Diane Finley

[National Defence, November 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the national shipbuilding procurement strategy uses third-party experts to review the program and to provide advice regarding program costs and the decisions that go with them.

The Auditor General himself recognized that we have strong governance in place to manage the cost and capability trade-offs.

He also found that we are managing the acquisition of military ships in a timely, affordable, efficient and transparent manner that will support the shipbuilding industry for years to come.

We agree with the Auditor General. So should the NDP.

[Government Contracts, November 21st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, obviously we want to ensure that all employees right across the country are paid according to the rules. In certain cases, there are situations where there are subcontractors who must rely on the integrity of their employers to do the right thing. We will do everything we can to ensure those contractors do so.

[National Defence, November 18th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, that is so far from the truth that it is hard to comment on it.

What I can say is that we are committed, unlike the Liberals, to making sure that our men and women in uniform, whether they are in the navy or the coast guard, get the equipment they need and deserve to serve Canadians well.

The new national shipbuilding procurement strategy has been applauded so far, and it is expected by industry analysts that it will create 15,000 jobs and $2 billion a year in economic activity over the next 30 years.

[National Defence, November 18th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the national shipbuilding procurement strategy will generate approximately 15,000 jobs and $2 billion in economic activity over the next 30 years according to industry analysts. Our shipbuilding strategy will finally end the boom and bust cycle that has plagued the industry for many years. So far I am pleased to report that over 75 Canadian companies have received work as a result.

[National Defence, November 18th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we do not comment on rumours or speculation, but after a decade of darkness under the Liberals, our government is committed to providing the men and women in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Coast Guard with the equipment that they need at the best value for taxpayers.

By building these ships in Canada, industry analysts have estimated that 15,000 jobs will be created and that there will be over $2 billion in annual economic benefits for the next 30 years.

We look forward to responding to the Auditor General's report once it has been released.

[National Defence, October 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to making sure that the Canadian Armed Forces get the maritime helicopters that it needs and at the best possible value to Canadians.

The previous Liberal government contracted with Sikorsky, and the company has yet to deliver a contractually compliant helicopter to Canada. We have not decided yet on next steps.

[National Defence, October 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that the Canadian Armed Forces get the maritime helicopters they need and at the best possible value to Canadians.

The previous Liberal government contracted with Sikorsky, and the company has yet to deliver a contractually compliant helicopter to Canada.

We have not decided yet on next steps.

[Foreign Affairs, October 24th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the items that are being de-listed will continue to be subject to export controls. It is important to make sure that our list is aligned with that of the United States so that Canadian companies that manufacture these products are not at a disadvantage.

This was done in response to the recommendations of the Emerson report, and we will be consulting the public every step of the way.

[Foreign Affairs, October 24th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the hon. member has it all wrong. The items being proposed for de-listing will continue to be under existing export controls. What we are trying to do is align our list with that of the U.S. so that Canadian companies will not be put at a disadvantage. This is being done in response to the Emerson report. We will be making sure that the public is consulted every step of the way.

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 3rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the letter entitled “Changes to Employment Insurance” sent by Service Canada concerning changes to the employment insurance program and in regard to (a)(i), in Newfoundland and Labrador, there were 212,572 addressees; in Nova Scotia, 396,159 addressees; in Prince Edward Island, 60,720 addressees; in New Brunswick, 328,564 addressees; and in Quebec, 3,552,488 addressees.

With regard to (a)(ii), a total of 4,550,503 letters were sent. These letters were mailed on March 19, March 20 and March 25, 2013.

With regard to (b), the final decision to move forward with this project was taken on March 7, 2013. An assessment on cost of the mailing and discussions on the letter’s content and design took place prior to a decision being taken.

With regard to (c), the final draft was approved by the minister’s office on March 8, 2013.

With regard to (d), the letter was drafted internally by departmental staff. Therefore, there is no cost associated to the development of the letter. The total cost of mailing out the letters was $823,493.24 which includes printing and postage costs, excluding taxes.

With regard to (e), it is important that policy changes to our programs be communicated to Canadians as clearly as possible. While no other similar mailings have been conducted in the past six years on employment insurance, there have been mail-outs for other programs. An example is the future change in the age of eligibility for old age security last year. Financial records are only kept by the department for six years. Contracts or procurement conducted prior to the past six years require specific details for archive retrieval such as contractor name, contract number or financial codes.