Jane Stewart

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, forgive me but I do not think anybody on that side of the House has actually read the internal audit.

What it talks about are administrative challenges in the department's paperwork. We are taking it seriously because we have to have the foundation strong to support very important grants and contributions that are invested in ridings in all parts of this country.

We are taking this seriously. Canadians want the problem fixed and we will do that.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. I received the report of the internal audit. It said that we had significant problems in the administration of our grants and contributions. I took that seriously. I demanded that we build a strong management plan for implementation. That is now being implemented and we will be reporting to Canadians on a regular basis until the problem is fixed.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, part of the strength of our program is that we will be reporting to Canadians on a quarterly basis on the information that we receive on implementing the program and on the results which that program is going to have.

I am going to be at committee tomorrow. We will be talking about the results to date. I will be before Canadians on a quarterly basis talking about the results as we continue.

This is an open process and we are going to fix the problem.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, there is no contradiction. If the hon. member would put it in the context of the questions asked, he would see that the questions from his own party were in reference to specific projects.

I stand by my words in the House.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, if he would pay attention he would know that we are reviewing the 37 files, as the Prime Minister has said. We will make the results of those reviews public and then we will see what the circumstances are.

I would also add that besides that review, the six point plan ensures that we look at all active files and that will, I am convinced, help us prepare a quality system that will fix this problem.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, we do not know from what the hon. member is trying to extrapolate. We are reviewing—

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member would just take the time to read the plan that we are implementing, he would see that we are going to review all our active files.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member speaks of individual projects. There will be projects in the course of these undertakings that are more beneficial than others.

As I have said before, as minister my job is to look at the overall impact that the transitional jobs fund has had. Again I say, 30,000 people, who were not working before, are working as a result of that program.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I stand by my words in the House. If they choose to read Hansard , they will see that the questions were about specific projects. I was always forthcoming when there were indications of administrative problems.

[Human Resources Development, February 9th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it is the Reform Party that keeps suggesting to Canadians that a billion dollars has gone missing. It knows that is not true. We know where the cheques have gone. They have gone to organizations in the ridings of those members and all others in the House.

It is that party that is continuing to undermine the important work that the grants and contributions program does for communities across the country.