Deborah Grey

[Human Resources Development, February 28th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, could it be that the next HRDC grant will fund a brand new company called Shawinigan Shredding Inc.?

[Human Resources Development, February 28th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it was a truckload to be sure.

The HRDC minister has bungled a billion dollars. She has sat on the audit for months and she has proven that manipulating these truckloads of lists is really not beneath her. It is hardly a stretch to think that documents could be changed, deleted or fabricated.

Could it be that the next HRDC—

[Human Resources Development, February 28th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it would have been great if the Prime Minister had talked about the question.

We have seen problems for years now with documents regarding the APEC file, the Somalia file and now the disaster in Shawinigan. There are billions of dollars at stake here. Many people stand to be tainted by this scandal but they still have full access to this evidence.

How can Canadians be sure that there will even be any documents left to audit?

[Human Resources Development, February 24th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I can see the program now: “Fountains for a Better Life”, as if anyone is going to believe that.

The finance minister may sniff at $200,000 of taxpayers' money, but to Canadians that is a huge amount of money. They can make fun of it, but that is a lot of money.

The finance minister said that he supports the old style government job creation schemes and now the Deputy Prime Minister has agreed with that. It is nothing but shame that should be heaped on them for that.

I would ask again, does he agree with the Prime Minister's claim that this boondoggle of $200,000 for the fountain—

[Human Resources Development, February 24th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, this is Gone With the Wind . The Minister of Finance says this boondoggle is actually about job creation, but the government does not have a sweet clue as to how many jobs actually get created. He says it is about helping the needy, and yet Wal-Mart happens to be part of that category. We know that he likes to help the little guy. I will tell the House who he helps: the friends of the little guy from Shawinigan.

I am going to ask a specific question, and for once I would like a specific answer. Does the finance minister agree with the $200,000 taxpayer grant for the musical fountain in the Prime Minister's riding?

[Human Resources Development, February 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, let us get this straight. Taxes go up every year, health care goes down every year and yet the Prime Minister brags about it and says “I have nothing to be ashamed of”.

It seems pretty clear to me that every single year the finance minister has shovelled more and more money into the HRDC minister's pocket so that she can do with it whatever she chooses.

Why was the finance minister allowed to be the accomplice for the member for “Grantford”?

[Human Resources Development, February 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would guess that falsify would mean the same thing whatever side of the House it is coming from.

In 1994, and every year since then, spending on boondoggle grants and contributions has increased every single year. Over that same time period the finance minister slashed funding for health care and every single year he raised taxes.

Why did the Prime Minister allow the finance minister to get away with this?

[Human Resources Development, February 22nd, 2000]

That is right, Mr. Speaker, but the banks are in the business of banking and it is not taxpayers' money which they are responsible for. This government is responsible for the taxpayer.

Let me say it again: $12 million was lost. It went into thin air on 51 companies that went belly up. Those grants were supposed to create more than 2,800 long term jobs. Do you know what the answer is, Mr. Speaker? They created exactly zero sustainable, permanent jobs.

For what reason, other than vote buying, could this government waste so many millions of dollars?

[Human Resources Development, February 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister forgot to mention the $12 million lost on 51 companies that went belly up. They went bankrupt, so I would like to ask, in what way is spending 12 million irretrievable dollars such a great bargain for Canadian taxpayers?

[Human Resources Development, February 22nd, 2000]

Let us look at the list that the Prime Minister talks about—