Art Eggleton

[Supply, June 8th, 1994]

moved:

Motion No. 2

That Vote 5 in the amount of $164,985,000 under the heading Parliament-House of Commons-Program expenditures, in the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1995 (less the amount voted in interim supply) be concurred in.

[Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act, June 8th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, if any member of this Parliament is to receive a pension, first of all

it is after they cease to be a member of the House. They must qualify under the provisions of the act to do so.

I understand the question that is being asked by the hon. member, but I fully expect that the hon. Leader of the Opposition will qualify as a Canadian citizen to receive his pension for many years.

[Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act, June 8th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the House has been previously informed, as hon. members know, that there was a study commissioned by the previous government that was brought to a committee of the House and is now under study by a committee of the House as provided for by the Parliament act with respect to compensation including pensions for members of Parliament.

The government has made it clear that it intends to bring about revisions to the pension plan for MPs. As soon as the Lapointe commission submits its report, which I understand will be about mid-July, we will examine the results. We will look at the recommendations. We will then proceed to deal with the matter of MPs' pensions and other compensation factors.

I have indicated previously to the House that we expect to deal with the matter of MPs' pensions prior to the end of the year.

[Government Services, June 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, rapid technological change is creating opportunities to deliver services in ways that are more accessible, responsive and affordable for Canadians.

Indeed, we are going through the exercise now of trying to integrate many of the systems in government services so that information will be more readily available and we will be able to get answers. The Minister of Public Works is doing the same thing and is involved in this exercise to make information more accessible to Canadians.

Certainly the human factor is a very important one and our frontline workers will continue to be very important in the delivery of such services. While people may be able call up information about government services on their computer or even their television screen, it is important they have the option of being able to contact somebody who can also provide that information.

We are giving Canadians the options. Certainly, one-stop shopping, the concept of not being shoved around from pillar to post when you need information about government services and want to access them, is very important. There will continue to be a human face in the provision of government services which we want to make more efficient and effective in how they are delivered to Canadians.

[Infrastructure Program, June 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for giving me the opportunity to bring more good news to the House. After all, what is more important than getting Canadians back to work and that is what this program is all about.

To this point in time we have approved over 1,000 projects, worth $1.3 billion. We have got 20,000 Canadians back to work, with another almost 6,000 projects in the pipeline. By the end of this month we expect to have the allocations to the halfway mark.

Already I have municipalities and provinces asking if they can get more money. This program is working. It is getting Canadians jobs.

[Employment Equity, June 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we have tried to promote with the provinces and municipalities a mix of projects so that in various sectors of society where unemployment prevails there will be opportunities including opportunities for women.

That point was brought home to me by the secretary of state in charge of women's issues. I assured her, as I assure the House, that we would encourage those applications.

Daycare facilities very much qualify as part of the infrastructure program. There are numerous projects aside from construction where permanent long term jobs are created, and many of them are for women.

We will continue to encourage the provinces and the municipalities to provide that kind of mixture so women in other sectors of society can be employed, because the government's number one priority is job creation.

[Infrastructure, June 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for that supplementary question because it gives me an opportunity to say that there is in fact very good takeup of the funds. We have now reached the billion dollar mark of the $6 billion program.

We well knew when we entered into this program and with the province of Ontario established September 30 as the deadline for the initial round of applications that not all would be taken up in the initial round. It is a two-year program and we fully expect there will be further allocations. We are committed to providing the funds for 416. The member for Leeds-Grenville in the House has had a lot to do ensuring that much needed project gets going.

[Infrastructure, June 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, there are some 722 million federal dollars in the province of Ontario for infrastructure which, when we add the provincial and local government shares, means a program of over $2 billion in that province.

There are allocations that are tentatively in the province for different municipalities. There are going to be, however, moneys that will not be taken up in the allocation, and certainly the municipalities are welcome to do that. There will be moneys available for reallocation.

We are committed, if the province brings forward an application for this project, to providing the funds so that we can do this much needed project of highway 416.

[Infrastructure, May 31st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, there are different agreements in each province. There are many projects in different provinces initiated by the provinces. We did allow for that possibility, not entirely the municipalities.

It would take an amendment to the agreement which the Ontario government would have to propose in order to provide this. It would be completely in accordance with the goals, the objectives and the criteria of the infrastructure works program which is quite successful right across the country. If the Ontario government wants to do it, we are prepared to be there with it.

[Infrastructure, May 31st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, there is not within the allocations that have been made sufficient takeup to take all the money. I expect there will be other opportunities for reallocation. In that situation we certainly are committed to proceeding with the highway 416 project. It will be up to the province to bring forward a proposal within the Canada-Ontario infrastructure works program to do so.