Debates of Feb. 21st, 2000

Human Resources Development

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

Mr. Speaker, absolutely not. I am very glad to have the support of my leader. I wonder if the hon. member has the support of her—

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development.

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister indicated there were a number of areas that received support through the transitional jobs fund in areas of less than 12% unemployment. They include, and I will continue with the list, Okanagan—Coquihalla, Okanagan—Shuswap, West Kootenay, West Vancouver—

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques.

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

Mr. Speaker, this government thinks it can use taxpayers' money to advance its partisan views. On Friday, the Prime Minister even went so far as to say that this was only normal.

Could the Prime Minister tell us why 54% of all transitional jobs fund grants to Quebec between March 1996 and March 1999 were distributed in the months immediately preceding or following the June 1997 general election?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the decisions taken after the election were certainly not very helpful. In the case of the riding of Saint-Maurice, of the 17 decisions taken, five preceded the election, and 12 followed it.

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

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the poorly managed files, public servants were the ones who had to pick up the pieces for decisions made during the election campaign. People do not realize that this problem is not limited to the transitional jobs fund—the Liberals dipped freely into all grants programs in order to buy votes in the last election.

How can the Prime Minister say this is only normal and boast about using public money for partisan purposes?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, every one of the members who has risen received all sorts of grants before the election. Not a single Bloc Quebecois member stood up and said the Liberal government should be thanked for the good job it is doing in Ottawa distributing money to the disadvantaged, the poor and the disabled in his or her riding.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, to get back to the memo that comes from the transitional jobs fund dealing with grants and how they are approved, it says that the minister and her officials say that each region was using its own approach in considering if a pocket was or was not eligible. It seems that how they pick pockets on that side is a matter of discretion.

Could the minister tell us how she proposes to pick the pockets and could she tell us how the taxpayers should be left on the hook once she does it?

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

Mr. Speaker, part of the strength of the transitional jobs fund and the Canada jobs fund was to allow local directors to help meet the needs of local communities. There is a flexibility that is associated with both these programs. As we said that flexibility was used in a number of Reform ridings. Surely that great western party that touts the need for flexibility would not want the control to be drawn back to Ottawa.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, so far we have heard three different ways they pick the pockets in this place. One is as the minister said last week, that it was a period of time, that it was a pocket of time. Next she got up and said it was actually—

[The Speaker]

We could stay away from the words “picked pockets”.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, it was a period of time of high unemployment. Then the minister said it was not a period of time at all, it was actually a geographic location. Now we find out it may be that or it may be something else or it may be whatever they woke up and decided it would be.

It seems that the approval process is not local at all. It appears to be tied together quite closely to the front bench.

Why does the minister say that picking a pocket of high unemployment deserves to be done in her office?

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

Mr. Speaker, I hope the hon. member will spend some time with his colleagues, those members of the Reform Party who wrote to me, through their offices, sometimes individually, saying to please get the approval of the Canada jobs fund completed for their riding. Some made phone calls asking where the approvals were.

It is clear to me what that party is. Its members stand in the House here in Ottawa and indicate that what they want to do is scrap programs like the Canada jobs fund, but when they go back to their ridings they tell quite a different story.

[Stéphan Tremblay, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in last Friday's question period, the Minister of Veterans Affairs answered a question instead of the Minister of Human Resources Development.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development or the Minister for International Trade. How can she, or he, explain why the administration of that department was, until the summer of 1999, characterized as being suitable for the Middle Ages?

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

Mr. Speaker, last Friday I was very glad to have part of my team, the minister responsible for ACOA who also is involved in these particular projects, respond to an individual representation in the House.

With regard to the workings of my department, I am very glad to say that we are making progress on the work of improving administrative practices in my department. Men and women are being trained. Files are being reviewed. Today we have presented to members of parliament the details of the grants and contributions in their ridings. I hope they go back and look at this because clearly, many—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Lac-Saint-Jean.

[Stéphan Tremblay, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, another question for the Minister of Human Resources Development or the Minister of International Trade.

The minister signed a letter delegating her signing authority to her Deputy Minister, supposedly to avoid a conflict of interest, supposedly to protect her integrity.

Can the minister tell this House whether her predecessor had also signed such a letter?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

This question is in order. The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Dewdney—Allouette.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.