Philip Mayfield

[Economic Development Agency, March 27th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General of Canada pointed out that HRDC's disregard for rules and proper controls is embedded in its culture and showed that lax administration was an ongoing problem since at least 1977. That is 23 years, nearly a quarter of a century.

Here in these latest audits we see the same problems at Canadian Economic Development. How many more audits need to be uncovered before the government cleans up its shocking, scandalous mismanagement of taxpayers' money?

[Human Resources Development, March 24th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the human resources minister is responsible for a billion dollar bungle. Her department warned about it last August. She did not do anything about it until January, two days after we put in an access request for that audit.

I can see why she is trying to hold up any more releases, but there is a statutory deadline of 30 days. Dozens of requests have gone unanswered months past their due date.

Why is the minister ignoring her responsibility under the act and when will she see that these access requests are released?

[Citizenship Of Canada Act, March 23rd, 2000]

Immigration lawyers and consultants.

[Citizenship Of Canada Act, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I compliment my colleague and friend on his speech. I agree entirely that Canada should be seeking the best and the brightest and opening its doors to those refugees genuinely in need.

On that particular point I found this debate and some of the questions coming out of it rather frustrating and disappointing. We talked about the needs of Canadians. Canadian communities, such as many of those in my own constituency, have a need for doctors to replace those who have left because of the disastrous effects of the government's intervention in the medicare system. Replacing them with doctors who are qualified and willing to come is difficult because of the bureaucratic logjam in Immigration Canada and its unwillingness to do anything to move the process along at anything more than the slowest speed possible.

I have also listened to people talk about justifying the admission of illegal refugees on the basis that Canada does not have enough offices to process them overseas. I find that ridiculous. Legislation should once in a while be geared to the needs of Canadians.

Does my colleague have any comments on how this legislation might focus on the economic and social needs of Canadians and not simply pander to the needs, legitimate and otherwise, of those who are not Canadians and who only wish that they were?

[Citizenship Of Canada Act, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague from Surrey Central for his even-handed speech. He mentioned not only those aspects of the bill with which he disagrees but also those parts of the bill which he feels strengthens the legislation.

One of the things I did not hear him mention is a problem that I run into frequently in my duties as a member of parliament. We have the so-called brain drain which has certainly affected our country with large numbers of professionals, doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, chemists, having gone to greener pastures, having left the difficulties created by this government and the previous Tory government for them to practise their professions in this country.

I have dealt with a number of instances where doctors have applied to come to Canada at the invitation of certain medical facilities that are having a great deal of difficulty. In my rural constituency, many hospitals and many communities have lost doctors that they simply cannot replace and there are citizens who do not have the medical service that they require.

What is frustrating is that a hospital or a medical clinic may recruit a doctor from South Africa, England, Ireland or wherever, eminently qualified to perform the services that are needed. However, there is no give in Immigration Canada to provide a way for these people to come without going through sometimes years of application, reapplication and the cost involved with that. The consequence is that doctors in my experience have thrown up their hands and said “This application has gone on long enough”.

I want to ask my esteemed colleague if he and the committee have given any thought in this legislation as to how Canada might seek to improve itself by reversing the brain drain by modifying the immigration policies to accommodate this.

[Division No. 1217, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Chairman, could the President of the Treasury Board confirm that this bill is in the usual form?

[Division No. 1213, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Chairman, could the President of the Treasury Board please confirm that this bill is in its usual form?

[Points Of Order, March 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, twice you ruled my question out of order. I was a bit surprised and I would like clarification.

In my opinion in both instances I was asking questions about direct action of the Department of Human Resources relating both to internal matters with employees and externally, and you ruled them out of order.

[Human Resources Development, March 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in a recent interview with the Women's Television Network the human resources minister was given three opportunities to apologize to the Canadian taxpayers for mismanaging their money and yet she refused.

By the way, Mr. Speaker, Canadians pay more in taxes than they do for food, shelter and clothing.

How can this minister possibly justify not apologizing, let alone justify this blatant abuse of hard earned taxpayer money?

[Human Resources Development, March 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, this human resources boondoggle has hurt so many people. Downline employees were told in 1996 to ignore the Financial Administration Act. Now these same people are being harassed for breaking the rules and placed on call 24 hours a day to supply information to protect the minister.

As well, taxpayers place their trust in the government when they hand over their hard earned money. The government broke that trust too. Worse, neither the Prime Minister nor the human resources minister has the humility to apologize to anyone. Why does being a Liberal mean never having to say you are sorry?