Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, the Canada-Quebec Accord Relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens has been in place for a long time now—since the Mulroney era, if I am not mistaken. That means Quebec has a special role to play. This year, Quebec is receiving $340 million from the federal government.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, as I have said recently, the likely number of refugees from Syria, between the time the government assumed office and the end of next year, is 35,000 to 50,000. The plan is that, by the end of this calendar year, we will have admitted 15,000 government-assisted refugees and 10,000 privately sponsored ones.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I can answer in general terms that the answer is yes. I do not think that such a decision is imminent in terms of announcement, but certainly there are other agencies out there that are really important to our settlement efforts, and it is not our plan to neglect them.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, that is absolutely right. To return to my other colleague very briefly, there are service provider organizations, as we call them, as well. There is a large number of those and there is already funding built in for them to receive an increase, but that has not been announced or determined explicitly yet.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, the member is right. There are 23 agencies, and the $3.6 million represents a 25% increase, which reflects these refugee settlement agencies that are crucial to getting the job done, to actually settling the refugees coming in. Given the large numbers that they have to deal with, it was appropriate.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, the member should understand that not every event in every town and village can be predicted in advance, and it is always good to have reserves and contingencies. Should the permanent accommodation not be available when they arrive, we do not want to throw them out in the streets.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, one has to understand that when one is bringing over 25,000 people from Jordan and Lebanon, there are many moving parts. That is why we have contingencies in our estimates. We are being fiscally prudent. One does not know months in advance precisely how much accommodation will be available in every town, village, and city across the country, so we make an allowance so in case accommodation is not ready elsewhere, there is temporary accommodation provided.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I dispute virtually all the premises of those questions. The plan changed once. We announced the change about bringing in 25,000 by the end of the year. We listened to Canadians to do it right. If it takes a little extra time to do it right, then it takes the time, and that is what we have done.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, he seems to say that we do not have a plan, but using the bases as a last resort is the plan. We do have a plan to use them as a last resort, should they be needed. It is a prudent plan and it allows for various contingencies. The cost of temporary accommodation on the base is, indeed, included in the supplementary estimates that he has before him.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I have just said it would not detract from the operational forces on the base. One should bear in mind that the vast majority of the refugees coming between now and the end of the year are, in fact, privately sponsored refugees: 8,000 out of 10,000. Not one of those will go on a military base.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, the President of the Treasury Board just mentioned to me—and it is a similar answer to the one he gave earlier to another question—that sometimes the departments incur these expenditures through cash management in the short run, but if there is an incremental need, those will come up in supplementary estimates (C).

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, I can say that the military base will provide temporary accommodation, if necessary. If government-sponsored refugees arrive and do not have permanent housing right away, they will stay on the military base. This is one of the ways in which the military is helping us in this process.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, that would be a question for the Minister of National Defence. However, if memory serves, he said that regulars would not be displaced. There may be an impact on temporary soldiers, but that will not interrupt the regular operations of our Canadian Forces.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, yes, that is what I understand, based on what the Minister of National Defence said. However, that is really a question for him and not me.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, as I have already said, and it is even more clear in this case, reservists and the Department of National Defence's budget do not fall under my jurisdiction. Although I was the defence minister a few years ago, I am not anymore. I therefore cannot answer that question.