Alfonso Gagliano

[Questions On The Order Paper, March 12th, 1998]

Presently the only part of the system that is automated is within the metropolitan free calling area of Montreal.

The government is planning to issue a RFP, request for proposal for this service in the first quarter of fiscal year 1998-99. Projected annual cost savings cannot be determined until all bids are received and analysed.

The operator centre for this system is located in Ottawa. The contract for the operator services/centre was tendered and awarded to Bradson Personnel who employs 40 full and part time people. The value of the contract for the staff is $650,000 annually and provides government directory assistance in addition to operator services for the Government of Canada.

The total annual cost for maintaing the system is $4 million which is 37% cheaper than other commercially available services. We expect further reductions and or savings once the service is tendered next year.

The traffic for this service is carried on the Government Intercity Network. The cost of the calls on the network in Canada is 7.25 cents per minute, and calls to the United States are 12.5 cents per minute. Last year the total number of minutes carried was 13.4 million in Canada, and 586,000 in the United States.

[Housing, February 20th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, if the members would have read their correspondence they would have realized that on January 30 I announced the extension of RRAP for the next five years at a cost of $250 million.

There is an aboriginal housing component in that program. She should read the press release to learn more about it.

[Housing, February 20th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately this case is before the courts and I cannot comment.

[Points Of Order, February 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, also in response to a member's request, I would like to table a letter. The member for Red Deer asked the solicitor general and my department to make sure we acquire the bunkers that the member was making reference to.

[Bunkers, February 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, let me inform the hon. member that we have a total of 10 such bunkers across the country. Eight are being closed and sealed. One is being turned into a museum and we are buying back the other one to which the member made reference for security reasons.

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 3rd, 1998]

(a) For this requirement, a partnership with the Centre Travail Québec was considered as well as one with the Société d'aide au développement de la collectivité, SADC, of Lac-Mégantic, a partner of Human Resources Development Canada, HRDC. On October 24, 1997 it was decided that the Human Resource Centre of Canada would relocate with the SADC. Public Works and Government Services Canada, PWGSC, then began a direct negotiation with the lessor of the building at 5127 Frontenac Street, Lac-Mégantic, SADC offices.

On December 12, 1997 the Human Resource Centre of Canada moved to its new address, 5127 Frontenac Street, Lac-Mégantic, where the offices of the SADC-Lac-Mégantic are located.

No tender process was held in view of the client department's requirements and the short time delay for project delivery.

(b) See answer to (a).

(c) Once it had been decided that HRDC would co-locate with SADC fit-up plans were drawn up and the landlord was informed of its responsibilities for the lease as well as for the fit-up phase of the project. Rates were discussed. However no formal offer to lease has been remitted.

A meeting will take place between the landlord's representative for the Lac-Mégantic office and the PWGSC project manager to discuss the rental rate for the premises as well as the cost of the fit-up work. Once these negotiations are completed a recommendation with the final rental rate will be submitted for approval.

In the interim HRDC is occupying the premises based on an agreement with the landlord that once the lease negotiations are completed a formal lease agreement will be drawn up and all arrears for rental payments will be made at that time.

The lease start date was January 1, 1998 for a three year term for 75 rentable square metres, 65 square metres.

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 2nd, 1998]

a) The only cost estimate concerning any renovation/repairs to the Val d'Or detachment in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 fiscal years was done in September 1992. The goal of this cost estimate, done by the RCMP, was to be used as a budgetary planning for the following years. No work was done based on this estimate.

b) The final decision in respect to the office closure was taken on August 18, 1994, following a restructuring of the RCMP division. All closure activities began on this date and official closure for the Val d'Or office was in summer 1996.

c) The September 1992 cost estimate was approximately $300,000. Work covered by this estimate consisted mainly of an interior remodeling of the existing space in order to meet all health and safety codes and special security requirements by the RCMP.

[Housing, February 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday I announced that this government intended to extend RRAP, the residential rehabilitation assistance program, for the next five years, investing a total of $250 million.

Where does the money come from? It is due to the good management of this government so that we can reallocate funds and respond to the needs of the provincial and municipal governments and private sector stakeholders. They all want the government to remain in this program so we can commit to safer communities.

[Coinage, December 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, first let me tell the hon. member that Canadian taxpayers will not pay a penny. This project will be totally financed by the mint. We will also receive benefits because we will be able to pay dividends.

Most important, what the member does not know is that this decision was made to ensure that the mint would continue to have the necessary supplies. In January 1997 the supplier said that four years from now it will get out of the coinage business and therefore the mint would not have any more supplies.

[National Revenue, December 5th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue is not in the House because of official business. I will refer the question to the minister. I am sure that when the minister comes back to the House the appropriate answer will be given to the member.