House of Commons Hansard #58 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was contractors.

Topics

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, there is no bluster on this side. Clearly we are taking action on this problem. If they had looked at the undertakings they would see that we are already making progress on implementing the new plan.

We are engaging an independent body of this House, the auditor general, to review our grants and contributions.

One thing we know for sure is that the member and the Reform Party will never speak out in support of Frontier College students for literacy and will never speak out in support of the Beddington Heights Community Association or the Alberta Centre on Entrepreneurship and Disabilities because the member has not even been to visit those community interests in her riding, and that is where this money is going.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Mitis, QC

Mr. Speaker, the case of the Canadian Institute of Tourism is troubling to say the least.

According to the Ottawa Citizen , a member of the PMO asked Mr. Vallerand to stay quiet while the RCMP conducted its investigation.

Can the Prime Minister tell us why Mr. Vallerand should stay quiet?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, minutes or hours after my office was informed, we asked the police to investigate.

When an investigation is under way, we are not in a position to make any comment. That is the position that all members of the House would adopt. We let the police do their work. It is as simple as that.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Mitis, QC

Mr. Speaker, in October 1993, the Prime Minister said “I think that when something involving Saint-Maurice ends up in a minister's office—I need not say more”.

The Prime Minister may not need to say more to his ministers, but does he not owe the House a bit more of an explanation of what comes after “office”?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, if I am not mistaken, it is called an ellipsis.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Jim Abbott Reform Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is up to his ears in alligators over the HRDC issue. There are investigations going on in North Bay and in Shawinigan as a result of the HRDC grant handouts. An associate is being investigated for illegal lobbying of grants. Now, of course, he is invited to the APEC commission for an interview.

The Prime Minister creates a shroud of suspicion on every file he touches. Is that why he does not hold the HRDC minister accountable, or is she simply following the leader?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I would really like to know what could possibly be more accountable than making public an internal audit which said we could do a better job in a particular aspect of our business. What could be more accountable than making that information available to the Canadian public and promising them that we will fix the problem?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Jim Abbott Reform Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, she could resign, I suppose, because when she follows the Prime Minister's lead the HRDC minister is on a very slippery slope.

There was the Somalia shutdown, the stonewalling at APEC and now the handouts in Shawinigan. How can Canadians have any confidence in this minister, this government or this Prime Minister when all they see is a slithery shroud of suspicion over all of these issues?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, accountability does not mean running away from problems. Perhaps we should ask the hon. Leader of the Opposition if he is being accountable when he seems to be running away from the party he started.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, the case of the Canadian tourism institute established in Shawinagan, the Prime Minister's riding, was revealed by a former Quebec Liberal minister, whom one cannot suspect of being a separatist. He had to make the facts public because the investigation was taking too much time.

Is this not a source of concern to the minister?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that this has been an active file for my department. It has been referred to the RCMP and, as such, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on it.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, every time there is an investigation in that department, it is because either the opposition or someone else has blown the whistle.

In other words, are we to understand that the Liberal money management policy is basically: not seen, not caught, not guilty?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is incorrect in her assertion. I would say to her again that we are taking this issue very seriously. We are now making progress on the implementation of our plan. We are reviewing our active files.

We will do what Canadians want. We will fix this problem, as we have fixed so many others.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Chuck Strahl Reform Fraser Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, membership certainly does have its privileges. In Kenora—Rainy River donations and hard work for the Liberal Party result in Club L points, redeemable for grants and contributions from HRD Canada.

Rick Smit is president of the Indian Affairs minister's riding association, a good worker and a campaign donor. He received federal loans for $150,000, which exceeded the limits by $25,000.

Can the minister explain why Mr. Smit got $25,000 more than the rules allowed?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Liberal

Andy Mitchell LiberalSecretary of State (Rural Development)(Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, as I explained in the House on Friday, Treasury Board guidelines and the agreement with the local organization allow for loans in excess of $125,000.

If the hon. member would do his work and not just read the newspapers he would know that, or if he had bothered to listen to question period on Friday he would have known that as well.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Chuck Strahl Reform Fraser Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, I do know this. Don Barnard is another loyal Liberal in that same riding and he received tax dollars. In fact, he told a business associate that he would use his Liberal Party connections to secure an HRD grant.

What do we learn? When Liberal Pierre Corbeil tied government grants to Liberal Party donations he was convicted of influence peddling. When the Prime Minister's personal representative, Rene Fugere, secured grants for some unregistered lobbyists he found himself in hot water with the RCMP.

When will the HRD minister learn that allowing Liberal members to use their Liberal Party connections to get their hands on taxpayers' dollars is wrong, wrong, wrong every time?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should be very careful in the kinds of allegations he makes. If he has proof of things in this regard he should say them outside.

It is absolutely appropriate and part of our democratic process for individuals to make contributions to political parties, to this one and even that one. He should be very careful in the kinds of allegations he makes.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, although the Minister of Human Resources Development acknowledges her responsibility for the errors of her department, she must realize that most of the questionable cases brought to light to date happened in the time of her predecessor.

Will the minister finally acknowledge that she ought to share her heavy burden with her colleague, the Minister for International Trade, who appears not to have been any more efficient than she is in administering the department?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, let me try this again, for the umpteenth time.

I am the Minister of Human Resources Development Canada. I am the minister who received the results of an internal audit which said that we could make improvements on the administrative side of our grants and contributions. I am the minister who made that public and I am the minister who will work with my department to ensure that we fix this problem.

International CooperationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Eleni Bakopanos Liberal Ahuntsic, QC

Mr. Speaker, three weeks after the start of the torrential rains and four days after the passage of cyclone Éline, Mozambique appears on the verge of a humanitarian disaster, with 300 people having lost their lives.

Could the Minister for International Cooperation tell the House how Canada will help these victims?

International CooperationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Beaches—East York Ontario

Liberal

Maria Minna LiberalMinister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, my department has announced $1 million in aid for the tragedy in Mozambique, which is also affecting some nearby countries. As of yesterday I had announced $458,000. I added $550,000 today because the situation is getting worse, and we are monitoring the situation daily.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

February 28th, 2000 / 2:45 p.m.

Reform

John Cummins Reform Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, aside from creating work for the RCMP, the HRD department is certainly creating a lot of work for former Liberal staffers.

In the Indian affairs minister's riding, his former senior aide Victoria Scherban, has made a business out of acquiring grants and loans for herself and other local businesses. The same with René Fugère, the Prime Minister's former aide who has charged hefty commissions for having his name attached to numerous successful applications.

My question is for the HRD minister. If there is no political interference for grant approvals in her department, why is it so lucrative for former Liberal staffers?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

My colleagues, we are starting to border on questions about political parties. I will permit the minister to respond to the question if she so wants as it deals with that particular department.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. member that we are talking about investments in communities where the unemployment level has been high. Significant numbers, more than half of the grants and contributions have gone to opposition ridings. In talking about transitional jobs fund numbers, in areas of less than 12%, over half of the money went to opposition ridings. How can the member make such incredible assertions?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

John Cummins Reform Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, a lot more money went to the minister's riding than it did to British Columbia.

Mike Clancy, a former HRD employee from Kenora, stated that he and his coworkers were under intense pressure to become a cheque writing machine for the Indian affairs minister. Clearly the pressure got to Mr. Clancy. He ran for the NDP in the last election.

If there is no political interference in HRD affairs, how does the minister explain the pressure felt by her employees in Kenora?