Debates of March 28th, 2000

Human Resources Development

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The hon. minister.

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what they refuse to hear is that since 1993, with the review of economic development programs, we have introduced refundable contributions.

Second, again in 1993, the public sent us a clear message. It wanted the government to be able to position itself according to the real situation and needs of individual regions.

We have developed a program called the regional strategic initiatives program and in partnership with the community we are developing the international tourism capacity of the large Mauricie region of which we are proud in Quebec, and we are going to continue as the government.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are questioning the Minister of Human Resources Development on the matter of contracts her department signed with the businesses receiving grants.

Clause 10.1 was included in the contracts to protect the government and public funds so that no grant money could be paid to a bankrupt or failing business.

Were the Placeteco lobbyists not effective and influential to get the minister to set aside the contract she signed and break her department's rules?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, let me say again that this file was reviewed by the highest level of officials in my department. It was reviewed in detail and it was assessed that the invoices that had been received were in concert with the transitional jobs fund program.

Indeed there were issues with this file in terms of the company itself and the associated companies, but in the end the decision was the right one because people continued to be employed and they would not have been had we not continued to support this undertaking.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. We are accusing the minister of failing to honour the contract between the Department of Human Resources Development and Globax. This is what we are accusing her of.

Was the fact that the Placeteco lobbyist was so effective not due to his being the lawyer for the individual purchasing the company, the creditor of the company and the government's trustee all at the same time?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I reject the allegations being made by the hon. member and say again that from our point of view ensuring that 170 people continued to work at Placeteco and at Techni-Paint was the right thing to do.

They may have wanted to pull the plug there and found alternatives for those people, but I am not sure where they would have gone. From our point of view the partnership founded by this government, the Government of Quebec and by the private citizens was the right thing to do, and the people working there know that is true.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister intervened in the application for a grant made by a micro brewery in his riding. The financial experts said that the project was not cost effective.

Instead of canceling the project, why did the Prime Minister insist the grant be increased?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, I can understand that on the new party side they do not have an inkling of the meaning of “regional development”. But, thank God, on this side we have people who take into account the economic development of all regions.

I will simply say that since 1994-95 we have reorganized our programs. We intervene on the basis of the real needs of all regions. We created the strategic regional initiative program, which applies in the Mauricie region, where we are developing international capacity in the great Quebec City region in the context of technology, and internationally as well, in the Gaspé region, in the eastern townships and we will—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Macleod.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what we would like is for the rules to be followed in these programs. Let us listen to what the old HRDC minister said on October 9, 1997: “The Prime Minister has never lobbied or influenced me”.

We now have evidence that the PMO lobbied directly on this file. My question is simple. Was the old HRDC minister so worried that he had to protect the Prime Minister?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat it in English. It is quite simple. We are talking about economic development of all the regions of the province of Quebec and across Canada as well.

I want to tell the hon. member something. We did very well since 1993 in the Mauricie region and across the province of Quebec. As they do not know about economic development and we want to make sure that we keep being involved in all the regions across Canada, my friends and I will campaign in western Canada next time.

Transgenic Foods

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, consumers, farmers and even scientists have concerns about the consequences of genetically modified organisms and the lack of government control.

How can the Minister of Health justify his investing in advertising on the safety of GMOs when there has been no study of their long term effects?

[Joe McGuire, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, that party and the people who criticize us for giving information to Canadians are the same people who accuse us of hiding information on biotechnology.

What we are doing is providing information to Canadians on food safety and biotechnology in Canada.

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since 1994, the government has paid close to $6 million to biotechnology industries in order to promote GMOs. It recently spent $300,000 in advertising in order to tell people they are being well protected.

Instead of wasting people's money on promoting GMOs, would the minister not be better off investing it in studies informing us of their real consequences?

[Joe McGuire, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the member should at least wait until June to see what is in the advertisements rather than criticize something she knows absolutely nothing about.

Export Development Corporation

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the government recognizes the many leaders we have in my party. the Export Development Corporation says that it will adhere to the highest standards of environmental protection.

My question is simple. Right now the former minister of HRD is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money o to fund clear-cutting companies in Indonesia and to fund gold companies in the Far East that are putting toxic tailings into the ocean. Why is the government wasting taxpayer dollars to fund environmental disasters?

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that the Export Development Corporation has rigorous rules when it looks at these projects in other countries.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade recently did a study on the Export Development Corporation and made recommendations to the government regarding the environment and transparency. It will report on this issue by May 15.

Primarily our discussions at committee were to make sure that the Government of Canada was in no way funding environmentally damaging corporations in other countries.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, sure they have rules. The problem is that they break them all the time. That is the problem. I have a list on my desk of over half a dozen gross environmental disasters that this government is using taxpayer dollars to support.

Once again my question is very simple. The government is using taxpayer dollars to fund these toxic megaprojects, which people say the government has no rules on. Why is the government wasting taxpayer dollars to fund projects that violate international norms and in fact violate the rules the member just mentioned?

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member from the Reform Party, the united alternative, the Canadian reform alliance party or one of those parties should know—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The hon. parliamentary secretary has the floor if he wishes to use it.

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Haldimand—Norfolk—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that the Government of Canada looks vigorously at environmental situations in other countries. We take them very seriously. Before the EDC can give loans to corporations dealing with these other countries it has to go through rigorous standards.

The EDC has just gone through a review by not only the House of Commons standing committee but also an independent group, Gowlings, which gave messages of endorsement in terms of what the EDC does and in terms of keeping Canadian environmental standards in other countries.

Billboards

[Pierre De Savoye, Bloc, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport has confirmed that Mediacom billboards would be installed in the vicinity of Montreal's bridges and along some of the highways, on land belonging to the federal government.

Can the minister tell us whether the language of the signs will be governed by Quebec's Charte de la langue française or the federal Official Languages Act?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, these are federal properties and I believe the federal legislation will apply.

I must however contact the president of the bridge corporation for clarification.