Jane Stewart

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member gives me the chance to yet again remind the House of the 10,000 pages of information that were provided in the interests of transparency and openness.

It is my department that made the internal audit public. It is Reform researchers who talk about the Department of Human Resources Development as being a model under the access to information system.

I must say that we have had 300 requests for information since the beginning of the year. My department is working very hard to accommodate the interests of those and we will have the information available as soon as we can.

[Employment Insurance, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no contradiction.

[Employment Insurance, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, like all members on this side of the House, we always stand up for Canadian women.

I am glad to report that as a result of the changes to the employment insurance program, women are benefiting. They have benefited from the change to an hours based system. They have benefited from the small weeks program. They have benefited from the family supplement. Most of all, they have benefited from the fact that our economy is working. We see the unemployment levels for adult women in this country at the lowest they have been in a decade, at 5.8%.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I totally reject the allegations that the hon. member is making. After all, we have just released 10,000 pages of information to the House for the use of each and every one of the members of parliament. We are working hard to be transparent and open and we will continue to be. I would note that since the beginning of the year, we have received well over 300 access to information requests. We will deliver to the best of our ability. But I absolutely reject the allegation that we are not open and transparent.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House believe it is important to invest in this particular region, the Mauricie in Quebec. We know that the hon. member for Trois-Rivières also feels it is important because he is receiving benefits from these particular projects.

There is another minister who said this about the area.

—is committed like never before to give priority to anything having to do with the Mauricie. Your region is not performing as it should, even though you have everything you need to succeed and to achieve the success that you deserve.

Who was that minister? It was Bernard Landry.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we do have the invoices that justify the grants and that is what is important here.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, again let me note that the invoices we received for expenditures in this particular case were appropriate under the terms and conditions of the transitional jobs fund program.

There was no overpayment that needed to be established in this case.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we have taken this file very seriously. As I mentioned earlier, an administrative review of this file was completed at the senior levels in my department.

I say again, that review indicated that there were administrative errors, but in no way did it indicate that there was an overpayment that would be established in this case.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in actual fact, I am very proud of the working relationship that I have with my deputy and the men and women who are part of Human Resources Development Canada.

As a result of the internal audit and looking at the information we have, we are now implementing a six point plan.

Let me go further and quote from the auditor general, who said “I am supportive of the six point action plan, that it can solve the immediate problems in the department and that it will monitor how the implementation of the plan is going in the department”. The auditor general is working with us and he says that we are on track.

[Human Resources Development, March 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on a number of occasions. Let me say that I was very glad to hear what the auditor general had to say to the standing committee. In fact let me quote. He said “Exceptional circumstances demand exceptional actions. The action plan is exceptional”.