Sheila Copps

[Hockey, March 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the interest of the hon. member. I only hope that he can prevail upon his colleagues in the Reform Party who were the first to complain when we established a subcommittee on sport to make sure there is a future for all sport in Canada and, in particular, the winter national sport of the NHL.

If he participates in the subcommittee, he will get good results.

[Option Canada, March 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in this House, the hon. member for Rimouski—Mitis made statements she knows today to be incorrect. Will she take the time today to clarify yesterday's statements? If she really wants to address this, she must at least tell the truth.

[Option Canada, March 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I acted as soon as I had the internal audit report.

I would like to also ask something in good faith of the hon. member for Rimouski—Mitis. Yesterday she made statements she knows to be incorrect. I trust that, in this matter, she will respect the truth and will take this opportunity to clarify her past statements.

[Option Canada, March 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the word “lie”.

[Option Canada, March 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, what I told the committee is that what was asked of Treasury Board before the money was handed out was done properly. What was not done is the follow-up with the documents, and I have already sent a letter on this subject to the parties concerned.

I am troubled by the fact that, yesterday, the member for Rimouski—Mitis made false statements in this House concerning the way cheques were handed out. She should check the facts and stop telling lies.

[Option Canada, March 12th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have nothing further to add to what I said yesterday. Treasury Board only looked at how the money was handed out. The follow-up was not good, which I stated several months ago. There is nothing to add. We have made the necessary changes so that it does not happen again.

[Responsible Government, March 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.

It was indeed a very important point. The capital of the united province, or Province of Canada, was Montreal in 1848. Today, after question period, I invite all members who believe in responsible democracy to come and join with us. There was Mr. Lafontaine, who had a seat in Ontario, and Mr. Baldwin, who had a seat in Quebec. In Canada we can live together whatever language we speak.

[Francophones Outside Quebec, March 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, at the present time we are, through a number of different programs, funding education and support for francophone communities outside Quebec to the tune of $1.2 billion.

I find it absolutely incredible, ridiculous even, that the same Bloc MPs who want to separate Quebec from Canada, who want to have a French Quebec and an English Saskatchewan, should pretend to be demanding rights for minority francophones in Saskatchewan. This is nothing but crocodile tears, all for show.

[Francophones Outside Quebec, March 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are in the process of negotiating, with the provinces, the renewal of the Canada-communities agreement.

What I find most interesting is that the leader of the Bloc Quebecois is getting booed during his travels around Saskatchewan. They have rejected him outright because he does not acknowledge that there can be francophone Canadians. He wants a francophone Quebec and an anglophone Saskatchewan.

[Option Canada, March 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in my testimony before the committee, I clearly said, and the assistant deputy minister, Mr. Moyer, followed it up, that the procedures in place when the contributions were made were consistent with the requirements of Treasury Board, and nothing has changed in this matter.