Preston Manning

[Government Appointments, November 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister defends partisan patronage appointments to the highest political offices. In so doing he is sending all the wrong signals to his ministers responsible for lower level appointments. He is saying it is okay for the immigration minister to make patronage appointments to the IRB. He is saying it is okay for the Solicitor General to make patronage appointments to the National Parole Board.

Will the Prime Minister change the signals he is sending to those ministers and rescind his latest patronage appointments so that Canadians can believe he is serious about restoring integrity to government?

[Government Appointments, November 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in a few short months the contest between federalism and separatism will begin in earnest. Surely the Prime Minister would agree that now is the time for federalism to put its best foot forward, not its worst. Federalism does not put its best foot forward through partisan, patronage appointments to key federal institutions, such as Rideau Hall and the Canadian Senate.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that continuation of the Mulroney practice of high level patronage appointments to federal offices discredits the federal system? Will he promise to abandon this practice before it infects his entire government?

[Auditor General's Report, November 22nd, 1994]

The Reform Party opposes tinkering with social reform, not real reform.

The Auditor General says in black and white what Reformers have maintained for years, that increased costs in social services since 1975 have made them, and I use his words, "financially unsustainable from tax revenues".

This is a broader question than just the minister's department. Will the Prime Minister come clean with the Canadian people and tell them that with current deficit and debt levels federal social programs are financially unsustainable and that is the reason for having real reform rather than tinkering with the social programs?

[Auditor General's Report, November 22nd, 1994]

Including technical reports as well. The weakness of the minister's answer reveals the fundamental weakness in the government's approach to social programs. That is an unwillingness and inability to assess fully the real costs, the long term costs on what is proposed. Weak on numbers. Sauce in the heart but soft in the head.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that this is the fundamental weakness of the red ink book? It is the fundamental weakness of the minister's green paper. It is the fundamental weakness of the government. Will he commit to start doing something about that weakness?

[Auditor General's Report, November 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government spends more money on social programs than anything else. The Minister of Human Resources Development is running around the country discussing social reform. Yet the Auditor General in his report today says that a central concern in our study is that Parliament lacks important information on the performance and effects of existing social programs. Canadians do not even have the numbers, the actual costs and values received, not for existing social programs nor proposed reform.

Will the Prime Minister implement the Auditor General's recommendations and give Parliament and Canadians the financial information necessary to make meaningful choices on social policy reform?

[Governor General Of Canada, November 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Prime Minister's announcement of the appointment of Romeo LeBlanc as the next Governor General of Canada and to protest the appointment as unwise and inappropriate.

In doing so I mean absolutely no disrespect for Mr. LeBlanc as an individual, a parliamentarian or a public servant. However, as hon. members know, the prestige and the standing of the Office of the Governor General with the Canadian public is in decline and it is in decline for three reasons.

First, in a democracy an increasing number of people feel that the public should have a say in who occupies the office of chief of state. Second, it is in decline because Canadians prefer the appointee to be above and beyond partisan politics. That reference has not been respected.

Third, it is in decline because the public no longer supports some of the special privileges which pertain to the Governor General's office such as the exemption of the occupant from payment of income taxes and the ability of the occupant to double dip on pensions.

The Prime Minister has disregarded all of these factors in making this appointment which he announced today. Reformers therefore believe the appointment to be unwise, inappropriate, and wish that fact to be registered in this House.

[Immigration And Refugee Board, November 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's excuses, denials and half baked measures do nothing to restore confidence in the IRB. It has gone too far for that. The allegations are too serious and too many. They range from influence peddling at the board to fraud charges being laid, even to RCMP investigations.

The minister has it within his power to order a judicial inquiry into the IRB members. Given the allegations that have come to life over the last few weeks, will the minister stop making excuses for inexcusable behaviour and order a judicial inquiry into the IRB?

[Immigration And Refugee Board, November 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bauer does not think it works. Obviously someone is profiting from the IRB process. Most immigration lawyers can earn two to three thousand dollars at least per refugee claim.

In the past the minister has appointed over 50 immigration lawyers to the IRB. Coincidentally, the acceptance rate for refugees has jumped from 55 per cent last year to approximately 80 per cent in recent months.

Will the minister tell the House whether the currently high acceptance rate of 80 per cent is a reflection of his government's policy, or is it evidence that the IRB has been captured by those interests that stand to profit from excessively high acceptance rates?

[Immigration And Refugee Board, November 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, over the last few weeks there have been allegations of infighting, bullying, corruption and influence peddling at the Immigration and Refugee Board. The most damning allegations now come from William Bauer, former ambassador and champion of human rights who resigned from the board in disgust in March of this year.

According to this distinguished Canadian, the independence and effectiveness of the IRB are being undermined by constant pressure from the legal lobby and advocacy groups, in other words by those who stand to profit from the system.

Does the minister accept the truth of Mr. Bauer's analysis? What is the minister's position on allowing advocacy and lobby groups, the legal lobby, to unduly influence and profit from the activities of the IRB?

[Immigration And Refugee Board, November 16th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the minister likes dealing in facts. Here are some facts and a question.

The first fact is the minister appointed an illegal immigrant to the IRB. The second fact is the RCMP is investigating influence peddling in immigration. The third fact is the IRB has dissolved into two warring factions based on whether they were Tory patronage appointments or Liberal patronage appointments.

Will the minister face the fact that the IRB is in an absolute mess and order a judicial inquiry into its conduct?