John Baird

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it is this government that brought in the Federal Accountability Act, the toughest anti-corruption legislation in Canadian history. It clamped down and made major reforms to the lobbyists registry, made major reforms to eliminate the influence of big money, and made major reforms to ensure that we had an independent Ethics Commissioner who did not simply work as a staffer in the PMO, something that was absent in the 13 long years of the previous Liberal government.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it will not come as any surprise to my friend from Vancouver East that I reject the premise of her question.

The minister has been clear that she took the decision on behalf of her department. The minister is not one to go along just to get along. She is not afraid to take difficult decisions and I think she made a good decision in this regard.

Just because a non-governmental organization gets a grant from the government does not mean it has an entitlement to receive it in perpetuity.

The minister has done a lot to reform CIDA. She has done a lot to ensure that every single dollar allocated to support the most vulnerable in difficult and poor places on this earth can get the best result for the Canadian taxpayer.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the minister very clearly said that she was the one who made that decision. It cannot be more clear than that. She said it 11 times in committee and repeated it in the House.

I can repeat it again, for my dear Bloc colleague, that the minister made that decision herself. She was responsible for grants awarded by CIDA. She was responsible for decisions and she was the one who made them.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts: the minister made the difficult decision to refuse funding to this non-governmental organization. She told the House and the committee that she was the one who had made that decision, which I believe was the right one.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, that is not at all the case.

The minister made the decision to not fund this non-governmental organization. She decided to spend this money in Africa, Haiti and Afghanistan to help the most vulnerable, and she has done a fantastic job as minister over the past five years. It is very important to point out that my colleague's assertions are false.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the minister was clear. She has not stopped repeating it. She said it 10 times before a House committee and she also said it before the House: she made the decision to not approve funding for this organization. The minister made a difficult decision, but the right one, in order to help the most vulnerable people in Africa.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I just read a quote from the minister. She said 11 times last year at a committee of this place that it was she, as Minister of International Cooperation, who made the decision.

She said in the House of Commons and again, I will repeat it for the member for Cape Breton—Canso:

--ultimately the decision to not provide funding was mine, as Minister of International Cooperation.

Let me say this. The minister made a difficult decision. She made a courageous decision. The minister made the right decision, to support the most vulnerable people in the world.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, here is what the Minister of International Cooperation said in this House:

--but ultimately the decision to not provide funding was mine, as Minister of International Cooperation.

The minister communicated her decision to the department. What the minister did is work tremendously hard to help the most vulnerable people in the world rather than to provide funding to this non-governmental organization.

She has been a real leader in Haiti. She has been a real leader in Afghanistan. She has been a real leader in helping Canada's commitment to double our aid to Africa.

[International Co-operation, February 18th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I say to my friend from Cape Breton, we know no such thing.

Here is what we do know. We know that the minister made a difficult decision. She made a courageous decision to not provide a $7 million grant to this particular non-governmental organization because she felt that money could be better spent to help some of the world's most poor and vulnerable people.

The minister did the right thing.

[Points of Order, February 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Hull—Aylmer has clearly indicated where his residence is not.