Jane Stewart

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, despite the hon. member's huffing and puffing, the answer remains the same. After reviewing the circumstances with the sponsor, we received invoices for salaries and for overheads that were equivalent to the amounts of money that were invested through the transitional jobs fund.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it is not for me to comment on the transaction of a particular business outside the relationship that we have with the transitional jobs fund.

What I can say, as I have said on a number of occasions, is that the invoices that we received from the company for salaries and supplies were appropriate under the conditions of the transitional jobs fund program. They were of a value that was equivalent to the moneys that were allowed.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the document to which the hon. member refers outlines exactly how the investments were made in every region of the country in areas of less than 12% unemployment.

I remind the House that time and again investments were made in Reform ridings because we believed it was the right thing to do and because we knew that the people in those areas of northern British Columbia, for example, needed the support of the Government of Canada to provide opportunities to diversify economies.

We know that members on that side of the House think a trickle down economy will solve the world's problems and the problems here in our country. We know that is just not so.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, again, when we look at the transitional jobs fund, the whole point was to help communities with areas of high unemployment to provide opportunities where they would not otherwise be found.

I have talked about this on a number of occasions. Originally 75% of the funds were to go to areas where unemployment levels were above 12%, and 25% for areas below 12%.

In over half the cases where the unemployment levels were less than 12%, we find the investments in opposition ridings.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I say again that the invoices were for salaries and overhead. They were not used for a banker payment.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, in this particular case the money went to salaries, to supplies. It went to an undertaking in the community of Shawinigan and also in the community of Trois-Rivières. Some 170 people are working. That was the intent of this program and it is working.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, again I would say that we have been working with the sponsors in this project. We have reviewed the files in both Placeteco and Techni-Paint. I would remind the House that this was an undertaking supported by the Government of Quebec because in this region of high unemployment, it was viewed to be appropriate and the correct way to invest.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, again I want to make it clear that the invoices we received were sufficient to cover the expenses and the costs that were invested by the Government of Canada in this project. I say again that our choice was to continue to ensure that the opportunities were there for those men and women working at Placeteco, at Techni-Paint because from our point of view, making sure that they continue to have work was the right thing to do.

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask why is it that party over there does not take the time to talk to its own members who have benefited from the investments of the Government of Canada. They have seen constituents in their ridings working where they would not otherwise be working. Why does the member not take the time to talk to the member for Okanagan—Shuswap who as recently as last week came over to me with a letter from the mayor of one of his communities encouraging me to approve a Canada jobs fund project in that riding?

[Human Resources Development, March 22nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, let me point out that one of the very important projects funded in the province of Alberta went to the Canadian Paraplegic Association. It has come out on record supporting this undertaking in these investments and indicated that without this money there are men and women paraplegics in the province of Alberta, the hon. member's own riding, who would not be working.