Françoise Boivin

[Auditor General Act, March 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak to Bill C-277, proposed by the hon. member for Repentigny.

In principle, the government supports the intent of the member's bill regarding improved oversight of federal government entities, such as crown corporations, as well as not for profit organizations, such as foundations that have received significant federal assistance.

As we have already mentioned, the Government of Canada has made a commitment to improving accountability and has taken practical steps toward more transparency for the Canadian public.

That is the context in which the President of the Treasury Board tabled the report on crown corporation governance in the House of Commons on February 17.

In that report, the Government of Canada promised to amend the relevant legislation, including the Financial Administration Act and the statutes governing crown corporations, to ensure that, first, the Auditor General is designated the sole or joint external auditor for all crown corporations; second, that the Office of the Auditor General has the power to conduct special audits, focusing on value for money in all crown corporations; third, special audits are governed by an audit strategy based on the risk associated with each crown corporation, taking into account each corporation's complexity, field of activity and changes in its operational and strategic environment; and finally, that a protocol should be concluded with the Auditor General to ensure that commercially sensitive information is protected when special audit reports are presented to Parliament.

These amendments would include and go even further than the private member's bill.

In addition we are also concerned, as the hon. member has said, about the need for increased oversight over federal government institutions.

The Office of the Auditor General vigorously supports the measures outlined in the report on governance of crown corporations. It considers this the most complete review done in 20 years on this issue.

The government believes that these proposals are clearly a more efficient solution than that suggested by the hon. member for Repentigny to improving the transparency and accountability of crown corporations.

With respect to not for profit organizations, such as foundations, I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the commitments made in budget 2003 to improve accountability and transparency. At that time the government undertook to amend funding agreements to incorporate, among many other measures, provisions for compliance audits and evaluations, and the recovery of funds in the event of default or wind-up.

It also undertook to strengthen the reporting of plans and results to Parliament. The Auditor General has recognized the improvements that have taken place in this area. She has recognized that the government has amended these funding arrangements to deliver on its commitments of improved accountability and transparency.

The government recognizes that the Auditor General would like to see the government go further in the areas of audit, evaluation and ministerial oversight. In the government's response to her recommendations, we indicated that we would continue to work with the Auditor General to resolve these issues. The government is following through on this commitment and discussions are progressing well with the Auditor General. As we gain a better understanding of each other's views on these issues, we are hopeful that any issues will be successfully resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned.

As an example, the office of the Auditor General recently indicated to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates and to the Senate national finance committee that the office's thinking has evolved with respect to the audit of foundations. Previously, the office had taken the position that it should be the auditor of these organizations. This has now changed based on discussions with the government and the fact that the office of the Auditor General has no concerns with the financial audits that are being done by private sector auditors on the foundation.

I think this is important. It must not be thought that foundations and non profit corporations are not audited or reviewed.

Its real priority is to conduct performance or value for money audits in these organizations. The government also recognizes the motion from the member for Medicine Hat that was passed by the House on February 22. The government has expressed its desire to work with parliamentarians to address the concerns related to these arrangements.

The President of the Treasury Board has indicated that he would welcome a debate to find a solution to the problem. He has indicated that he does not support the motion in principle as it calls for automatically appointing the Auditor General as auditor. Similar to the Auditor General, he does not see this as the solution or the real priority.

I too do not see the bill's proposals as the best solution. I believe there are more effective solutions possible and support the government working with the Auditor General to find these solutions. One specific concern I have is that the bill would extend the Auditor General's powers into entities created or controlled by other levels of government.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that I support the idea of broadening the Auditor General's role to include auditing or joint auditing of crown corporations, if the mechanisms for implementing this concept are examined more closely.

This government is committed to enhancing accountability and welcomes constructive input from all members of the House. The time we are devoting today to the motion in question highlights our eagerness to listen and consult on all matters before Parliament.

If the bill goes forward I would encourage the public accounts committee to carefully examine it and I expect that the committee will take into account the views of both the Auditor General and the government on the appropriate role of the Auditor General in the audits of independent organizations.

[Anthony Gordon, Leo Johnston, Brock Myrol, Peter Schiemann, March 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to the families of the four RCMP officers killed last week in Mayerthorpe, Alberta.

Canadians right across the country are shocked at this brutal act that took the lives of Constables Peter Schiemann, Anthony Gordon, Leo Johnston and Brock Myrol, four courageous Canadians killed as they carried out their duty in enforcing the law and protecting the public.

At this time when, in Edmonton, nearly 10,000 people are gathered to mourn the loss of these men and to pay tribute to them as well as to the men and women killed in the line of duty, I ask all Canadians to remember the sacrifice the members of our national police and all other police corps are making to ensure that Canada is a country where we can live without fearing for our safety.

Let our thoughts and prayers be with them.

[Status of Women, March 8th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women went to New York last week to take part in the international conference on the status of women, 10 years after the signing of the Beijing declaration.

Since today is International's Women's Day, can the minister tell us what the Government of Canada has done to promote gender equality, while the Bloc repeats ad nauseam that the status of women is unimportant?

[The Budget, February 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal women's caucus, which I chair, is pleased and proud that a number of the policies on which we have been working tirelessly have been included and recognized in the 2005 budget.

I shall point out a few: a faster increase in guaranteed income supplement benefits for low-income seniors; establishment of anew national seniors’ secretariat; a doubling of the amount caregivers can claim for medical and disability-related expenses; $5 billion for the early learning and child care initiative; justice initiatives that will make our communities safer; significant investments in the environment; an additional $850 million in health; $735 million for aboriginal families; the basic personal exemption raised to $10,000 removing more than 860,000 taxpayers from the tax rolls, including 240,000 seniors, most of whom are women.

The 2005 budget is good news for all the women of Quebec and all the women of Canada—

[Social Development, February 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Social Development signed a social development agreement with the Republic of Estonia. I understand that such agreements benefit Canadians by enabling them to receive pensions as a result of periods they have lived or worked in other countries. I also understand that these agreements enhance Canadian competitiveness abroad.

Can the Minister of Social Development tell me who will benefit from this agreement?

[Citizenship and Immigration, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the spouses and common-law partners of permanent residents are currently facing uncertainty during the review of their immigration applications. In the past, they had to leave Canada.

At the end of this magnificent St. Valentine's week, and with all the love in the House, can the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration tell us if he will stand by love to ensure the rapid reunification of these families?

[Child Care, February 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, over the past few days, I have been hearing comments in this House that have me really concerned, because they seem to question the right of women to employment. If a person believes in employment equity, they must support the government in its efforts to establish a national child care program.

Canadians need a national system of early learning and child care to meet their demands and to help families set a foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and health.

The Liberal government's policies are based on the facts, not some anachronistic “Leave it to Beaver” notion of family life promoted by the Conservative Party, or, as some people call them, the not ready for prime time players.

Cloaking traditional values in progressive language will not trick women and men into believing the 1950s fantasy of family life being peddled by the Conservatives. Maybe the leader of the official opposition should also vet the questions on this issue.

[Réseau des femmes d'affaires et professionnelles de l'Outaouais, February 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, on February 12, 2005, RÉFAP, the Outaouais business and professional women's network, celebrated the excellence of its members by holding its 18th gala, and did me the great honour of asking me to be the honorary president.

Through their magic touch, RÉFAP's president Nicole Boudreau and the members of her organizing committee, which includes Diane Lafontaine and Angèle Lord, made sure this would be an unforgettable gala.

Congratulations to businesswoman of the year Louise Cormier, the co-owner of Richer & Snow Jewellers. Congratulations to professional woman of the year Nathalie Charette, the director of the financial resources department of the Des Draveurs school board. Congratulations to Chantal Binet, a personal and professional coach, the recipient of RÉFAP's first self-employed woman of the year award. Congratulations to Lucie Tassé, who received the good-hearted woman of the year award in recognition of her commitment to Maison Mutchmore and to the Saint Vincent de Paul store.

I salute their vitality, determination and excellence. These women not only juggle work and family, but community as well.

[Liberal Party of Canada, February 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be able to tell all Canadians that the Liberal women's caucus, of which I am the Chair, has included three resolutions among its priorities leading up to the biennial convention to be held in Ottawa in March.

These are early childhood education and child care, Canada's plan with respect to climate change, and last but not least, gender-based analysis, commonly known as GBA.

These resolutions, not one or two, but all three, will be debated at the convention, because the National Liberal Caucus has incorporated them in the five resolutions adopted in Fredericton.

The women's caucus also has great hopes that the hon. Minister of Finance will incorporate the principles of gender-based analysis in his upcoming budget, in response to our lobbying.

To quote a certain daily newspaper:

“What is hot this week?” Definitely the Liberal women's caucus who makes daily strong commitments toward real equality.

[Finance, January 31st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to the hon. member who referred to certain social housing units in the Outaouais region. I am nonetheless proud to announce that, just a week ago, I had the great honour of meeting with representatives of Logemen'occupe. We on the government side are very aware of the needs in terms of social housing. We are certainly trying to do something about it. In fact, the minister is encouraging consultations in Quebec on this issue.

One must not confuse the issue of substandard housing with that of social housing. That having been said, we members from the Outaouais region are very aware of the problems in that area. We are working very hard to ensure that these needs are addressed in the budget.

My question is for the hon. member who discussed gross generalities, as is typical of the Bloc Québécois, which is starting 2005 the same way it finished 2004. We are asked to come up with real measures, to move on the issue of agriculture, to substantially increase international aid. I am curious as what these concrete measures should be. When asked what ought to be included in the budget to make his members happy, the Bloc leader's answer is that it is not up to them but to the government.

It is easy to tell the government that it should include this, that or the other in the budget. I would like concrete answers as to what real environmental measures my hon. friends are proposing and what agricultural measures they encourage the Minister of Finance to include in his budget.