Mr. Speaker, today we are debating our opposition motion that lists a number of things. I want to go through the list one by one.
The previous speaker, the member for Durham, stated that we should avoid deficits at all cost. That is the policy of the Canadian Alliance. Why go into a deficit at any time if we should not? It bothers me that the government talks about spending and deficits as if they were outside its control. Yet today, as all members know, the auditor general tabled her report. The first thing it says in our motion is:
That, in the opinion of this House, the upcoming budget should:
(a) reallocate financial resources from low and falling priorities into higher need areas such as national security;
I do not think anybody would disagree with that statement. What did the auditor general say about that? Members may recall that two days before the election the Minister of Finance stood in his place and introduced a program that was to cost $1.3 billion of Canadian taxpayer money for the heating fuel rebate.
Today at 2 o'clock the auditor general told us that $500 million of that program was wasted. It went to people who did not need the money because they did not qualify as low income or even modest income people. It was $500 million wasted. Our motion says:
reallocate financial resources from low and falling priorities into higher need areas--
That is the type of waste, mismanagement and incompetence that is coming from the government. That needs to be fixed so that money is not wasted and we have the funds for higher priority items that we need. It is fairly simple.
I see the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance has now moved in to listen to the debate. When we are talking about the heating fuel rebate, 90,000 poor and underprivileged Canadians who needed the money did not get a dime. There was $500 million wasted on those who did not need it and 90,000 Canadians who should have got it did not get a dime. That is the type of mismanagement we have here. The next point is:
(b) reverse the unbudgeted spending increases to a maximum growth rate of inflation plus population;
The auditor general tells us today that the Minister of Health approved programs and spent money that was in direct contravention to the rules set down by treasury board and in direct contravention to the rules approved by cabinet. Why are ministers of the crown freelancing with taxpayer money, spending it as they see fit on their own pet projects, when it is in direct contravention to their own rules? How does the government explain that to Canadian taxpayers?
The auditor general's report states that the Minister of Canadian Heritage is doing what the minister of HRDC used to do, that is approving grants before she has an application. The minister is spending money with no authority and not even so much as a request from a taxpayer or an organization that wants to do something.
The Minister of Industry from Newfoundland is now getting his own public servants to start up a non-profit organization, finding a board of directors with half a dozen people. It is suggesting that these half dozen people be the board of directors of this non-profit organization. They would do all the paperwork so they could fill out an application for $1.9 million and send it to themselves.
These are Department of Industry officials setting up a non-profit organization. They are in essence the employees. They send themselves an application saying they think it would be a good idea if this organization got $1.9 million.
Guess what? They approve it. What is it for? It is to spend some money on some sand dunes in the riding belonging to the solicitor general. That is what the auditor general says about unbudgeted spending increases.
I see the Minister of National Defence is sitting right there, so what about our motion to increase national security and defence spending?