House of Commons Hansard #60 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. Just as members have the right to pose questions, ministers have a right to answer and they will be heard. The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development, if she wishes to proceed.
Jane Stewart Liberal Brant, ON
Yes, Mr. Speaker. I have a very long list of questions that I would ask. Does the hon. member think that money to the Society for the Treatment of Autism where we had a summer program counsellor employed is the wrong thing to do, or perhaps with the Interfaith Youth and Family Services Society where a social worker was employed to help citizens?
There is a very long list here. They should tell us if they want to go to these organizations and tell them that what they are doing is a waste of money.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, in 1988, the Prime Minister bought a golf course for the sum of $1 from Consolidated Bathurst. In 1996, he sold a parcel of this land for the sum of $525,000 to Claude Gauthier who, in turn, received a CIDA contract worth $6 million and a $1.2 million grant from Human Resources Development Canada.
Are the Prime Minister's financial successes due to his talents as a real estate agent or to his contacts in the departments?
Maria Minna LiberalMinister for International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, first, we do not give grants. We work with companies that do work for CIDA in developing countries. I do not have the name of this particular company. I will look into it and give her the answer.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. Claude Gauthier received $6 million from CIDA. The affair is controversial. Claude Gauthier received $1.2 million from Human Resources Development Canada, and the affair is still controversial. In both cases, the person responsible was the present Minister for International Trade.
Does the Deputy Prime Minister not think that the Minister for International Trade should stop hiding and answer for his administration both at CIDA and at Human Resources Development Canada?
Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario
Liberal
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows the rules of the House, as do her leader and the other members. We all know that a minister may not be questioned about a department for which he is not responsible.
The members opposite must respect the rules of this House.
Human Resources DevelopmentOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. It is true that questions are asked of the government and any minister may reply if he or she wishes.
Grant McNally Reform Dewdney—Alouette, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister's grant list released last week has major discrepancies from the list that we received under access to information.
The minister asked for some specifics. Here are a few for her. Progress Homes in St. John's got $2 million. Howmet Cercast in Bourassa got $700,000. International Projects in Grand Falls got $570,000. Amazingly all these companies were left off the minister's list. This list is obviously totally flawed. How could anyone believe any of the information that the minister is giving?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, again I would refer the hon. member to the notes that accompanied these lists. As we have said all along, programs can change.
The lists are prepared in response to direct questions by those asking for information, but I can confirm that this information is as current as was available when we printed the list. I would say to the hon. member that if he has specific questions to bring them forward and we will respond to them.
Grant McNally Reform Dewdney—Alouette, BC
Mr. Speaker, the list changes on a daily basis and the minister has a different answer from question to question.
Here are some more specifics for her. Reversomatic in South Shore received $360,000. Survival Systems in Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough received $350,000. CDM Laminés in Drummond received $300,000. These companies were left off the list.
How can anybody possibly believe any of the information the minister is giving us when the information changes daily?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, indeed programs are approved daily and so we have changes in the list every single day. Recognizing this we included with these lists information and direct lines. Members of parliament can call an MP hot line. They can use e-mail. They can raise questions here and I can follow up on them so that we can continue to provide members of the House with the most current information.
Richard Marceau Bloc Charlesbourg, QC
Mr. Speaker, there is a devastating report on CIDA. There is a scandal at Human Resources Development Canada.
Disasters, in both instances, and the current Minister for International Trade has been the head of both organizations. Now, this same minister is responsible for the huge Export Development Corporation portfolio.
Since the corporation is beyond the reach of access to information, does the minister realize that his incompetence makes us nervous, at the very least?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I have had very good conversations with my deputy minister in recent weeks. I have every confidence that all the files in my department, in international trade, are in order. I want to reassure this House that the situation at international trade is perfect.
The Export Development Corporation has announced earnings of $118 million this year, which helped to create thousands upon thousands of small Canadian businesses, including businesses in Quebec, which truly appreciate the Export Development Corporation.
John Finlay Liberal Oxford, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.
In light of the budget announcement regarding a new infrastructure program and considering that many local communities in my riding and across Canada are eager to participate, could the minister detail her timeframe to negotiate agreements with the provinces to make this program a reality?
Lucienne Robillard LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my colleague from Oxford for his question.
The Minister of Finance has announced a $2.6 billion infrastructure program. It includes green municipal infrastructure, affordable housing and highways to answer the needs of rural and urban communities in our country. Now that the financial parameters are known, I intend to start negotiations with our partners in April and hope to sign an agreement by the end of this year, as we said in the Speech from the Throne.
Eric C. Lowther Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, as the saga continues, maybe the number the minister is talking about is 1-800-C-O-V-E-R-U-P.
The Atlantic Yarn company of Atholville, New Brunswick received a $2 million TJF grant. The paperwork released by the HRDC minister last week states the project was approved in December 1998. However, in response to an access to information request that we made we were informed that there was no paperwork on file.
How can the HRDC minister claim that this project created 96 jobs when there is no paperwork on the file?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, members of that party can raise individual circumstances. They can talk about this but we know they are not interested in our work, in improving the administration of my department.
What we know is true is that they do not believe that the Government of Canada should assist in areas like Atlantic Canada and the Acadian Peninsula to help men and women who do not have the opportunity to work. What we know is that they would cut $15 billion out of social programs because they think everyone should be able to look after themselves. What we know is that they call these programs wasteful when indeed we know they make a difference in the lives of Canadians.
Eric C. Lowther Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, the minister has it wrong. We are very interested.
This particular grant was two million tax dollars. Canadians are interested in two million tax dollars, I can tell her that. This is two million tax dollars from the minister's own special reserve fund. Under access to information the law states that the minister must provide this information. Either the minister awarded $2 million without keeping records or she is refusing to release the information.
Why is the minister making claims about job creation in the House when her own department says that there is no paperwork?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians are interested in is ensuring that we do fix the problem in my department so that there is appropriate paperwork that confirms the important decisions that we make on their behalf. What Canadians are interested in is separating the politics on this issue from the substance and getting on with the important business of this country. What Canadians are interested in is ensuring that the Government of Canada is there when they need it and as long as we are in power, it will be.
Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
The minister is leaving nothing but crumbs from his tax banquet for health care, only two cents for health for every dollar of tax cuts.
Does the minister have a new definition of justice, a new definition of equity in this country? There were only two cents for health for every dollar of tax cuts.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, it will take two things to consolidate our health care system: first, more money, and we have increased transfers by 5% over the next two years, and second, work and ideas on improving health care services.
I am open to working with my provincial counterparts to develop a health care system providing quality care for all Canadians.
Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, I am back to the budget.
My province of Saskatchewan is getting an extra $80 million over four years for health. That will pay for the health system for just three days in four years. On the other hand, the minister is giving big tax breaks to large corporations and millionaires.
I want to ask the minister one more time, where is the balance? What is his definition of fairness? Is this a new Reform definition of fairness where health only gets a couple of cents and millionaires get big tax breaks?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, if we look at what the government has done over the course of the last four years, as the Minister of Health has indicated, in every single budget in the last four years there have been increases to the transfers to the provinces for health care.
The hon. member wants to talk about taxes. Perhaps he objects to indexation so that poor and medium size families can get the GST credit. Perhaps he objects to the cut in the middle income tax rate so that farmers in Saskatchewan and small shopkeepers in Saskatchewan can have a better life. Perhaps he objects to the fact that there is $58 billion in tax cuts and $40 billion are personal income taxes—