Mr. Speaker, in connection with Bill C-2, the bill to amend the Employment Insurance Act, we know that coalitions of the unemployed in Abitibi, Témiscamingue, Val-d'Or and all over Quebec have raised the awareness of the political parties, both the Bloc Quebecois and the opposition. Thanks to these groups, the government has backed down, and that is what is important.
I have heard what my colleagues have been saying about eliminating the rule of intensity and certain other changes relating to the reimbursement of benefits and parental return to the work force. Several Bloc Quebecois members have said that the government had a fund of $35 billion.
However, we need to look at what the Department of Human Resources Development is doing with that money. I have a listing here of some of the programs we need to take into consideration, including the millions that go to the province of Quebec in transfer payments each year. This department has been administering our programs for some years.
As well, we need to look at what is being done in the communities, whether in the resource regions or in the major centres. There are partnerships in social development, community action partnerships, a fund to support the official language minority communities.
What Quebec is currently doing with the money from the fund also needs to be considered. It is providing targeted wage subsidies, help to self-employed workers, contributing to skills development, providing assistance to employment, research and innovation.
We must also look at programs that are provided to assist persons with disabilities, the fund for integrating persons with disabilities. Programs such as youth international, youth service Canada and student summer job action are also provided to help young people and young trainees in Canada. Thus, several billions of dollars from the fund are invested in Canada.
There are also federal transfers. We know that several federal transfers were established recently. I heard Mrs. Marois speech last Thursday. Mr. Landry said there was a $35 million surplus, but we realize that it is ultimately a $2.5 billion surplus, thanks to the nice cheque of about $2.3 billion he just received from our finance minister, a cheque that was transferred to Quebec and whose money came from the fund.
I heard the Bloc Quebecois members' speeches concerning the fund. They said “There is $35 billion, and they are spending it”. If we spend this $35 billion, it will be for reducing taxes, for investing it in health and education. One thing Bloc members often talk about is the $35 billion.
They say this money must be transferred but strangely enough they do not talk about Loto-Québec, which makes $10 million a day, not a month. Loto-Québec is now raking in $10 million a day from 15,138 video poker machines in Quebec. Loto-Québec does not have an agreement because it is not asking the government of Quebec to leave the money there and then distribute it to Quebecers. What is Loto-Quebec doing? We are talking about $10 million a day. This is $3 billion a year that Quebec taxpayers do not see.
We could also mention Hydro-Quebec, which has just made a profit of $1.3 billion. This money should go back to those who pay for electricity in order to help with monthly heating bills but no, into the fund it goes.
The SAQ is raking in billions right now and Bloc Quebecois members are talking about creating an independent fund. There is no independent fund in Quebec. The only independent funds that are allowed to exist are those for non-profit corporations. The Landry government's non-profit corporations, of which there were seven, made $730 million just two weeks before Quebec's finance minister, Bernard Landry, tabled his budget.
This money was made during the night because the national assembly was closed. They made it during the night and said “We are going to hand out $730 million”. This went to their friends, to presidents and vice-presidents and all the directors of these seven non-profit organizations. It is even better this year. They have done better and taken $950 million and handed it over to the Caisse de dépôt et placement but nothing is spelled out.
The odd thing is that the $950 million has not been invested. It is not known what they are going to do with it. I hope they will invest it in resource regions because certain points raised by Bloc Quebecois members with reference to the independent fund—