Michel Gauthier

[Auditor General's Report, November 26th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I used to be a teacher, and I have had students like the minister, who justified getting 6 per cent on an exam by saying that they had improved a great deal since last time, when they got zero. That is not good enough.

It is not good enough because, while the government is claiming to have done this exercise with great conscientiousness, a great deal of work, at the same time the Minister of National Defence, and former Minister of Human Resources, was cutting benefits to all of Canada's unemployed. While he was making those cuts, the President of Treasury Board was calmly examining expenditures, and another $2.5 billion were wasted.

The government has overspent the information technologies budget by $300 million. How can the President of Treasury Board, who is responsible for good government administration, justify such a terrible performance in his own department, having gone more than 30 per cent over budget?

[Auditor General's Report, November 26th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, that is the problem we run into with this government. Blinded by his own arrogance, it is impossible for the President of Treasury Board to admit his errors with humility. He simply cannot do it. Two billion and a half is nothing to sneeze at.

The auditor general has estimated that the government could have saved up to $1.25 billion just by managing its stocks better. How can the President of Treasury Board be boasting about putting public finances in order, when his neglecting to do an item-by-item examination of government expenditures has resulted, for Public Works and Government Services alone, in losses amounting to $1.25 billion?

[Auditor General's Report, November 26th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general has just released another report crammed full of extravagant expenditures, expenditures that are the result of federal mismanagement. In fact, more than $2.5 billion in needless expenditures are itemized in the auditor general's report for 1996 alone.

Does the President of Treasury Board realize that, if he had done his job properly, if the government had managed the taxpayers' money properly, it would have saved almost half the money it swiped from the UI fund surplus?

[Native Peoples, November 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary is for the Minister of Finance.

Can the Minister of Finance tell us whether the proposal in the Dussault-Erasmus report to increase the Indian Affairs budget by some $2 billion in order to solve aboriginal problems strikes him as acceptable and realistic?

[Native Peoples, November 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary is for the Minister of Finance.

Can the Minister of Finance tell us whether the proposal in the Dussault-Erasmus report to increase the Indian Affairs budget by some $2 billion in order to solve aboriginal problems strikes him as acceptable and realistic?

[Native Peoples, November 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, since a good many aboriginal problems come under provincial jurisdiction, how does the minister of Indian affairs intend to proceed in order to respect this jurisdiction, bearing in mind the recommendations of the Dussault-Erasmus report with its extremely centralizing approach?

[Native Peoples, November 21st, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, after more than five years of hearings, including a two year extension under the present government, and $58 million of the public's money, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples has just tabled a voluminous report of over 4,000 pages on the situation of native peoples in Canada.

My question is for the minister of Indian affairs. Does he agree with the royal commission that the solution to aboriginal problems lies in a royal proclamation followed by a series of legislative measures by the federal government?

[Taxation, November 20th, 1996]

He is well versed in defence matters, but not in things financial, unfortunately. Can the Minister of Finance set up a mechanism guaranteeing Quebecers and Canadians that business and especially big business will pay the government the taxes it is supposed to within a reasonable period of time, while maintaining intact the concept of deferred income tax? Some simple adjustments need be made. We would like to know from the Minister of Finance whether he would agree to act quickly in this matter as the Bloc asks him to?

[Taxation, November 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have to say once again to the Minister of Finance that we will of course co-operate with him when he is reasonable. When he wants to save taxpayers' money, of course we will work with him. When he repents and finally is prepared to collect taxes from those who should be paying, of course we will co-operate and we will co-operate with him. He may rest assured, the Bloc will co-operate.

Since he is in good humour, I will go a step further. In our document, we established that a sample of 27 major Canadian corporations with profits of $7 billion in 1994 paid income tax at a rate barely above 6.5 per cent, whereas the corporate rate is usually around 30 per cent.

This does not concern the minister of defence, so I would ask him to allow me to ask my question of his colleague.

[Taxation, November 20th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I in turn would thank the Minister of Finance for his objectivity in recognizing that the work of the Bloc represents a very substantial contribution to public finances. Certainly, it is the most substantial contribution made by an opposition party, especially in opposition.

Despite these kind words for my friend, I am nevertheless obliged to say to the Minister of Finance that he is hiding behind his committee because everyone knows the report will be released only next year, after the federal elections. People want to know now what the government will do.

Should the Minister of Finance, who seems to recognize reason, not make substantial changes in tax expenditures right now, as we are suggesting he do and use this money for other tax measures that would help create jobs in small and medium businesses, for example? That is what it means to be proactive in creating jobs. This is what the people are expecting and not getting from the government.