House of Commons Hansard #30 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.
Judy Sgro LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, those allegations are outrageous. The member should get his facts very clear.
The government took the unprecedented step of posting expenses of ministerial and political staff on the Internet. We are posting every one of those items as clear and proficient, and has been approved by the comptroller. All expenses are in accordance with all guidelines. That is how we work on this side of the House.
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, I am not denying that the expenses were posted. That is how we found out about this information.
Let us take one example of the minister's former chief of staff. Every week during the election, the minister would fly her former chief of staff to her riding on the weekends. Then he would fly back on Monday, with one exception. On election day, the former chief of staff stayed an extra night because, as we all know, no campaign worker can resist a good election night party.
Will you agree that this was a clear violation of electoral rules--
Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Question Period
The Speaker
No, I will not. The hon. member has to address his questions to the Chair. The hon. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
Judy Sgro LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, let us use some common sense here. The member knows darn well these get posted on the Internet.
Given the fact that these issues do get posted on the Internet, does the member think that we will post something that is not consistent with the Treasury Board guidelines, all the guidelines that all of us as ministers and as members of Parliament have to operate under?
James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB
Mr. Speaker, today the Auditor General tried to clarify the largest clerical error in Canadian history: why the government failed to report over $160 million in grants and contracts to the Prime Minister's shipping company, Canada Steamship Lines. We learned today that even this figure is not correct. In fact it is at least $170 million now and it does not include any contracts with the port authorities or with Canada Post.
When will the government finally come clean on how much taxpayer money the Prime Minister's shipping company has received?
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure whether the hon. member has read the same report that I have. What the Auditor General in fact has said is that this response is as complete as reasonably possible, that it is as good as it gets.
The opposition can be expected to say what it is saying. I will take my cue from the Auditor General. She has provided some further recommendations, recommendations which we fully support and will implement.
James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General said that it was at least $10 million off and she also said in her report that it did not include the port authorities or Canada Post. Therefore, it could be higher than $170 million.
In addition to the numbers being way off base, the Auditor General also pointed out that two companies had been omitted from the Prime Minister's 2002 public declaration of assets. One of these companies, Lansdowne Technologies, received over $20 million taxpayer dollars.
Why did the Prime Minister sign a false declaration of assets? How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister says?
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, again, the rhetoric is at fever pitch. With respect to the $10 million loan guarantee, the Auditor General noted in her report that this was a loan guarantee made by the last Conservative government, the friends of my friends across the way. A majority share of Canarctic Shipping Company Ltd. was owned by the government. Furthermore, the loan guarantee was never exercised at all, so no money was ever paid out.
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Speaker, we all know that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Media reports today again raise fundamental questions with respect to the Conservative Party's lack of empathy for human suffering caused by HIV-AIDS. Although the Conservatives are desperately trying to re-brand themselves as more moderate, once again Canadians get a real look at their views from a prominent member of that party.
My question is for the Minister of International Cooperation. Could the minister please tell us what the government and what we on this side of the House have done to demonstrate empathy for this important cause while dealing with--
Aileen Carroll LiberalMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, this is a very timely question. Just this morning the United Nations released its report that showed the terrible progression of this crisis. Almost 40 million people are now living with AIDS, and the toll on women is horrific.
In Africa fully 76% of young people with the disease are women. On this side of the House we are committed to leading the fight against AIDS. We provided $100 million to the World Health 3 by 5 initiative. The leader of World Health, Dr. Lee, told us that the Canadian lead is a historic--
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, today the Auditor General once again condemned the Liberal government's empty words toward Canada's aboriginal people, specifically on post-secondary education. According to the Auditor General, the glacial speed of Liberal commitment to aboriginal people will result in the education gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students being closed in 28 years.
Why must our first nations wait 28 years for education equality?
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Auditor General for the report. She is correct in her assertion that the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians in educational achievement is too great.
That sentiment has been expressed by the Prime Minister, and that is why we called the round table in April. Education is one of the areas we are looking at strategically to do better on that gap. The government is committed to that, and I thank the Auditor General for bringing it to the attention of the nation.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, is that why the government is now talking about taxing the education benefit for aboriginal students?
In her scathing report, the Auditor General reminded us today that the education gap was already highlighted four years ago. Yet, since 2000, the do nothing Liberal government has made no meaningful progress. Education is absolutely key to meaningful equality, yet we have seen four more years of second class status and a growing gap for first nations students.
Why is aboriginal equality always the subject of rhetoric, which we heard again this afternoon, but never--
Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, special education within the system is just one area that has been identified by many aboriginal leaders. For first nations, we have identified an additional $273 million to respond to those issues, as identified by the communities themselves. That has happened just in the last two years.
Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Lanark, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General reports that due to bureaucratic bungling in the defence department, the air crew training simulator for CF-18 fighter aircraft did not receive approval on time and is seriously behind schedule. This means that operational CF-18s have to be used as trainers, costing the forces tens of millions of dollars and reducing the life expectancy of the CF-18 fleet by two or three years.
Will the minister explain why large defence projects continue to be mismanaged in his department?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member follows these questions closely. When he reads the Auditor General's report, I think he will agree with me that she is saying there were problems in this, as there are in all large contracts, but that the air force, in the course of the modernization of CF-18s, worked closely to overcome those problems. Ultimately, as I read the Auditor General's report, it is extremely complimentary of the air force's efforts to overcome normal problems in the procurement, and it has done a very good job. That is exactly what she said.
Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Lanark, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General reports there will not be enough pilots and technicians to support the CF-18 fleet. This means that $2 billion is being spent without the assurance that the forces will have the ability to fly the improved aircraft. It is hard for me to believe that there are not enough people in Canada who want to be fighter pilots or aircraft technicians.
Will the minister explain why he cannot solve the recruiting and training problem to ensure that taxpayer money is not wasted?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that I was at Cold Lake recently. I met with the colonel responsible for the program and for Cold Lake. It is an extraordinary unit. I suggest to all hon. members, if they have a chance to go to Alberta, to visit Cold Lake. They will hear from Colonel Sullivan about the successes of the fleet.
Of course there were problems of recruiting. Of course there are problems with training. There is in any organization. However, the air force is overcoming those problems. It is doing a damn good job, and we should be very proud of it.
Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James, MB
Mr. Speaker, the government has no compassion. Apparently it takes a minority parliament for the Liberals to even think about changing their policies. It would not have taken us six years to compensate the victims of hepatitis C due to government negligence.
The minister said yesterday that opening the discussions was the right and responsible thing to do. Why was it not the right and responsible thing to do six years ago? Why, after punishing the tainted blood victims for six years, has the government decided to cave in and do the right thing now?
Ujjal Dosanjh LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, all Canadians would agree this is a very difficult issue that deals with serious injury to Canadians across the country. It is important we recognize that we are doing the right thing. The class members from pre-1986 and post-1990 asked us to look at the issue. There is a potential actuarial surplus. We have given the mandate to the lawyers to look at all options that are available on this very serious issue so compensation can be provided to those who deserve it.
Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James, MB
Mr. Speaker, those are hollow words. There is nothing that the minister can say to take back all the lives lost, and the suffering the victims of tainted blood have endured over the last six years. This scandal is a perfect example of the number one Liberal Party policy: politics before people. Liberals care more about their political futures than about people suffering with hepatitis C from tainted blood.
When will the minister, on behalf of the Liberal Party, apologize to the victims? Do the right thing and apologize.
Ujjal Dosanjh LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this side of the House is doing the right and responsible thing. I want that member to begin to tell the truth in the House. He said yesterday that the government did not do anything “while the government racked up huge profits from the interest on the hepatitis C compensation fund”. That fund is in the possession of the courts and the interest accrues to the fund.