House of Commons Hansard #43 of the 37th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was drugs.
Stephen Owen LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the member of the opposition says he has discovered a contract that he cannot otherwise find. I am not sure where he found it, but if he would like to give me a copy, we will provide a full explanation of the competitive process that led to the awarding of that contract.
Jason Kenney Canadian Alliance Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister told me to go and check his website. We went there and all the contracts for Earnscliffe on that website total $965,000. It was missing this $1.2 million contract.
We want to know, how many other secret Earnscliffe contracts are not listed on that website and exactly how many tax dollars have been shovelled to the Prime Minister's cronies at the Earnscliffe lobby firm?
Stephen Owen LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, it hardly seems to be hidden if the hon. member has the contract. If he would like to give me a copy of it, I will provide a full explanation of the process that led to the awarding of that contract.
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, the issue of parental leave has been at a stalemate for several years because the federal government stubbornly insists on imposing its own program rather than helping to fund the Quebec program, which is much more complete. This is a very important question and I am addressing it to the Prime Minister.
Will the government pledge to reach an agreement with Quebec before an election is called?
Joe Volpe LiberalMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, as always, Bloc Quebecois members are not informed. I am currently having discussions with my Quebec counterpart. Officials from my department and from Quebec are carrying on discussions that should lead to an agreement. However, we cannot prejudge the outcome of these discussions.
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, we have to be careful here. First, the federal government should consider withdrawing its appeal to the Supreme Court on this issue and, second, it should recognize that it is unacceptable and counterproductive that the Quebec government be constantly forced to go before the courts to prevent federal intrusions in provincial jurisdictions.
What we want to offer to Quebeckers is our own business. The federal government should stop interfering, it should stop sticking its nose into this, and it should hand over the money that belongs to Quebec families.
Joe Volpe LiberalMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the hon. member opposite is living in another world. Canadians living in Quebec were not denied any benefit. The Quebec government has introduced a bill, but it is not in effect yet. Therefore, we did not take anything away from anyone. We are in the process of working out the differences and we have made progress, despite the protests of Bloc Quebecois members, who have nothing to offer.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Health, the assistant to Jean Lapierre in Quebec, listed a number of events that received grants from the national unity fund.
If the minister wants to be taken seriously when he says he wants to be transparent about this fund, then what is he waiting for, frankly, to table this list that he refers to frequently in this House?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to answer the Bloc Quebecois House Leader who is fully aware that because we want to table a comprehensive list that includes all the information, we have to go back several years. I have been assured that the Treasury Board is doing a painstaking and diligent job. As soon as the list is complete, it will be made public.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, the difference between the minister and me is that I know I am the Bloc House Leader, while he did not know he was Jean Lapierre's assistant.
We now know that the list of events for 2000 to 2006 exists. According to the minister, the list of events between 1992 and 2000 is not ready and does not exist. Is the minister prepared to rise and tell me, in all seriousness, that this list does not exist right now?
National Unity FundOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. Everyone wants to hear the answer from the hon. President of the Treasury Board, especially the hon. member for Roberval.
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, as the assistant to our very capable Minister of Health, I want to assure the member that the list is under preparation. I expect to have it for him shortly.
James Rajotte Canadian Alliance Edmonton Southwest, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Public Works and Government Services assured Parliament that all contracts with the government are on the Contracts Canada website. He said that the answers to every question we asked were there.
We checked this website. During the period that Lansdowne Technologies was owned by Canada Steamship Lines, Natural Resources Canada stated that it conducted over $1.8 million worth of business with Lansdowne Technologies. These contracts are not on this website that the minister directed us to.
Why is this contract not on the website and how many other contracts is the government hiding?
Stephen Owen LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the contracts listed on the Contracts Canada website only go back several number of years. I have asked hon. members if they have specific contracts that they want details of, and this may be one of them, to present those questions to me and I will provide the details.
However, details of contracts do not go back an indefinite amount of time. They are not all on the website perhaps. But, if there is evidence of them, bring it forward. I will review them and provide members with specific details.
James Rajotte Canadian Alliance Edmonton Southwest, AB
Mr. Speaker, I hope that the several number of years includes a timeframe of October 25, 2002 to October 23, 2003. This is a contract for over $1.8 million. It was a contract between Natural Resources Canada and Lansdowne Technologies. It was let by public works. It is not on the Contracts Canada website.
The minister stood in the House yesterday and lectured us to go to the website to find information. The more information the government provides, whether it is CSL for $137,000 or $161 million, we can simply not trust any information the government provides.
What is the government trying to hide?
Government ContractsOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
R. John Efford LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member were serious in seeking the answer to the question, he would have come to me and I would have given him the answer directly.
Any time there is a subcontract given out by government, it does not show up on the website of the hon. Minister of Public Works. A subcontract does not show up. There is nothing being hidden. Ask me the question and I will give the answer.
Chuck Strahl Canadian Alliance Fraser Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I think I know what the problem is. The Prime Minister has set a record in the devolution of his own code of ethics. In a mere 120 days it has morphed from a strict code of ethics to ideas for suggested ethical conduct to a wish list for those who care to comply.
We have 15 ministers who have failed to disclose their personal assets. They have missed the 120 day deadline. Why have they broken the code of ethics?
Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the assumption upon which the question has been based is simply not true. Certain ministers were given extensions. I can assure the hon. member that every single minister will live up to the conflict of interest guidelines.
Chuck Strahl Canadian Alliance Fraser Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I guess we will call it at the very least a flexible code of ethics and maybe Canadians should not be surprised. After all, the Prime Minister failed to disclose all of his companies on his own declaration of assets.
This is either a case of do not do as I do, but do as I say, or perhaps it is more of a monkey do, monkey see situation.
Three out of the four parliamentary secretaries that report to the Prime Minister directly have failed to disclose their personal assets. Why should we believe that this code of ethics is anything more than window dressing for the upcoming election?
Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the preamble and assumption upon which the question was based were simply not factual.
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Official Languages.
With respect to Air Canada, it appears that the new financial agreement with Deutsche Bank is providing hope to all Air Canada employees.
Can the minister tell this House whether the level playing field requested by Deutsche Bank includes respect for the Official Languages Act?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the position of the Government of Canada is unequivocal. Air Canada must respect its linguistic obligations and act in complete compliance with the relevant provisions of the Official Languages Act.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, in 2001 all political parties unanimously adopted the report entitled “Beyond Bill C-2”, which proposed 17 recommendations to reform employment insurance. For three years the government has been ignoring this report and has done nothing to help the unemployed. Now, on the eve of an election, the government claims it is worried about this problem and suggests that it will be making changes to employment insurance.
After three years of arrogantly ignoring the people in need, what changes does the government intend to make to the employment insurance system and when will it make them?
Joe Volpe LiberalMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, the truth is quite otherwise. We have already implemented certain recommendations and eliminated the intensity rules.
Moreover, we have increased eligibility and decreased the number of weeks. Benefits are calculated according to the number of hours. We have already implemented several measures but there is also a possibility that we will review the act and look at the way in which we could establish a program that—