House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2000, with 51% of the vote.
Export Development Corporation May 15th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, maybe he does sit out those particular meetings but I do not think that it looks good or smells good for the government, and the minister knows it.
Patrick Lavelle oversees the management of millions of dollars of public money, period. He also sits on the board of two private companies that do business with that same public money. He is in a massive conflict of interest and the government is his accomplice. Why?
Export Development Corporation May 15th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, not exactly. I do not think Canadians who are forking out cash are really pleased with that answer. He talks about a part time chairman. Too bad they were not just giving out part time cash.
It is absolutely amazing that when Patrick Lavelle is not chairing EDC board meetings, which he does as the minister just said, he sits on the board of the Canadian Bank Note Company and Slater Steel and he has stock options in both of those. Wouldn't you know it, the Canadian Bank Note Company and Slater Steel both got millions of dollars in assistance from EDC.
Why is public money being used to finance private business deals for friends of the Prime Minister?
Export Development Corporation May 15th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, we cannot help but be intrigued at the government's view of ethics. Patrick Lavelle is a long time friend and confidant of the Prime Minister, and friendship has its privileges.
Mr. Lavelle was handpicked to head up the Export Development Corporation. While that is a lovely little job in its own right, it is even better for Patrick because he has a personal stake in companies that receive EDC assistance.
Why is it that conflicts of interest are always overlooked for friends of the Prime Minister?
Human Resources Development May 11th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it took three years. Let us look at the chronology.
The member for Ahuntsic lobbies the HRDC minister for a job grant for the newly incorporated Modes Conili. The department then cuts a cheque for three quarters of a million dollars. Modes Conili then finances 10% of the election campaign for the member for Ahuntsic. The HRDC minister gets 160 new jobs transferred to his riding just in time for the federal election.
Could it be that these are the facts that kept HRDC from blowing the whistle on this scam three years ago?
Human Resources Development May 11th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, Modes Conili got nearly three quarters of a million dollars in a job grant, even though no jobs were going to be created. Pierre Côté, the head of the commission governing working conditions in the ladies clothing industry, confirmed yesterday that the jobs were transferred, not created, and he had assured Quebec regulators that no jobs would be lost.
He told the Montreal Gazette :
We were advised that the employees were going to be transferred to Conili Star.
If Mr. Côté knew it and the Quebec regulators knew it, why did HRDC cut them a cheque?
Human Resources Development May 11th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the junior HRDC minister raised the spectre of McCarthyism. A billion dollars was bungled and friends of the reds benefited. Questionable grants were handed out and friends of the reds lined their pockets. Questionable donations were encouraged and friends of the reds cashed in.
I would like to ask the red menace, is she now or has she ever been a member of that bungling—
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it would seem to me that golf courses, let us use that as an example, would be equivalent to a business. I thought they made money.
I have a list of four golf courses here that ACOA funded in 1998-99 under a Liberal administration to the tune of more than $2.5 million. That is a business. It came under grants and contributions. We see now that ACOA really did fund golf courses. When it comes to golf courses, should not this minister just improve his lie?
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Yesterday the minister said“ we have been giving only loans which have to be paid back”. He talks about infrastructure. Everyone thought that was sewer and water, not sportplexes. He says ACOA is about loans but really over the past five years 70% of ACOA spending has been on contributions. Those are giveaways, as far as I know.
Why is the minister pretending that ACOA is simply a lending agency when he knows that is not the case?
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, at lease I will feel free to admit it when I have made a mistake. I would like to remind the minister about what he said yesterday.
Acoa May 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the minister for ACOA seems to have a dreadful addiction for fiction. Yesterday he said “Today and for the past five years we have been giving only loans which have to be paid back”.
I have a list here of 123 grants totalling more than $12 million. They are all grants. They were all in the last three years when the Liberals were in power and all of them were non-repayable. Why did the minister claim what he knew to be false?