Debates of Feb. 15th, 2000

Human Resources Development

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, indeed the focus of the transitional jobs fund is to help create employment in areas of high unemployment.

I say again and again that this program has been very effective. It has been supported by the member himself, because it has allowed 30,000 people who did not have jobs before to find work.

Agriculture

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this afternoon Manitoba farmers met with the minister responsible for national defence and emergency preparedness to broaden assistance under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement Act for last year's flooding.

Some items have been covered under the act, but I am told that the minister indicated that the other items were the responsibility of the department of agriculture, including things like weed control, chemicals and fertilizers.

This is the kind of buck passing that the prairie farmers have had it up to here with. They simply want to know who is responsible. I would ask the Prime Minister if perhaps he could unravel this enigma and tell us who is responsible.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the disaster assistance response program is one that has very clear guidelines. It comes out of an agreement that we have with the provinces. We cannot unilaterally change it without discussions with the provinces. Indeed, they have made representations with the possibility of making changes and we are happy to talk with them about it. But we cannot do that retroactively. We cannot do it to a program that is the subject of an agreement.

If a province wants to give additional resources, it can do that, but if there is to be any reimbursement it has to come in accordance with the program that we have all agreed to.

Human Resources Development

[Jean Dubé, Progressive Conservative, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Human Resources Development quoted figures from 1995 to justify spending by her department in her riding.

Why did her department rely on data from 1995 for 1998 and 1999 projects? How many years must one go back to justify spending in ridings represented by ministers?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the statistics from Statistics Canada that were used for the transitional jobs fund were those that were available in 1995 for the Canada jobs fund. It is those that are available in 1997.

[Jean Dubé, Progressive Conservative, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister referred to pockets of unemployment in her riding. Therefore her department must have prepared documentation for her.

Do these same pockets of unemployment apply to determining the hours one needs to qualify for employment insurance? Do these same pockets apply?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Not necessarily, Mr. Speaker, but let me say in the context of employment insurance and employment how pleased we are to find ourselves in circumstances with the lowest levels of unemployment since 1974.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of two visitors. The first is the Honourable Steve Ashton, Minister of Highways and Government Services for the province of Manitoba, and the second is the Honourable Piers MacDonald, Government Leader of Yukon.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the course of question period the HRDC minister answered a question by saying that I had been in contact with her office and that I had been pushing for grants to be going to my constituency. That is a lie.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

I know the hon. member knows full well that we cannot use that word in the House. It could be that there is a difference of opinion on both sides, but the hon. member is one of the most respected of our parliamentarians. I would ask the hon. member to withdraw the word lie.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot withdraw the word lie because it is.

Naming Of Member

[The Speaker]

Mr. Abbott, I have to name you for disregarding the authority of the Chair.

Pursuant to the authority granted to me by Standing Order 11, I order you to withdraw from the House for the remainder of today's sitting.

[Reed Elley, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, during question period the Minister of Human Resources Development also made statements that I was constantly phoning her office. I want you to know, Mr. Speaker, that was not true and I would ask her to withdraw those comments. They were misleading the House.

[The Speaker]

We have the hon. minister with us now. The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development.

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

There are two things, if I might, Mr. Speaker. First, with regard to the representations of the member for Kootenay—Columbia, I would want to clarify that it was his office that called my office on January 5 and January 17, the staff in his office.

Second, with regard to the member for Nanaimo—Cowichan, I was quoting from a letter that he wrote to me on November 12 which read:

Dear Mrs. Stewart:

I have received several complaints from constituents who have been very frustrated by the time that it takes for CJF (Canada Jobs Fund) to be approved.

While I, along with the applicants, do acknowledge that this is a grant extended by the government the time involved before confirmation of acceptance is obtained often leads to financial hardship.

In the case of my constituent...he has leased facilities in Chemainus, B.C., where he has a potential of creating much needed jobs for about 15 people.

My request from HRDC for concurrence was received June 16, 1999...and a representative from HRDC has informed me that the application has just now been forwarded to Victoria, B.C., where it is expected to be for up to three weeks.

[The Speaker]

Question period was a bit feisty today as it often is. We have opinions from both sides. Many times the preambles to the questions have words that incite all of us, and the answers which the government gives are sometimes the same way.

I think we would all agree that this was not necessarily the best question period we have had. I think the sooner we get on with the business of the House the better off we will be.

We had a statement in question period by the minister where she quoted some information she had. We have a member saying that is not quite so. We have the minister on the other side explaining why she said it. I think that is debate. I do not think that is a point of order. I would like to let that point of order rest there.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the member for Kootenay—Columbia. What the member did following question period was accuse the minister of saying something that was improper.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I will hear what the hon. opposition House leader has to say.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

When the minister returned to the House and made a statement, she said that she would like to clarify it. In fact, she had not heard the member from Kootenay—Columbia had not phoned her office, he had not contacted her and she called it a clarification. But that was exactly the point the member for Kootenay—Columbia made. He said that he had not phoned her office and the minister knows—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

When I ask a member of parliament to withdraw a word is really apart from anything else. It is between myself and the member of parliament. I simply did not want him to use that word. I asked him to withdraw twice. He refused to withdraw the word that he had used and that is why he was expelled.

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac—Mégantic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, February 9, the member for Timiskaming—Cochrane said during Statements by Members that communities in his riding fully supported the regrettable actions that have taken place in the Department of Human Resources Development.

This member of parliament from Ontario listed messages he had received, including some from the towns of Cochrane, New Liskeard, McGarry, Iroquois Falls, Kirkland Lake and Charlton.

To inform all the members of this House and for reasons of honesty on the part of that member, I am asking the Chair to demand the tabling of the documents that are so complimentary to the member—