Alfonso Gagliano

[Questions On The Order Paper, April 16th, 1999]

(a) A core group of nine Public Works and Government Services Canada, PWGSC, employees is permanently assigned to the Parliamentary Precinct Directorate. These are management and administrative people reporting to the Director General of the Parliamentary Precinct. This core group is responsible for the planning and management of all the department's real property related work on Parliament Hill.

The majority of real property work on Parliament Hill falls into two streams: project management, which includes planning and delivering major projects; day to day management of the buildings, which includes operating the buildings and responding to user requirements.

PWGSC employees with expertise in either project of day to day management are assigned to the Parliamentary Precinct from personnel pools known as Centres of Expertise. These assignments are for short or long duration, depending on the nature of the work. Upon completion of their assignment, employees return to their Centre of Expertise for reassignment.

At present 40 full time equivalent positions are working in the project management stream and 52 are in the day to day management of the buildings stream. These employees come from a broad range of professional and technical backrounds and include architects, engineers, project managers, plumbers, carpenters, administrators and others.

The Parliamentary Precinct is comprised of the Centre, West and East Blocks, Library of Parliament, Wellington, Victoria, La Promenade, Justice and Confederation buildings.

(b) There have been 27 departures in personnel since June 1997. The reasons for these departures include transfers, new jobs, reassignments, retirements and executive interchange.

[Homelessness, March 25th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we put up the money at the beginning of December last year. We added an additional $50 million to the RRAP program. We did not wait for a conference. We financed the Anne Golden report. We participated financially in today's conference in Toronto. Our ministers are there and we will continue to listen to Canadians in need so we can answer their needs.

[Homelessness, March 24th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with the provinces on social housing. Some provinces have accepted and negotiated the transfer of social housing to avoid duplication. Avoiding duplication has created savings and we were able to invest it in a program that everybody, the provinces and all Canadians, like. It is the RRAP and this government invested $300 million in one year.

[Public Works And Government Services, March 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this member is a member of the Conservative Party. It had more than 26 regional offices. We have reduced them to 11. We are looking to cut costs as soon as possible. Wherever possible, we will use space where a crown property exists. We are looking at every expenditure. We will make sure that when a minister travels across Canada there are no obstacles to them serving and receiving Canadians.

[Public Works And Government Services, March 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there used to be 26 regional offices. We have cut them to 11, a 21% saving. At the same time we have had a 34% increase in service. I think we have done the right thing by reducing them from 11 to 26 . When ministers travel they use common services which are a savings. We also give service to Canadians.

[Mount Royal College, March 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the policy of the Government of Canada is to transfer land to anybody at market value. Therefore if the Government of Alberta wants to negotiate it can do so with Canada land. For example, a school on the base was sold to a private school at market value.

The Government of Canada has transferred a certain amount of money to the province through the Minister of Finance for education, health care and other social programs. I think the Government of Alberta should negotiate and pay market value for that piece of land.

[Canada Mortgage And Housing Corporation, March 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the reason is to accelerate matters. As a matter of fact the office is also open on Sundays so that they can have very speedy, easy and fast assessments.

Naturally that does not stop individual buyers having personal appraisers if they feel the general appraisal we do with the financial institution is not satisfactory or is not enough.

We believe that we have a good system. The results are there. As I said, last December I met with the Canadian Institute of Appraisers. We discussed how we could implement this program. They have been giving good service in the past and we are sure they will continue to work—

[Canada Mortgage And Housing Corporation, March 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the new program, called the emili, was implemented by CMHC. Since 1996 the industry has been involved in this program. There was a period so that underwriters could be ready for it. As late as last December I met with the Canadian Institute of Appraisers to discuss this issue.

The purpose of the program is to speed up the length of time it takes so that Canadians can have their mortgage insurance as soon as possible and can enjoy—

[Conflict Of Interest Code, March 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general has all the authority necessary to audit any books, any transaction of the Government of Canada. That is his job and as a matter of fact he is almost full time in my department.

[Housing, March 17th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker we took action immediately. Not only did we give a loan of $75 million, we put money in RRAP for repairs. Forty-two British Columbians used RRAP.

The Government of British Columbia did not put a penny into RRAP. Before B.C. asks for anything, it should put its money where its mouth is.