Madam Speaker, on a point of order, would it be possible to ask the good member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges to be quiet, to listen and to learn something?
Lost his last election, in 2000, with 42% of the vote.
Division No. 667 February 10th, 2000
Madam Speaker, on a point of order, would it be possible to ask the good member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges to be quiet, to listen and to learn something?
Points Of Order February 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I have here an extremely important document that can enlighten our Liberal friends on the discussion on Bill C-20 initiated before Christmas.
I ask for the support of my colleagues opposite to table this document which, I am sure, will enlighten them on this issue.
Supply February 8th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of privilege. I urge my colleague to stick to the facts and to the facts only. If five cents are diverted by this government, by this party, it is five cents too much. According to the figures, we are talking about an amount between $1 and $3 billion, not $300 million. Let us stick to the facts.
Supply February 8th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, problems with Human Resources Development Canada are nothing new. On the eve of the June, 1997, election, a man by the name of Pierre Corbeil received from the minister who has now left, the former member for Hull—Aylmer, a list of people who would get significant amounts of money.
Pierre came first and he asked for a ransom, in cash, please. We do not know whether all the funds he received went directly to the Liberal Party of Canada or if some got lost in his car along the way but, nevertheless, it was seven months before the RCMP were able to bring charges against him and before he recognize his wrongdoing. But nothing was done within the department.
This is almost like Douglas Young, the guy from New Brunswick. He got his punishment. I would like my colleague to finish this story.
Supply February 8th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, this is a very interesting opposition day we are having today.
We have a real scandal before us. Even in the opinion of the Prime Minister, it hearkens back to the great Mulroney years. The Prime Minister got carried away last week saying that things were no worse than they had been in Brian Mulroney's time.
I think they are worse. Here, a deliberate effort is being made to play with democracy. For example, in the riding of Saint-Maurice, the week before the election on June 2, 1997, there was an avalanche of often questionable grants, including to the golf club and to a certain motel the Prime Minister is quite familiar with.
In Anjou—Rivière-des-Prairies, my friend and former colleague, Roger Pomerleau, was beaten by my former union head. Thanks to the abuse, his election cost taxpayers $25 million.
In the riding of Brant, where there is almost no unemployment, millions and millions of dollars were invested in mismanaged programs.
According to the polls, as they put it so well, if the trend continues, we have taken at random 459 files, which we have systematically studied and have come up with 37 nebulous cases, really nebulous.
There is no need for me to mention Vidéotron, McGill or the natives who repaid jewels with taxpayers' money. Off the top of my head, this represents an 8% rate of error in the administration of HRDC.
If there are in fact 10,000 files, at the rate of 8% there would be 800 cases, and 37 have been found. There are another 763 they will have to start looking for tomorrow morning.
I do not understand. I wrote a letter to the former Minister of Human Resources Development because, through his delivery assistance program, an arbitrary decision, he had allocated a certain questionable amount in my riding. I wrote him saying “Be careful, Mr. Minister. You are playing with public money. You are cutting the benefits of the unemployed and using the money to pad those who do not need padding. They are already well padded financially”.
Three months later—he often went to Paris too often, apparently —he wrote me to say “I do not understand, Mr. Chrétien, your not being proud at having $35,000 distributed in your riding”.
I am happy to have him give $35,000, but properly.
Point Of Order February 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I too have a document which could be of vital importance to enlighten the whole House.
I beg my colleagues from the other side to give their unanimous consent for the tabling of this document.
An Act To Give Effect To The Requirement For Clarity As Set Out In The Opinion Of The Supreme Court Of Canada In The Quebec Secession Reference February 7th, 2000
Madam Speaker, the hon. member for Winnipeg—Transcona delivered a rather well-thought-out message regarding certain issues, especially the danger—and he said his party would be on the lookout—that the government might make a change after the vote, by raising the passing mark.
For example, if we got 52% it might decide, after the vote, that we needed 53%. The hon. member also talked about the need to respect aboriginal people and about the role given to the Senate, a non-elected house that is accountable to no one.
There are three very important aspects in Bill C-20 that bother the New Democratic Party, yet the hon. member says he will support this legislation.
I would like the NDP member to tell me whether, in his opinion, a result of 50% plus one is acceptable in a democracy and, if not, what would be the acceptable threshold.
Points Of Order December 14th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, in order to facilitate the debates, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to table an excerpt of the referendum legislation of the State of Florida, in the United States of America.
Points Of Order December 13th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, this is in the same vein as what the Parti Quebecois House leader said. Following last week's announcement by the Prime Minister, who tabled a draft bill, I am asking for unanimous consent to table a report. I urge the government House leader to think twice before saying no.
It is part of a report on Quebec's territorial integrity in the event of sovereignty, which was tabled before the committee to examine matters—
Petitions December 10th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition, shepherded by Blaise Rivard of Black Lake, requesting the month of November be devoted to increasing awareness about the problem of incontinence. The petitioners ask the government to invest generously in research and home care for people dealing with incontinence.
I join with them in their request.