take very strong exception to the allegation made by the hon. member in relation to the use of false information by the Department of Justice or my predecessor. In fact if the hon. member had been in the House yesterday, he would know that I tabled a letter from the commissioner of the RCMP in which the commissioner agreed that there was methodological confusion and it has been cleared up.

The SenateOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Reform

Preston Manning ReformLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not answering our questions. On March 9 he said “I never realized the options that were offered to me for my services to Mr. Fitzpatrick's company and I received no remuneration when I was there”. But then we have the insider trading report stamped by the Ontario Securities Commission that says the Prime Minister received $45,000 in one week from a sweetheart stock deal.

If the Prime Minister will not explain to the House what this payment is for, why will he not at least step outside and tell the—

The SenateOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Prime Minister.

The SenateOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I repeat that everything is public. The hon. member has it and it has been public since that time. I bought shares and sold them and I made a profit. That is something which is done by everybody. I have bought shares in other companies and I have lost money. I prefer to be in the House of Commons rather than trading shares outside the House of Commons.

I would like to go back to yesterday when they asked him outside the House did he buy the seat. The Leader of the Opposition said “We do not know. No, we are not saying that he bought the seat”, but it is what they said in the House before going in front of the camera.

The SenateOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Reform

Preston Manning ReformLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, this deal was not available to everyone. It was only available to someone with an inside connection to the president of that company. This deal has all the appearances of the exchange of a business favour for a political favour. If that is not the case, why does the Prime Minister not go out there and explain to the media and the public what that payment was for?

The SenateOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I repeat here and I will say at any time that I bought some shares. I worked with the company for many years. I said I did not exercise my options and I did not receive any remuneration. It is all on the record and this has nothing to do with the job I have as Prime Minister of Canada.

I know that they said in the House that Senator Fitzpatrick bought his seat and if they repeat it, we will see them in court.

Ice Storm AssistanceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Pierrette Venne Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the secretary of state responsible for the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Agency.

The federal program of assistance to victims of the ice storm, hastily announced by two ministers on February 13, is not working. We have learned that only 14 businesses out of 25,000 have received any assistance, and that 80% of those that applied for assistance have been turned down.

With such eloquent figures, will the minister admit that this program is inconsistent with the actual situation faced by businesses and that the criteria used must be completely reviewed as quickly as possible?

Ice Storm AssistanceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Outremont Québec

Liberal

Martin Cauchon LiberalSecretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Mr. Speaker, the House will recall that, when we announced the ice storm assistance program, it was in response to a request from the business community.

The program was put together with the help of representatives of chambers of commerce. If members visit the affected areas right now, the business people will confirm that covering fixed costs would meet the greater part of the business community's needs.

The important thing to realize is that there is a shortfall of 50% for this program, and that this 50% must come from the Government of Quebec, which is still refusing to take part in a program worked out with the business community.

Ice Storm AssistanceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Pierrette Venne Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, the minister should have the courage to admit that a complete review of his program is what is needed.

If he truly wants to help businesses, will the minister agree to review his program's qualifying criteria in depth by Friday of this week?

Ice Storm AssistanceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Outremont Québec

Liberal

Martin Cauchon LiberalSecretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Mr. Speaker, I think that Bloc Quebecois members should wake up and smell the coffee.

I will be in the affected area on Friday. I will have an opportunity to meet with my partners, those with whom we worked to put this program together for the very reason that they asked us to help, because the Government of Quebec wanted to politicize this issue, which is critical to the business community.

So, on Friday, if there are any changes, it will be because my partners have requested them, so that the program can be tailored to the reality of the situation, and not at the behest of the Bloc Quebecois, which unfortunately is once again trying to politicize an issue.

The SenateOral Question Period

March 18th, 1998 / 2:35 p.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, you would think that after the embarrassment of Senator Andrew Thompson the Prime Minister would have learned his lesson about the Senate and would have stopped treating it as a Liberal country club. As it now stands, the only people in Canada who support the Senate are the Prime Minister and his friends Ross Fitzpatrick and Andrew Thompson.

However to fix this problem and ensure accountability in the Senate, Alberta will be holding Senate elections this fall. Will the Prime Minister appoint the winner to the next Alberta vacancy in the Senate?

The SenateOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, when there is reform of the Senate, it will be a complete reform. If we were to name people who are elected in one province at this time, and we were to do that in all the provinces, what would happen is that the west, Alberta in particular, would always have only six seats in the Senate, while the maritimes would have 30. That would be a big disservice vis-à-vis western Canada. We want a Senate that is reformed, that is elected equal and effective and not a third rate Senate as proposed by the Reform Party.

The SenateOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is rather ironic that whenever the Prime Minister is looking for votes in the west, he promises an elected Senate. Now that Albertans want to do that, he is saying no. Typical Liberal double standard.

Why does the Prime Minister think that a scandalous patronage appointment to the Senate is acceptable, but Alberta's democratic election is not?

The SenateOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I voted for an elected Senate. The Reform Party campaigned against an elected Senate when we dealt with the Charlottetown accord.

I can see the hypocrisy of that party. When it had a chance to have an effective, elected and equal Senate, it turned it down. Now Reform members have a lot of crocodile tears.

Transitional Job FundOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources Development has often stated that the transitional job fund constitutes an excellent means of compensating for the disastrous effects of his reform in the regions most affected by unemployment.

Now we learn that there is no money left in this program, although it was slated to run until July 1999.

What is keeping the minister from complying with the request from Minister Louise Harel that additional funds be injected into this program, which was created to counteract the negative effects of his reform?

Transitional Job FundOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised to hear the hon. member telling me that Mrs. Harel is the one now calling for this. I believe we are capable of making our own decisions about the TJF.

I have never said, as the hon. member states, that the TJF was intended as compensation for a disastrous reform. In fact, I never even used that term.

What I do know is that the transitional job fund has been an extremely useful tool in regions of high unemployment, in order to create the jobs unemployed people want above all else.

Transitional Job FundOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, what he said is that money would be available until July 1999, and there is none left in the fund.

How can the minister's words be so divorced from reality when we know that unemployed people are experiencing abject poverty because of his reform, while he is pocketing $135 million weekly from the surplus in the EI fund?

Transitional Job FundOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, concerning the TJF, we have invested up to $93 million, which has created close to 17,000 jobs in certain regions of Quebec, including the very region of the hon. member of the opposition who spends his time asking questions.>

What I can tell you is that this is an extremely useful tool and one that is greatly appreciated. It is a program that has lasted for three years, and we on this side of the House want to keep it.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is building a $2.5 billion slush fund for the next election while charging it to the public accounts this year. The auditor general has said “no way” and the public accounting profession has said “absolutely not”, while the minister tries to bully the auditor general into seeing it his way.

Will the Minister of Finance back down and back off before the taxpayers' watchdog fights back?

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we have made it very clear that we intend to follow the practice in the private sector which is far more open and far more transparent. That is what we have done.

I would simply point out to the hon. member that we have done this on the advice of the deputy comptroller general who is a senior member of the accounting profession, a partner at Deloitte & Touche on secondment to the government. We have followed his advice and his advice is right.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, the minister had a choice. He could have delivered responsible government. He could have given tax relief to taxpayers or he could have paid down the debt. Instead, he chose to create a slush fund and bully the auditor general into buying his line.

Will the Minister of Finance back down and admit that the $2.5 billion of taxpayers' money belongs to them and not to his slush fund?