Reg Alcock

[Foundations, February 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Auditor General for her report, as I have done each time she has laid down her report.

I would like to maybe add to the member's information about what the Auditor General has actually said about foundations. She said that a number of improvements had been made to the framework for the accountability in foundations to Parliament; that the government was committed to better reporting of the foundation; that we found more information each year on foundations than the estimates documents of all the sponsoring departments; that 10 of 11 funding agreements between sponsoring departments and foundations had provisions for independent evaluations; and that the annual report of the foundations included audited financial statements prepared in accordance with general accounting--

I think we are doing it.

[Sponsorship Program, February 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that after an entire year the opposition has finally realized there is some important work going on. This is an exceptionally important piece of work and one that I intend to do well, and that means it will be ready when it is ready.

[Sponsorship Program, February 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question and, frankly, I thank his leader for allowing him to ask it.

The reality is that we have been working on these reviews. I did raise the question in conversation with a few individuals about whether or not there would be concerns about us pre-empting Mr. Justice Gomery, something that we do not wish to do.

I am working on the report. There will be discussions. I have made repeated suggestions that the committee bring me before it and as soon as the committee wants to take me up on that, I will do so.

[National Defence, February 11th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I should point out to the member that it was a result of action by this government that the bulk of the money that was mentioned in defence was recovered, almost all of it.

The reality is that we are constantly looking at ways to modernize the services that we deliver and, frankly, we will continue to do so. We will continue to look at ways to improve services, to seek lower costs and to provide better services for citizens. It is the mandate of this government.

[Canada Labour Code, February 11th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the use of labour agreements in some form or another is common in large projects. They have been used many times. They respect the rights of non-unionized employers as well as unionized employers. The premier of the province is aware of this. We are negotiating on these very processes and I am sure we will reach a conclusion that respects the rights of everyone involved.

[Canada Labour Code, February 11th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the hyperbole and energy in the member's question perhaps overstate the case a bit. There is the provincial government, along with the federal government, and there has been a corporation set up to manage this.

We have expressed our concerns about activities that might increase the costs or delay the build. We want this necessary infrastructure built as quickly as it reasonably can be. I have been in conversations with the premier of the province. There are arbitrators in place. There will be a solution to this.

[Treasury Board, February 11th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, one of the great joys of this job is that I have had an opportunity to meet with public servants all across the country, particularly the federal councils that are active in every province and region of the country. They do marvellous work and are working very hard on behalf of Canadians.

Should workers in Ottawa wish to join workers in the provinces, I certainly will be very supportive of that. Should there be job relocations that will impact on people, as I said before, we will do everything possible to guarantee fairness in that process.

The member ought not speculate on decisions that have not yet taken place.

[Treasury Board, February 11th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, given the member's experience, he ought to know that he should not believe everything he reads in the newspapers.

The government is committed to following through on its promises. We are constantly looking at ways to improve services for Canadians all across the country and we will continue to do so.

No decisions have been made on how fast, how far and in what manner. Should there be decisions made that impact on our employees, I guarantee the House and the member that we will treat our employees with respect and in the fairest way possible.

[National Revenue, February 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is really hard to understand what the members opposite do not understand about success.

Thanks to the hard work of the finance minister, who is from the province of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan is doing exceptionally well, and we should all be proud of that. It is a big accomplishment. It is finally in a position where it is able to manage its own affairs completely. It is a wonderful success story for Saskatchewan.

[National Revenue, February 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question because now I can stand up in the House and say exactly what the Minister of National Revenue did.

He was celebrating the enormous success of Saskatchewan. He was celebrating the fact that, thanks to the good leadership of the Minister of Finance, we have been able to arrive at a situation where Saskatchewan no longer requires equalization, so there is more for those provinces that do.

Frankly, as a Manitoban I look forward to the day when we no longer require equalization.