Madam Speaker, the hon. member for Mississauga South gave a rather impassioned defence of HRDC. I can readily understand his sensitivity with regard to that particular department. However, the motion, if he would look at it, has nothing to do with HRDC. It is a general motion and it deals with grants and contributions from all departments. It concerns a $13.5 billion pot of pork. It is not all pork. There are probably some useful programs. However, too much of it is for friends of the party opposite: SNC-Lavalin, Bombardier, all of the old friends. By the way, I am not speaking of EDC; I am talking about outright subsidies. I know the hon. member is well aware of them and could probably reel them off as fast as I could.
These are parties which over the last eight years have given some rather substantial amounts of money to the Liberal Party. I have the numbers here. SNC-Lavalin during the seven years from 1992-99 contributed $295,817. Bombardier during that period contributed $447,615 to the Liberal Party of Canada.
We do not believe it is fitting or proper that the $13.5 billion grants pot be further augmented by the $1.5 billion that is listed in the current budget document to build up the slush. We say take back that $1.5 billion which has not actually been allocated for any particular program yet. It is just a big sum of money which the government wants to give for grants and contributions. Take that back and give it to health care where it is really needed and where the people of Canada really want it. Be a little less generous with this pork-barrelling stuff at least for a year or two. That is all we are asking. It is a pretty straightforward motion.