House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 48% of the vote.
Minister for International Cooperation December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minster. How long will he hide the Minister for International Cooperation? She needs to clean up her improper working record. She admitted she voted last week. Now she says she cannot remember if she voted twice in last week's municipal election.
No one believes a professional politician cannot remember if she voted or not. Did the minister vote twice?
The Budget December 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, there is no question about it. During the debate my colleagues and the finance critic have shown that this is one of those budgets that shows a lack of leadership. There is no question about it.
There were opportunities out there, but the government declined to take those opportunities. It brought in this budget telling Canadians that it was addressing security concerns. Aside from security concerns, there are also economic concerns.
I am surprised at the Liberal government which lives and works on polls. The polls should have told the Liberals that Canadians are interested in economic development, economic stimulus. What happened? There is no prioritization and an increase in spending.
I agree with the member that the budget at the end of the day was addressed for the leadership race.
The Budget December 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for asking the question because it gives me an opportunity to answer.
The member asks me where there has been success. I ask him to tell CIDA to tell me where there has been an economic success. We are not talking about giving money for AIDS or about giving money on smaller issues to address little social concerns that countries have. That is where CIDA's money has been diverted so far. That is not the economic reality of where it has lifted up countries. Perhaps he could ask CIDA to respond to me, or perhaps CIDA will respond to him and he can tell me of the countries that have had economic success.
I come from Africa. I have been there with CIDA ministers. I have travelled around the world. I do not see broad based economic prosperity out there. I do see CIDA projects. I have visited hundreds of CIDA projects around the world.
I am asking the same questions that Canadians are asking. I am afraid that Canadians will have donor fatigue if we do not show them successes. Just throwing money at the problem is not going to solve it.
The Budget December 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to speak to the budget. My colleagues expressed their views on the shortfall of the budget. I am the official opposition critic for international co-operation and I will restrict my remarks to international development.
The budget would commit over $1 billion over three years to international development. In the post-September 11 world there is a growing consensus that Canada must do more to promote broad trade, economic growth and the alleviation of suffering in the developing world. Under the Liberal government Canada's commitment to the developing world has dropped below our capacity to help.
Nevertheless, and I want to make this point very clear, we cannot increase Canada's capacity by spending more money. There are other means and I will allude to how we can help. Simply spending more money is not the answer to the problem.
CIDA has only had marginal success over the past 20 to 25 years. I have talked to CIDA officials and the ministers on many occasions. I asked them to name one country where CIDA had success in eliminating poverty in the last 20 to 25 years. They could not. I will tell members why in due course.
CIDA is an agency that has been the subject of criticism by the auditor general and, most important, subjected to political interference. The last occurrence alleges that CIDA funds were being diverted to the minister's campaign workers.
The minister is now involved in political turmoil due to questionable activities in her riding that have broken her trust with Canadians. She cannot go around the world any longer preaching good governance to other countries because of her own inability to hold to the high standards of her office.
We have an agency led by a minister whose credibility is in question by both Canadians and our international friends. In what kind of direction can we expect her to lead this agency? CIDA is an agency that currently receives $2.2 billion. That is not small, loose change. The budget proposes an additional $1 billion within three years.
The Canadian Alliance policy would ensure that our foreign aid met value for money criteria. The government must launch a new international development white paper process and repriorize CIDA funding before any more money is given to CIDA or to international development.
I am calling for a white paper because there are a lot of issues on the international development table that could be addressed. If these issues were addressed properly they would help third world countries alleviate poverty and would allow them the opportunity for further economic development for their citizens. Throwing money out without a proper plan will help no one.
I specifically direct the attention of members to the so-called Africa fund where $500 million has been earmarked by the Prime Minister. What will the government do with the $500 million in this trust fund? Where will it go? Who will it help? How will it help?
There is no plan. It is the Prime Minister's pet project. He is having the G-8 summit meeting in Kananaskis so he said he would put $500 million into the fund.
He told bureaucrats to go and sharpen their pencils and see how the money would be spent. There was absolutely no plan. The CIDA minister said she had done the consultation process but it was not a comprehensive plan. In looking at the white paper and the consultation process she left out many vital areas which needed to be addressed to eliminate poverty.
Two days ago there was a meeting of the foreign affairs committee. I asked CIDA officials how much money had been allocated to capacity building that everybody was talking about. The trade minister, the foreign minister, everybody was talking about capacity building. It has become a nice big buzzword because of the trade agreements. However when I asked CIDA officials how much was available for capacity building they did not have a clue. They did not know how much they had committed.
We have a problem. We have $2.2 billion being given to an agency that does not have a long term plan because it is subject to political interference. It gets a cheque but only thinks later how it will spend the money. This is why the Canadian Alliance has difficulty in agreeing to an increase in foreign aid.
The Canadian Alliance has a way to help and assist developing countries. Developing countries do not need more money. They need more opportunities. Let us open opportunities to them so they can take part, develop and bring prosperity to their citizens.
First, let us untie aid. The government should totally commit to the multilateral untying of aid to ensure value for taxpayer money. It is estimated that 25% of tied aid is totally wasted. We could save $200 million of CIDA's projects if we untied aid. Practically every other country in the world has recognized that it is a waste of taxpayer money and has untied aid in order to help. Imagine, there is $200 million out there.
Second, let us focus on fewer countries that need the most assistance and not spread it among 134 countries that receive CIDA money in small pockets, which helps nobody. Right now we are giving money to China which has an 8% growth rate and we are giving less money to sub-Saharan countries that require more money.
It is time for us to change and to focus. We must be able to identify countries in the world we assisted that have shown economic growth and could be used as role models for additional aid elsewhere. That has not happened at all.
Third, there is a need for open trade access. Wherever I travel open trade access is asked for because when we open trade access to developing countries they can do the right thing. They are then able to access trade markets, become part of the globalized world and help their citizens do business. This would trickle down to the economically poor citizenry. The most important point is that when we give government to government aid it does not trickle down to the poor people, but when we give trade access it has a trickle down effect.
Fourth, there should be enhanced response for humanitarian crises. Fifth, we should activate charity giving. Canadians should give money to those people. Canadians have the heart to give. Let them be out there assisting those countries.
The business of raising $1 billion without a plan is a total waste of money. The Canadian Alliance does not feel this is the right approach and hence that is why we oppose the increase.
Minister for International Cooperation December 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal MPP for Ottawa--Vanier faced an investigation for wrongdoing, the Liberal leader in Ontario removed her from her duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
With the serious allegation of improper voting, a behaviour serious enough to have the Prime Minister ask the ethics counsellor to investigate, why does the Prime Minister not follow the example of Dalton McGuinty and remove the minister from her duties until this matter is settled?
Minister for International Cooperation December 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister quoted from the Ontario Municipal Elections Act in an attempt to clear his minister from wrongdoing. Let me read another part of the act:
The place to which the person most frequently returned to sleep or eat during the five weeks preceding the determination is his or her residence.
Did the minister set up a cot in her constituency office five weeks prior to vote in the last byelection?
Minister for International Cooperation December 11th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the elections officer in Ontario said that she broke the law. Perhaps the Prime Minister should read that.
Serious allegations hang over the minister's head. She padded her payroll of political friends and she voted improperly and contrary to provincial law. She broke the trust of Canadians. Will the Minister for International Cooperation finally do the right thing and resign?
Minister for International Cooperation December 11th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister repeatedly cited British and Canadian tradition in defending the Minister for International Cooperation. Perhaps the minister can draw upon the tradition of ministerial responsibility.
Will the minister explain to Canadians how she can carry on with her duties with these serious allegations hanging over her?
Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister can spin whichever way he wants but, frankly speaking, the minister has broken the provincial law.
The Toronto election services states that, by law, one is supposed to vote where one lives and where one works is irrelevant. It is plain that she broke the law. In the House, all of us are lawmakers. If we do not uphold the law, who will?
Will the Prime Minister fire her or will she resign?
Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Cooperation is continuing her pattern of disrespect for Canadian law. First, we have untendered CIDA contracts for her friends and now we know she voted for a friend even when she did not live in the riding.
By accepting her lame excuses, the Prime Minister is saying that cabinet ministers can break the law. Is this the message that the government wants to send to Canadians?