Debates of Feb. 21st, 2000

Ujjal Dosanjh

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats celebrate Heritage Day today with a special sense of pride.

Yesterday B.C. New Democrats made history by electing Ujjal Dosanjh as leader of the party and premier of the province. This is a remarkable accomplishment for a poor boy from a dusty village in Punjab, India, who is blazing a trail as the first person of colour to be elected to lead a government in Canada.

There is today a feeling of tremendous pride and honour in the Sikh and Indo-Canadian communities, and indeed among all Canadians, at this historic breakthrough.

Ujjal Dosanjh is a leader of great honesty and integrity, a man who will provide, in his words, “cool leadership in a hot province”.

To Ujjal Dosanjh, his wife Raminder and his three sons, we extend our congratulations and respect for this historic breakthrough, and we look forward to many, many years of strong, progressive leadership of the great province of British Columbia.

Gérald Larose

[Yvon Charbonneau, Liberal, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, we saw the acrobatics of Gérald Larose, from Pro-démocratie, when he appeared before the committee on Bill C-20.

At the CSN, a union can only disaffiliate itself with the support of an absolute majority of the members paying dues, not a majority of those who vote. So, this is not the same as the famous 50% plus one rule, which they keep telling us about as if it were the only existing democratic rule.

When asked about this, Mr. Larose made the following leap of logic: a vote for Quebec sovereignty would be comparable to a union affiliation, not a disaffiliation. Separating from the Canada that we know would be equivalent to joining a renewed Canada. Therefore, 50% plus one would be enough.

Such illogical reasoning can only be based on one premise, which was stated by Mr. Larose. According to him, Quebec never joined Canada and is not part of it. The Bloc Quebecois should dissociate itself from such witnesses, who do not even recognize that Quebec is part of Canada.

When one denies reality, one can only be headed for a dead end.

Minister Of International Trade

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the bits and pieces of information on the mess at Human Resources Development Canada that are still coming out endlessly, it seems that the federal government's incompetence knows no limits.

Yet the person responsible for the department in the worst part of the boondoggle, the hon. member for Papineau—Saint-Denis, is making himself scarce in order to avoid having to account for his erratic administration.

In an interview with Le Devoir , when he was no longer Minister of Human Resources Development, he did not hold back from commenting on the situation at Emploi-Québec and from boasting of his extraordinary talents and effective management.

He went so far as to criticize the Quebec Treasury Board for controlling everything. Today, we realize the situation on the federal level is totally the opposite: the federal government controls nothing.

Where is this minister today, he who usually has so much to say? He is in hiding. But he cannot hide indefinitely. It is all very well for the Minister of International Trade to creep along the walls, hide behind each and every column in the Parliament Buildings, but the day will come when he will have to answer for his actions. Impunity and democracy are incompatible.

National Unity

[Jim Jones, Progressive Conservative, Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to rise to announce that I will be hosting a town hall meeting on the topic of national unity.

The meeting will be held Thursday, February 24, at 7.30 p.m., in the Markham Civic Centre and will feature a panel discussion among some of the leading figures on the question of national unity.

Panellists for my event will include: Senator Noel Kinsella, my colleagues from the ridings of Beauharnois—Salaberry and Vancouver Quadra, Professor Nelson Wiseman and Thomas Mulcair. Our moderator for the panel discussion will be the Hon. Bob Rae.

Town hall meetings are important because they represent my effort to keep Canadians, and Markham residents, well informed. My town hall meetings offer an invaluable forum in which my constituents can learn about and express their views on national issues of the day.

It is my pleasure to extend the warmest invitation to my colleagues in the House to join me, my constituents and our guests for what promises to be an enlightened discussion. And, yes, I invite the member for Waterloo—Wellington.

Heritage Day

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating Heritage Day. Our Canadian heritage is a reflection of our pride as Canadians, our loyalty to our country, our feeling that we are honoured to be citizens of the best country in the world.

Our Canadian heritage is the link between our people from coast to coast to coast, regardless of sex, race or religious belief. Our heritage explains our past, creates our present and paves the way to our future.

I urge all Canadians to take the time to explore this great country which I and my family have adopted.

Let us all take time to visit our national historical sites and monuments. Let us take time to introduce our children to their country in all of its beauty.

Let us protect our heritage for the future of all of our children.

Heart And Stroke Month

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, February is heart and stroke month and many Canadians' lives have been or will be affected by congenital heart defect, CHD, which is ranked as the most common birth defect, affecting an estimated one in 100 children.

While many of these children have repairable heart defects and require no surgery, at least half will face one, if not many surgeries in their lifetime.

My constituents, Michael and Carol Ferry, have a daughter, Natalie, who was born with a severe and complex heart defect. Just 18 months old, Natalie will soon be preparing for her third and hopefully final surgery.

Canadians give generously every February in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. As a result, ongoing medical advances in the next decade could surpass all progress made during the last century, which will help to ensure that children with CHD, such as Natalie Ferry, will lead a rich, full and normal life.

Churchill

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I pay tribute to individuals and organizations involved in two momentous events that took place in my riding on January 28 of this year.

Sixty-eight men and women became the first graduating class from the University of Victoria child care vision initiative program. The program saw instructors from the University of Victoria take their program to 13 communities in my riding.

If the students would have had to attend classes on campus it would have cost $2 million. Through this innovative approach the cost was $311,000.

Graduates received their diplomas in early childhood education.

Congratulations to the graduates and instructors, the University of Victoria, the Awasis Agency and the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the annual Knights of Columbus indoor track meet. This event, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, with the support of its members, teachers, students and community volunteers, promotes healthy competition between elementary schools in Thompson.

To mark this silver anniversary, for the first time special needs students were able to participate. In a special event, relay spectators were treated to a photo finish.

Congratulations athletes, the Knights of Columbus, teachers and other volunteers. What a great start to the millennium.

Human Resources Development

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday the HRD minister told the House “I confirm again that I wrote to my deputy and indicated that she would be the sole decision maker in terms of projects that were approved in the riding of Brant”. But that letter said absolutely nothing about approval authority.

I would like to ask, who was approving these grants?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me clarify three things. First and foremost, no rules were broken in the application of grants and contributions in the riding of Brant.

Second, with regard to transitional jobs fund money and Canada jobs funds, the terms and conditions were met in every case.

Third and in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines, it was the deputy minister who approved Canada jobs fund money in the riding of Brant in November.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is a nice try but she wrote a letter that was simply not true. The deputy minister already had signing authority, and we know that. What we are concerned about is actual approval authority. The minister remained the only person who could actually approve those grants to her riding, yet she tried to blame it on her deputy.

The minister said that her letter delegated approval authority to her deputy minister. It did not. How long does the minister think this trick can last?

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

Mr. Speaker, there is no blame because the terms and conditions were not breached. No rules were broken.

What did happen with these grants and contributions was that men and woman, who otherwise would not have had the opportunity, are now working and are very thankful.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I know some people who are not thankful today and those are the taxpayers who are paying a huge amount of cash to look after the minister's insatiable desire.

She says that there is no blame here whatsoever. She pretended she knew nothing about this $1 billion boondoggle for months before she actually let on. She pretended that her riding actually qualified for grants when she knew full well that it did not. Now she is pretending that it is her deputy minister who makes all the decisions.

When will the pretend minister stand up and say that she takes ministerial responsibility for this boondoggle?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member again misrepresents the issues before the House.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I would ask the hon. minister to please stay away from those kinds of words. The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development Canada.

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member makes reference to the fact that $1 billion is missing.

Let me convey again to the House that today at the request of members of parliament and the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development Canada, we have issued the equivalent of 10,000 pages of information that documents the grants and contributions in every single riding of members in the House.

The opposition is wrong to suggest that $1 billion is missing. It is all there.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week the human resources minister told the House that she had granted her deputy minister the authority to approve CJF grants in the minister's riding.

Now we know that simply was not the case and that the deputy minister had only been given signing authority. There is a huge difference.

Why did the minister tell the House that she had granted the deputy minister the sweeping powers that go with approval authority when that simply was not the case?

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

Mr. Speaker, because it is true. Indeed, it was done in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there is a huge discrepancy between what she told the House last week and what was revealed in that letter. The minister has been unable to satisfactorily explain this big difference and why she told the House something and then revealed something completely different in a letter.

Given this gaping contradiction between what she has told the House and what was revealed in that letter, how can the public and this place have any confidence at all in anything the minister says?

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

Mr. Speaker, clearly the public cannot have any confidence in anything that this party says. It has continually talked about the missing $1 billion.

Today, in the context of all the grants and contributions that have been identified in ridings of members across the country, that has proven to be wrong.

Day after day, the Reform Party talks about these grants and contributions as being about politics, when indeed they are about people. It will find, if it takes the time to read the lists that have been provided, that we are supporting individuals in need in ridings of every member of the House.

Bill C-20

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says one thing and then the opposite.

He says that Bill C-20 is very important and then he says that it is a minor bill that does not merit our spending nights debating it.

If Bill C-20 is so important to him, why did the Liberal members have a gag order tabled in committee after the first three witnesses were heard?

[The Speaker]

As members know, these are questions for the committee; I do not know if someone on the government side—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I do not know if someone from the government side can respond. But if they can, I give them permission to do so.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as I explained to the hon. leader of the Bloc Quebecois and his colleagues on a number of occasions, the government has already been very flexible.