Alfonso Gagliano

[Municipal Grants Act, October 27th, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-10, an act to amend the Municipal Grants Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Homelessness, October 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is investing $1.9 billion in social housing on an annual basis.

We continue working with the provinces. We are investing $300 million in the RRAP. Last year, in our public-private partnership program, we built 2,100 new units of affordable social housing. We are continuing to work with that program and this year another 3,000 units will be built.

I am working with my colleague who is the co-ordinator for the homeless. Just last year in Toronto we spent over $13 million on the homeless. Maybe the hon. member should look at that.

[Housing, October 22nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are trying with all the means we have to help condo owners, to give them relief so they can make repairs. I assure the member that our financial assistance through the CMHC loan insurance program is working.

The hon. member has made a representation that we should use retirement savings plans for those things. I can take that representation to the Minister of Finance, but I remind him that we did not use such things for the ice storm or the Saguenay tragedy and so on. We also have to keep the integrity of our retirement pension system.

[Housing, October 22nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, CMHC has been at the forefront of this situation. It has been inviting the owners of those condos to come forward if they need financial assistance.

We have been opening the mortgages and giving more time for payments. We have also consolidated mortgages and we offer all the research. We continue to work in helping those people in a similar situation. We understand it is a terrible situation but we are taking our responsibility and we are acting.

[Housing, June 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that the minister is in attendance there and is definitely working. We expect to receive a report from all the mayors of Canada so that we can work together.

I have said many times in the House that homelessness is not just a federal problem. It is a federal, provincial and municipal problem and we have to work together. The minister responsible for homelessness is talking to the mayors right now to come up with the right program. The member should wait for the report.

[Housing, June 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Labour will be present at the conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in Halifax. The minister has been travelling across the country and will be travelling all summer listening to Canadians so that we can have the right program.

In the meantime, I would like to remind the member that the government put $300 million into the RRAP program which addresses the homeless. We have also created units for the homeless. Maybe she should speak to the Government of British Columbia which does not participate in the RRAP program.

[Canada Post, June 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is working very hard to improve service in rural communities. As a matter of fact, for the first time mail is being processed in rural communities. Previously it was sent to major urban centres.

We are looking at ways to improve the policy for giving contracts for mail route delivery. We are working very hard and we will continue to work hard. What is important is that Canadians receive good postal service and can have trust in their post office.

The results, audited by two auditors, tell us that we are—

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to honour all its commitments on native urban housing.

We will continue to honour the transfer of social housing to the provinces. That will eliminate duplication and will create the opportunity to have more housing.

The member should know that more than 50% of urban native housing for more than a decade has been managed by the provinces.

[Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act, May 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to remind you that there is an order of the House that we vote tonight. I hope that is taken into consideration.

[Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act, May 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a few points for the record.

Let me say that there was no ways and means motion covering the original Public Service Superannuation Act. That is because the contributions are not tax related upon the general population but are contributions made by a defined and limited group of people in return for the fund benefits. Ways and means motions are required only for tax measures and are charged as a whole to the people, which we call taxes.

I find it very strange that the Reform Party would choose this moment, half an hour before we are to vote, to propose this. Why did it not bring this up at second reading or in committee? Again this is a dilatory measure that the Reform Party is trying. I request that we proceed with the vote as scheduled.