Tony Clement

[The Budget, May 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan 2012 is of course our plan for jobs, economic growth and prosperity. It keeps taxes low, while focusing on a return to a balanced budget. We have found fair, balanced and moderate savings measures to reduce the deficit by reducing the size of the federal public service by 4% over three years.

[Immigration, April 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this government has done extensive consultations. Pre-budget, ministers of the crown, our entire caucus, went throughout this country to every nook and cranny and consulted with Canadians about the future of our country, about jobs and opportunities and about economic growth. That is what is in the budget, and we are proud of that.

[Regional Economic Development, April 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we have found ways in the back-office operations of government to find efficiencies and better ways to deliver excellent services to Canadians. At the same time, we have given these responsibilities to the Comptroller General of Canada, who already has that oversight over 47 different departments and agencies. He has the expertise and the ability to do the right thing in terms of making sure that we can follow the dollars, and we do so in an efficient way so that we can concentrate on delivering better services to Canadians.

[Ethics, April 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, they have done no such thing. In fact, it was this government, at the very start of our mandate in 2006, that created the Federal Accountability Act, the most sweeping anti-corruption legislation in the world today. We have made great strides, of course, in delivering more information to Canadians, not only to the opposition members and to the media, but to Canadians directly. There are 272,000 data sets online right now at data.gc.ca. That is our commitment to opening the government and it will continue.

[Economic Development, April 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have to correct the record on that. This government is fully supportive of economic development, more jobs, more growth, more opportunity in northern Ontario. We have an excellent program through FedNor which focuses on job creation activities, new businesses, new activities throughout northern Ontario, including in the hon. member's riding, I might add, and including his former seatmate's riding as well.

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the information requested cannot be provided in the timeframe allotted to respond to this question, as an extensive manual search of records would be required.

Forecasts of statutory expenditures are presented in the estimates for information purposes only. They are included in the main estimates if the necessary legislation has been approved and a reasonable estimate can be made of the amount. If an organization is seeking additional annual voted expenditure authority in supplementary estimates, any new statutory items will be added and material revisions to forecasts of existing statutory items will also be made.

There are some statutory items not listed in the estimates. Two common items are the spending of proceeds from the disposal of surplus crown assets under the Surplus Crown Assets Act, and refunds of amounts credited to revenues in previous years under section 20 of the Financial Administration Act. In both of these cases, the amounts are generally small and are quite difficult to forecast. Other amounts may not be included in the main estimates or supplementary estimates because of the timing of the payment, such as payments made after the preparation of supplementary estimates (C) and before the end of the fiscal year.

All expenditures are reported by department by statutory item in the ministry summary sections of volume two of the Public Accounts of Canada, found at http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/recgen/txt/72-eng.html. The ministry summary presents any authority available from the previous year and, for statutory items, the forecasts included in main estimates and supplementary estimates and adjustments.

[Government Spending, March 15th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, what the member said is completely false. I invite my hon. colleague to wait for the budget.

[Interim Supply, March 14th, 2012]

Madam Chair, I can tell you that the proportions requested in the bill are intended to provide for all necessary requirements of the federal public administration up to the second supply period of fiscal 2012-13.

The bill does not release the full amount of any of the items. The presentation of this bill is identical to the one used for the previous supply period.

The passing of the bill will not prejudice the rights and privileges of members to criticize any item in the estimates when it comes up for consideration in committee, and the usual undertaking is hereby given that such rights and privileges will be respected and will not be curtailed or restricted in any way as a result of the passing of this measure.

[Interim Supply, March 14th, 2012]

moved:

That this House do concur in Interim Supply as follows:

That a sum not exceeding $26,581,278,713.07 being composed of:

(1) three twelfths ($17,287,596,204.25) of the total of the amounts of the items set forth in the Proposed Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 which were laid upon the Table on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, except for those items below:

(2) eleven twelfths of the total of the amount of Canadian Grain Commission Vote 30, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Vote 15 and Treasury Board Vote 5 (Schedule 1.1), of the said Estimates, $785,558,389.00;

(3) ten twelfths of the total of the amount of Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Vote 15 (Schedule 1.2) of the said Estimates, $12,706,880.83;

(4) eight twelfths of the total of the amount of Justice Vote 1 (Schedule 1.3), of the said Estimates, $163,728,761.33;

(5) seven twelfths of the total of the amount of Canada Council for the Arts Vote 10, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Vote 25, Industry Vote 10 and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Vote 20 (Schedule 1.4), of the said Estimates, $548,030,846.42;

(6) six twelfths of the total of the amount of Canadian International Trade Tribunal Vote 25, Natural Resources Vote 5 and Via Rail Canada Inc. Vote 60 (Schedule 1.5), of the said Estimates, $160,992,068.00;

(7) five twelfths of the total of the amount of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Vote 15, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 Vote 40, National Arts Centre Corporation Vote 65, National Battlefields Commission Vote 70, Human Resources and Skills Development Vote 5, Indian Affairs and Northern Development Vote 10, Canadian Space Agency Vote 35, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Vote 5 and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Public Complaints Commission Vote 65 (Schedule 1.6), of the said Estimates, $3,950,338,729.58;

(8) four twelfths of the total of the amount of Canadian Heritage Vote 5, Canadian Museum of Human Rights Vote 30, Public Service Commission Vote 95, Citizenship and Immigration Vote 5, Canadian International Development Agency Vote 25, Health Vote 10, Public Health Agency of Canada Vote 60, Indian Affairs and Northern Development Vote 1, Industry Vote 1, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Vote 80, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Vote 95, Statistics Canada Vote 105, Library of Parliament Vote 10, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Vote 15, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Vote 45 and 50, Public Works and Government Services Vote 10, Shared Services Canada Vote 20 and Marine Atlantic Inc. Vote 35 (Schedule 1.7), of the said Estimates, $3,672,326,833.66;

be granted to Her Majesty on account of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

[Supplementary Estimates (C), 2011-12, March 14th, 2012]

Yes, Madam Chair, the presentation of this bill is identical to the one used for the previous supply period.