House of Commons Hansard #59 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. I would ask the leader of the Bloc Quebecois to put his question.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

I would ask the minister, rather than hide from questions and not respond, either because an investigation is under way or because she does not know the answers or because it was under her predecessor—now she wants to hide behind the budget—whether she can tell us why she did not know the facts, what went on, about the money transferred from Rosemont to Saint-Maurice?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, we are not running away from the questions. Indeed I have asked an outside auditing firm to come in and look at this particular file.

Quite the contrary, what we have done is open the process of grants and contributions to the House so members of parliament can be aware of the investments that are going into their communities, so that they can help and understand how we can continue to make differences in the lives of Canadians.

We are quite prepared to be open in this regard. I have told the hon. member that we will convey to him the information as is appropriate.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister reminded us that the Rosemont project that was transferred over to his riding was signed off by the MP for Rosemont and not by him.

How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that a project approved by the MP for Rosemont ended up in his riding and is being carried out on the premises of Maurice Perreault, whom he knows very well, since his name appears in his March 1997 householder?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, let us go at this again. We have clarified that we have asked an outside accounting firm to come in and audit this particular project. At that point we will be able to answer the questions of the hon. member.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister, that unwitting linguist, told us that those three little dots in French were known as an ellipsis. The House was suitably enlightened.

What we want to know is: what exactly was that ellipsis? Was that the time it took for the project to move from Rosemont to the minister's desk and then on to the riding of Saint-Maurice? Is that what he was referring to yesterday?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to repeat that at no time was my office, or anyone in my office, informed of the possibility of a transfer. The individual in question was never seen in my office or speaking to the press or doing anything else to create jobs in the riding of Saint-Maurice.

The application was in the riding of Rosemount, and there was no transfer to the riding of Saint-Maurice, to the knowledge of anyone in my office or in the region.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the finance minister.

Canadians' number one priority is to fix health care. They had hoped that the budget would reflect that. They are struggling with crowded emergency rooms. They are struggling with growing waiting lists. They are struggling with increasing drug costs.

Will the finance minister at least acknowledge the depth of the health care crisis?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance after we invested a lot of money in health care last year added $2.5 billion to the transfer to the provinces.

This is the only program of all the programs of the government where not only have we re-established the level of transfer from 1993-94, but next year it will go from $37.4 billion in 1993-94 to $40.6 billion. It is an increase of $3 billion in transfer of cash and points and of—

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, talk about an exercise in deception. Health transfers in this budget—

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

I would ask the hon. leader of the New Democratic Party to withdraw those words.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Well, Mr. Speaker, I would like to—

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Health transfers in this budget are enough to run health care in Nova Scotia or Saskatchewan for about three days.

Clearly the government has abandoned any leadership in fixing health care. For every one dollar in tax cuts, there are two cents in cash transfers to health care.

When Canadians so clearly regard health care as their number one priority, why has this—

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have explained. I will explain again that the transfers to the provinces from 1993-94 have increased by more than $3 billion this year. Of all the programs of the government, we are still spending $4 billion less than was spent in 1993-94. In spite of that, in the transfer to the provinces of cash and tax points and equalization payments, they are receiving today $3 billion more than when we started.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, yesterday when the Prime Minister was questioned about an investigation by the RCMP on CITEC, a company in his riding, he replied, “As soon as my office was informed, the RCMP were informed within minutes”. However, the former Liberal minister of tourism in Quebec, André Vallerand, has stated that he waited over a month for the PMO and HRDC to reply.

There is a contradiction. Who is correct, Mr. Vallerand or the Prime Minister?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as soon as my office was informed, the same day when they realized that there was an accusation of that nature, they called the RCMP. From there it was the responsibility of the RCMP. If they did not call Mr. Vallerand it has nothing to do with my office. My office acted absolutely properly in acting the same day in transferring the problem.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. What was the exact date that the Prime Minister was made aware of the investigation from Mr. Vallerand? What did they do with that information and when did they contact the RCMP? In other words, what did the Prime Minister know and when did he forget?

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, it was February 2 when we were informed and it was February 2 that the RCMP was informed.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, here is another name. Remember René Fugère, the fellow who profited from the famous hotel grant? Well, it looks like old René has been up to his tricks again.

In February 1998 the Opitciwan sawmill applied for a TJF grant and was told by HRD that there was absolutely no money left in the kitty. That seems kind of strange because along comes Fugère—

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Edmonton North.

Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, in February 1998 the Opticiwan sawmill applied for a TJF grant and was told by HRD that there was absolutely no money left in the kitty. All of a sudden, along comes Mr. Fugère, the Prime Minister's buddy. The minister's office gets involved and just like magic $300,000 appears.

Why is it that public money follows Mr. Fugère like an orphaned duck?