Mr. Speaker, I would ask the member if the fact of choosing a minister—as was the case with the current Minister for International Trade and the current Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs—includes as a criterion the ability to properly place the knife in the public's back.
I wonder whether this criterion did not lead us to this scandal involving the management of Human Resources Development, that is, that the sole function of the minister, who is no longer in the position today, but was in it for at least three, if not four years, was to report to the House without either question or audit, to respond to the opposition and to say pretty much anything.
My colleague, the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques spent three months at least questioning the minister on his management, on who were and were not likely to receive employment insurance after paying fairly significant premiums. When we told the minister that not even 42% qualified to draw what they had paid in insurance and the minister gave us any old answer, was his answer based on actual figures or on what his officials were telling him? Did he manage his officials? Did he look into his department's internal administration? No. Because his only talent was an ability to denigrate the Quebecers who elected him. He became the Prime Minister's accomplice in manhandling Quebecers, as we called it in Quebec. Now we end up with the problems.
I ask the member if he is not afraid that we will soon find ourselves with the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs facing a similar situation and that we must repudiate him or criticize the management of his department in its entirety? These questions need to be asked and I put them to the member who has just spoken.