Debates of Feb. 17th, 2000

Human Resources Development

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

Mr. Speaker, what I will confirm is that when I became Minister of Human Resources Development Canada I delegated the authority for approvals in my riding to my deputy minister.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that the Canada jobs fund requires a 1997 unemployment rate of 10% for any given riding to qualify.

In 1997 the riding of Brant did not exceed that 10% threshold, no matter the deputy minister or who would give approval to that. By what authority did the minister authorize these grants?

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

Mr. Speaker, first, as I mentioned, I did not authorize them because I delegated the authority for decisions in my riding to the deputy minister. Second, the employment region in which my riding falls was 10.3%.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is not true. The average rate for unemployment in 1997 in the riding of Brant, the category and the criteria for which the Canada jobs fund looks at, was in fact 8.4%, by her own documents.

One cannot delegate authority for these things. She is the MP. She is the minister. I do not think one can just delegate to the deputy minister.

Since she ultimately approved grants to her own riding in spite of the fact that it clearly did not qualify, can she tell us what constitutes an illegal grant?

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

Mr. Speaker, we did qualify. In fact the investments are making a difference in the opportunities available to the people in my riding.

I stand in my place and I am very grateful, as are the people in my riding, for the opportunities that the Government of Canada has presented to them as individuals and to our community as a whole.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the terms and conditions of the Canada jobs fund are very specific. They say the rules can only be amended with the approval of treasury board. Clearly, the 8.4% unemployment rate in the minister's riding did not meet the guidelines to receive $640,000 in CJF grants that she herself approved on November 1.

Can the minister tell us and will she produce the authorization from treasury board that gave her the authority to break those rules?

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

Mr. Speaker, no rules were broken. As I mentioned the employment region was 10.3%.

What is clear is that hon. members opposite stand here day after day and say they want to kill these very important programs. Here and nationally that is the message they give. However, back home in their own ridings they say to their own constituents “Yes, we will write letters in support of your undertaking. Yes, we think these grants and contributions make a difference”. They cannot have it both ways.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what we want to do is clear up a billion dollar bungle that the government and this minister continue to perpetuate.

Given that the minister did not receive treasury board approval, and she absolutely did not, rather obviously, under whose authority did she break the rules to reward her own riding with $640,000 in CJF grants? Whose authority?

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

Mr. Speaker, no rules were broken. A billion dollars are not missing. I am taking the responsibility as minister to fix the administrative problems in my department, and it will be done.

Heritage Canada

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when we look at the figures for Canada Day, we see that the Department of Canadian Heritage spent $3.5 million in Quebec in 1999—

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The leader of the Bloc Quebecois.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

The cheerleaders are getting worked up, Mr. Speaker.

As I was saying, in 1999 the Department of Canadian Heritage spent $3.5 million in Quebec out of a budget of $5.4 million. This represents 65% of the total envelope.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Could the minister tell us the reason for this unusual generosity toward Quebec?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that, on average, 50% of the cultural budget of the Department of Canadian Heritage is spent in Quebec.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I will rephrase the question, Mr. Speaker.

Ontario gets $500,000 for Canada Day, while Quebec gets $3.5 million. There are 43 laboratories and research centres in Ottawa, but none in Quebec. We would trade some fireworks for a few laboratories.

Is the truth not found in the letter written by Canada Day president, Serge Savard, where he says that the federal government must ensure greater visibility in sovereignist strongholds—

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC]

There are fewer and fewer of them.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I was amazed to hear the Minister for International Trade speak. I thought he had lost the ability.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I would like the minister to tell us if that is not the real reason, because Serge Savard thought he should depoliticize Canada Day.

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member of the facts. The fact is that 28% of the money spent on research by the Government of Canada is spent in Quebec.