Mr. Speaker, here again I can see that government members, ministers and parliamentary secretaries do not fully understand the problem with the scandal.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development says that we do not fully appreciate all the government does to help, with income security, employment insurance benefits or the national child benefit. I wish to point out that these are not grants. They are fixed amounts which are given. Accordingly, one cannot really use those amounts for partisan purposes.
When she says that she does not hear any criticism about employment insurance benefits, I can tell her that we often pointed out that they have been reduced and that six persons out of ten are not eligible for those benefits.
I am currently touring Quebec to look into poverty and the social safety net, which is gradually shrinking over the years. An election is coming up and a little more money might be added, but Quebecers will not be fooled. We will know what they are up to with public spending.
According to her, Reformers are using the scandal to say that the programs should be cut back. However, we want to shed some light on this scandal. The government is minimizing the scandal at Human Resources Development Canada by saying that much is being done elsewhere, that this only involves a mere $1 billion.
Only 19 cases are mentioned. A comprehensive investigation should have been ordered for the government's overall administration and the auditor general should have been asked to look into the way it is using taxpayers' money.
This is the issue we have to deal with. Opposition parties are doing their duty when they ask—