Jane Stewart

[Economic Regions, May 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, every five years the economic regions have to be reviewed right across Canada. We are in the middle of that process as we speak. The economists who are associated with the Employment Insurance Commission will be looking at the statistics and making recommendations for change as appropriate.

[Human Resources Development, May 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, let me confirm that this project was fully in compliance with the terms and conditions of the job creation program.

I would ask the hon. member, if we want to provide 37 men and women with the skills and experience they need to get full time jobs in landscaping, how would they do that if they did not have bricks, if they did not have trees, if they did not have resources?

[Human Resources Development, May 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly would not agree with the comments of the hon. member.

If we look at this project, it was brought forward by the city of Windsor as part of its strategic plan. In partnership with the Human Resources Development Canada people in that area, they identified 37 men and women who were on employment insurance, who did not want to stay at home collecting benefits, but wanted an attachment to the workplace, to get experience in landscaping, in laying bricks and in planting trees.

What we now have is a vast majority of those 37 people working, and we have a legacy in the city of Windsor of which all are proud.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying that the government takes very seriously the role that we can play in ensuring that Canadians with disabilities do get jobs. That is why I was very pleased to see in the budget the continuation of permanency given to the opportunities fund, a very important fund that supports Canadians with disabilities.

I am unaware of the particular case to which the hon. member makes reference, but if she would like to provide me with the details I will look into it.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it would seem that opposition members are still confounded by the fact that the government did its own internal audit; that the government made that audit, with all its shortcomings identified, public; and that the government is implementing a plan to fix the problem.

Let us remember that we presented a plan. The auditor general accepted it and is working with us to implement it. I would ask the opposition to work along with us so that we can fix this problem and continue to provide good service to Canadians citizens and improve our accountability to the taxpayers.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question gives me a chance to update the House on the number of access to information requests my department has received this year. We are up to 602. I would remind the House that while we have had 602 in this first quarter, in all of last year we only had 531. We are working diligently to provide the information that has been requested. The department takes this very seriously and the answers will be forthcoming.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would just say again that this file is with the RCMP. It would be inappropriate to comment on it or to prejudge the results.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, only to say that as the hon. member points out, this file is with the RCMP. It would be inappropriate to comment further on it or to prejudge the results.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to funding, we have received a letter from CITEC requesting a continuation of funds. The department will be reviewing this and will report when it has a response.

[Human Resources Development, April 13th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would agree. Enough is enough. We have heard day after day the rantings and ravings of the opposition on this issue. Canadians have identified, as has the government, that we have a program that we are implementing to improve our system.

Canadians would appreciate, I am sure, the opposition working with us to do what the auditor general suggests is so important, to find a way of providing good service to citizens in this country and at the same time balancing that with an appropriate accountability structure for taxpayers.