Debates of April 7th, 2000

Victoria Harbour Student Parliament

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently I received a calendar from the foreign affairs committee of the student parliament of Victoria Harbour Elementary School in Victoria Harbour, Ontario. This is a group of 25 children in grades five, six, seven and eight who meet monthly to plan ways to help ease the suffering of the children of Sierra Leone who are innocent victims of violence.

This is the fifth year the students have published a calendar filled with their own artwork to raise funds in support of the children of Port Loko Catholic Secondary School and St. Martin's Orphanage in Port Loko, Sierra Leone. This year alone these children raised $5,000.

I salute these young Canadians who have taken it upon themselves to provide aid to others and to provide an example to all with their generosity of spirit and commitment to global peace.

In the words of Stephanie Chapman, grade 6, “I wish we could help more, and then celebrate their liberty and peace. Please help”.

The Late Victor Tremblay

[René Canuel, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the death of Victor Tremblay, the valley of the Matapédia and in particular the town of Causapscal are in mourning.

Victor Tremblay died on March 24 at the age of 52 following a brief illness.

He was the youngest president of the Société nationale de l'est du Québec. He also headed the Société d'aide au développement des collectivités. He belonged to a host of organizations focussed essentially on regional development.

An exceptional individual, Victor Tremblay had a passion for the outdoors, and his commitment changed the approach of an entire region toward a vital resource, salmon. This commitment led him to assume a national position, that of director general of the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique.

To his wife, Françoise and his children and to the friends of this exemplary regional advocate, this proud and courageous man, the Bloc Quebecois offers its sincere condolences.

Tall Ships 2000

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Halifax, Nova Scotia is going to be hosting Tall Ships 2000 in July after they complete the four month journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Two of the ships taking part in this event are particularly noteworthy.

One is Eye of the Wind , a 40 metre brigantine based in England that will be training young sailors as it sails to Nova Scotia. One high school student from South Shore will be leaving for England in early April to spend one week aboard the ship as it makes its way across the Atlantic. Molly Kleiker is a grade 10 student at Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater. She was selected as one of the hundreds of students who will have an opportunity to learn or improve sailing skills while the ship travels to Halifax.

The Picton Castle is a 44 metre barque that returned to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia last year following its 19 month world tour. This ship will also be participating in Tall Ships 2000.

I know that the students participating in this event will have a wonderful learning experience as they complete this extraordinary voyage. I wish them all best luck.

Environment

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we all take a moment to share responsibility for the environment.

Yesterday members of parliament from all sides of the House gathered to recognize 313 plants and animals that are endangered in Canada. We all took a pledge to become foster parents to one of the species at risk. I promised to take responsibility for the small flowered lipocarpha which is extremely sensitive to changes in the environment and can only be found in certain parts of the country.

All of us must make a small piece of the environment a large part of our lives.

To my dear lipocarpha, I will do all I can to support you in providing education, nutritional information, respect and above all, protection.

Human Resources Development

[Maurice Vellacott, Reform, Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the grants and contributions scandal at HRDC keeps getting more and more sordid.

Yesterday the national president of the union that represents HRDC workers testified before the human resources committee. We learned that employees at Human Resources Development Canada were ordered to review their job creation grant project files, fill in any blanks and backdate documents so record keeping would appear in order. That is file tampering. They were given that verbal directive in January, right after it was revealed by an internal audit that HRDC had mismanaged and improperly monitored $1 billion worth of job creation projects.

We are hearing a consistent message from many credible parties: from the auditor general, from the information commissioner and from the employees at HRDC. We are hearing that the problem of HRDC lies with the Liberal political masters and the very top officials in the department who do their bidding.

Budget 2000

[Peter Mancini, NDP, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the members opposite quoted budget 2000 today and I am glad they did. I call on the government to use budget 2000 to address regional disparities in the country. I ask the government to make investing in regions of high unemployment a national priority.

Investments in the budget for geoscience initiatives in mining, the sustainable technology fund for the development of new environmental technologies, Canadian research chairs and new National Research Council facilities should be located in areas like Cape Breton and regions of high unemployment in order to generate lasting economic opportunities for that region and for the benefit of all Canadians.

Let us use the budget to create jobs in areas of high unemployment.

Public Works And Government Services

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it seems there is no price too high to pay, or at least lobby for, if you are a friend of the Prime Minister.

Pierre Bourque, a close personal friend of the Prime Minister, has found himself in financial trouble. He came up with a plan to have the government buy his $50 million building in Hull for $78 million. Taxpayers expected the Prime Minister to say no. However, for golf buddies, ethics are merely an obstacle. Instead, the PM put his chief of staff to work convincing Treasury Board to pay up.

Why was the chief of staff to the Prime Minister lobbying to have taxpayers pay an inflated price for a building owned by a friend of the Prime Minister?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, on March 3 my department offered to purchase the Louis St. Laurent building for a price equivalent to the value of the lease. This is a lease-purchase building and is part of our long term strategic plan for accommodating government needs. The offer was rejected by the owner on March 31.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the relevant price is somewhat in doubt.

No one dares stand in the way of this Prime Minister. In order for the Bourque scam to work it had to pass the cabinet Treasury Board committee. The PMO convinced the justice minister and the solicitor general to go along with it. However, Peter Harder, a senior civil servant, defended the taxpayers and resisted the deal. The Prime Minister swiftly had Harder transferred out of the department.

Why is it always those who try to protect taxpayers who find themselves punished by this Prime Minister?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat again that this was a very simple transaction. We decided to buy the building, and the hon. member should know the history of the building. We offered the residual value, whatever was left of the value in a contract signed in 1991 by a Conservative government, with which the hon. member is now trying to unite.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt it is a simple deal. It is simple: If you are a friend of the Prime Minister you get special treatment.

Back in 1990, when the Prime Minister was fighting the finance minister for the Liberal leadership, Pierre Bourque apparently donated heavily to the Prime Minister's campaign. Now Mr. Bourque is in trouble and the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, the Prime Minister's chief of staff and John Rae are scrambling to find him money. They even went as far as to attempt funnelling Bourque $28 million of taxpayer money through this real estate scam.

Does Mr. Bourque warrant this special treatment just because he is a friend, or because he has something on the Prime Minister?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, there was no special treatment. We offered whatever was left on the lease signed by a Conservative government in 1991. We offered $68.5 million, which was the value of the lease. There was no special treatment, and to prove there was no special treatment, the owner rejected the offer.

[Grant McNally, Reform, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the minister of public works was in favour of this simple transaction, as he calls it. This simple transaction would have paid $25 million more than the building was really worth.

We have canoe museums, HRDC grants, loans for hotels, fountains, CIDA grants and now inflated real estate scams. You name it, as long as it benefits friends of the Prime Minister. No price is too high to pay by the taxpayer.

Why does this Prime Minister continue to believe he can use taxpayer dollars to help his friends?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of the hon. member's question is completely wrong, as usual, comme d'habitude, because there is no deal.

The hon. member's question is not relevant whatsoever. He should realize he has a wrong premise because, as the minister of public works has said over and over in this House, no deal was made. In fact, there was no special treatment. The owner of the building decided not to accept the government's offer.

[Grant McNally, Reform, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what is wrong is the way this government tries to do business.

The Prime Minister has been in trouble in the past for making deals with unregistered lobbyists. I am sure we all remember Réne Fugère. Mr. Riopelle, a mutual friend of Pierre Bourque and the Prime Minister, did not register Bourque as a client when he lobbied the ministers to approve this scam. Failing to register a client can cost a lobbyist steep fines and up to two years in jail.

How can the Prime Minister explain his involvement in yet another shady, unregistered lobby deal?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, every time there is an accusation that somebody has failed to register under the Lobbyists Registration Act the ethics counsellor looks into it, which is exactly what would happen.

What is clearly disappointing to the members of Alliance Party in this case is that they wish a deal had been done so that they could get up and criticize it. However, not to let the facts stand in their way, they get up and criticize something that has not happened.

Human Resources Development

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, a witness told the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities that HRDC employees had received oral directives to review their files, fill in the blanks, and backdate documents if necessary so that everything looked shipshape.

Can the minister tell us whether it is on the basis of these doctored documents that she has been rising in the House for several months now and telling us that everything is just fine and that there are no skeletons in her department?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to be able to set the record straight. Human resources development employees have been instructed, as always, to obey the law. It is clear that we are reviewing our files. Part of our six point plan and our commitment to Canadians is to improve the system.

I would like to quote factually from a directive of February 16, 2000, which clearly states “Documents currently on file are not to be altered. If an amendment to an active agreement is required a formal amendment should be filed and dated the day of the amendment”.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's revelations confirm our concerns about the department's refusal to launch an investigation.

Are we to understand that the sole reason for its refusal is to buy the necessary time to clean things up and get rid of anything that could incriminate the government?

We need a clear answer. We want clarity and nothing less.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. If the hon. member has proof that there is wrongdoing in my department, I want her to give it to me so we can deal with it expeditiously. If she has proof, let her bring it forward.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, following the testimony of the representative of HRDC employees, it appears that the climate in the department makes it difficult for public servants to work with diligence and professionalism, as they would like to do.

Does the minister not realize that the only way to restore confidence in these job creation programs and to restore a healthy working climate is to launch an independent public inquiry?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I looked at the transcripts from the committee yesterday, I saw that the representatives from the union were saying that I, as the minister, was taking it seriously and that the opposition should let me get on with doing the job of fixing the problems.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps touting her six point plan. Everyone knows this is a tactic to divert attention and avoid facing up to her responsibilities, including getting to the bottom of the HRDC scandal.

Does the minister not realize that, by refusing to initiate an independent public inquiry, she is destroying all credibility for these job creation programs, which are so important for the economic development of all the regions?

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

Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member forgets that we are working with the auditor general, an independent office of the House. The auditor general has helped us to develop the six point plan and is watching us implement the six point plan. In October he will be reporting the results of his study of the grants and contributions plan.

Health

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. I want to re-engage him on the question of the Canada Health Act, something we have been talking about for the last little while.

The minister will know that there are now a variety of private clinics across the country providing insured services, sometimes for fees which go beyond what is provided for in the health care plan.

The minister has said that he stands by the Canada Health Act and wants to enforce it. What is the status of all these clinics operating now? Is he saying that they comply with the Canada Health Act, or is he saying that he is actually not enforcing the Canada Health Act now?