Jean Chrétien

[Government Appointments, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, people are appointed regularly to boards. We look for competent people. It just so happens that because more people belong to the Liberal Party than any other party, we have to pick one once in a while. Last week, in order for the Globe and Mail to write these articles it had to rely on the chief patronage officer of the previous government who is an expert.

I have been in this party for 32 years and in all the lists I saw in the Globe and Mail on Saturday, I did not know more than 60 people personally. There are a lot of people who have worked in Canada in different functions. If the hon. member can prove that the person is incompetent we will not give him or her that job. However, he has to prove other candidates are competent which is exactly what we are looking for, good, competent people who have good judgment.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the reason is that the Liberal caucus is very large. Consequently, the CBC chairman first met Ontario members, and then Quebec members, the next day, after they had arrived.

In fact, the chairman had sent an invitation to meet Bloc Quebecois members, but the hon. member was not in her office to find out what was going on.

[International Trade, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I raised this kind of issue several times whenever circumstances allowed it. In fact, I raised this very issue, in the presence of the President of Guatemala, at the breakfast meeting we had with the six Central American government leaders.

[Governor General, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, it is not necessary to tell the House that the Governor General on his private income, if he has other income, is paying his taxes. It is exactly what the Queen has offered to do in England if I am well informed. She is paying taxes on her private income, not on her public income.

[Governor General, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, to begin with, the Governor General has voluntarily returned his pension to the crown. He was not obliged to do that. There was no obligation at all, yet he accepted to do that.

This legislation has been in existence for a long time. Perhaps we might have to review it and adjust the circumstances to that reality, but this is the way governors general have been treated in Canada since 1867.

We will look into that and see if we can do something. At the same time we have to treat this Governor General the same way we treated the governors general in the past.

[The Budget, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, you will have to be patient because we will be asked that question every day until the day of the budget. Everybody knows we cannot reveal the contents of the budget before budget night. We will respect the rule that has existed for a long time.

One thing is clear. This government has said to the Canadian public and the business community that we would meet our targets and the targets will be met.

[Income Tax, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have said it before and I will say it again, a budget will be brought down in the House a few weeks from now. I want to point to hon. member that Canada's economic performance has been exceptional.

We have achieved higher growth objectives than any other western country. We have had a year with zero inflation. For the first time in a very long while, the forecasts of the Minister of Finance with respect to the deficit have been reached. This will be explained in the budget.

Our performance was excellent, and we intend to keep it that way. And when the Minister of Finance rises in the House to propose budget cuts, I will be delighted to see the hon. member supporting those cuts.

[Income Tax, February 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the final decisions concerning the budget have yet to be made, so it would be premature for me to say anything definitive on certain aspects of the budget.

What we have to do is not an easy job. Decisions are in the process of being made, but they are not final. As soon as we have finished the job, the Minister of Finance will be able to announce the budget date, and members will get their answers on the night the budget is brought down.

[Social Policy, February 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. leader of the Conservative Party would read the red book he would know what our priorities are in terms of social policy.

[Public Service, February 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I am informed that there are some. I could find out how many, although the President of the Treasury Board acknowledged not knowing any personally. I do not know any either, but I am told there are some. I got this information from the Privy Council. If I was misinformed, I will apologize, but I was told again, afterwards, that there were some.