House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 77% of the vote.
Public Works And Government Services May 2nd, 2000
Mr. Speaker, most of the contracts go to public tender. Some contracts depend on the amount, on the circumstance and whether they are sole source, but it is a very minimal amount. More than two-thirds of all the contracts of not only my department but all Government of Canada departments are through public tender.
Housing April 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada continues to invest almost $2 billion a year in social housing. Since 1995 we have been putting more than half a billion dollars into the RRAP to rehabilitate vacant buildings so the homeless could use them.
The member knows that we announced at the beginning of December a program to address homeless people. She should know very well because in her riding the RRAP is doing a very good job of creating units for the homeless to have a roof.
Public Works April 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it is normal in day-to-day government operations for the Prime Minister's chief of staff to talk to ministers about this matter.
I can, however, assure the hon. member that there was no pressure on the part of the Prime Minister's chief of staff. We made an offer to purchase this building at the value of the 1991 lease negotiated by a Progressive Conservative government.
Public Works And Government Services April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, let me repeat for the hon. member that my department made a reasonable and fair offer to buy the building at a price that represents the value of the lease signed in 1991 by a Conservative government. I recommend that the member does some research to see who was the minister who signed that lease in 1991.
Public Works And Government Services April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, there was no special treatment. We offered whatever was left on the lease signed by a Conservative government in 1991. We offered $68.5 million, which was the value of the lease. There was no special treatment, and to prove there was no special treatment, the owner rejected the offer.
Public Works And Government Services April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I repeat again that this was a very simple transaction. We decided to buy the building, and the hon. member should know the history of the building. We offered the residual value, whatever was left of the value in a contract signed in 1991 by a Conservative government, with which the hon. member is now trying to unite.
Public Works And Government Services April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, on March 3 my department offered to purchase the Louis St. Laurent building for a price equivalent to the value of the lease. This is a lease-purchase building and is part of our long term strategic plan for accommodating government needs. The offer was rejected by the owner on March 31.
Canada Post March 28th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to inform the member and the House that yesterday Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers signed a three year contract. This is a new beginning for labour and management relations in Canada Post. I encourage Canada Post management and the labour union management to work together to make sure that Canadians have the best postal delivery system and that employees have job protection.
Canada Lands Company March 28th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, for the Canada Lands Company and for myself this was a regular transaction. When we learned from the media about this alleged huge profit over a four month period, I asked Canada lands to provide me with a report, and it did so.
Based on the information that I received, this was a normal transaction at the time and it still is. Four months later, people with specific needs made a better offer.
Canada Lands Company March 28th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, that property was up for sale for 18 months and the Canada Lands Company never got a reasonable offer. After 18 months, we received an offer that represented about 80% of the property's market value and we decided to sell.
I would like to remind the hon. member that he should do his homework before asking a question. A property adjacent to the one in question sold a month earlier for $20,000 an acre, or 60% more. I believe Canadians got—