Grant Hill

[Government Contracts, April 29th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the report was forthcoming all right. Per diem rates were broken, Treasury Board guidelines were ignored, $560,000 worth of taxpayer money were put on the line and two companies were used to hide the identity of this employee.

My question stands. Why was Joanne Meyer not hired directly under her own name rather than these other companies? What is the minister over there trying to hide?

[Government Contracts, April 29th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the former health minister hired Joanne Meyer under suspicious circumstances to work on aboriginal health. We waited for weeks for a report from the current health minister to explain why. That report did not explain it at all. Let me give her an opportunity to answer to the House today.

Why was Joanne Meyer not hired directly rather than through an auto restoration firm in Winnipeg?

[Health, April 28th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, today is the fifth anniversary of the day the Liberal Party of Canada said no to all victims of tainted blood by hepatitis C.

On April 28, 1998, we put a motion before Parliament that all victims of tainted blood receive help. Only Liberals voted this down.

The former health minister said that there were 22,000 victims between 1986 and 1990, and 40,000 outside this narrow legal window. The truth is that there were just over 4,000 between 1986 and 1990 and less than 5,000 outside. We were also told that no test was available prior to 1986 to detect hepatitis C. That was wrong.

Joey Haché said, “There is no difference between someone infected December 31, 1985 and January 1, 1986. People were infected the same and should be treated the same”. He is right.

[Question No. 167, April 11th, 2003]

With respect to the Ethics Counsellor: ( a ) how many times did he formally meet with the Minister of Finance from February 1, 1994 to June 1, 2002; ( b ) what were the dates, subject matter and location of these meetings?

[Iraq, April 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we did miss out in helping to free Iraq from a tyrant. We can still fulfill a positive role. That is what Canadians want.

I am not quite sure I understand the reticence to get on the phone and offer our help; for instance, like a police force similar to the police force that we offered in Haiti. Why in heaven's name would the government not do that?

[Iraq, April 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, what a cheap partisan shot that is.

We now have an announcement from Poland that there will be a conference on reconstruction in Iraq. Guess who is invited: only those countries that were on the ground.

Here is my question for the government. Will it pick up the phone and offer our help for reconstruction instead of simply idly waiting for a call?

[Iraq, April 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Canada missed out on liberating the people of Iraq. We did not have any role in the joy on those faces, but we do now have an opportunity to participate in the reconstruction there. Has the government been in direct contact with President Bush or Prime Minister Blair to offer Canada's help for reconstruction?

[Health, April 10th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me we have been hearing that same answer now for weeks. I cannot imagine if this is that straightforward a problem why we do not have the report. I certainly hope it is not because we are just about to go for a break. That report would not be released during that break time now would it? What is the holdup?

[Health, April 10th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, you will probably remember the suspicious contract that the former health minister signed with Joanne Meyer, the contract that went through an auto restoration company. The current health minister has been promising a report on that issue for weeks now. Here is her opportunity. Where is it?

[Taxation, April 8th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that this tax loophole could be changed with six months' notice unilaterally. Maybe that is the reason the former finance minister will not appear on programs on CTV to answer these questions.

At the start of his tenure it cost the Canadian taxpayer $4 million. At the end of his tenure it cost $1.5 billion and Canadian taxpayers had to make up the difference.

Again, why does the government not close the tax loophole now?