The Budget  Just last week HRD was forced to order a forensic audit into how funds earmarked for a project in the Montreal riding of Rosemont ended up bankrolling a virtually identical project in Shawinigan, once again in the Prime Minister's riding. If I were describing to the House events occurring in some underdeveloped country with a corrupt and dictatorial government with no traditions or mechanisms for enforcing political or fiscal accountability, hon. members might shake their heads and say that it was regrettable but perhaps understandable.

First Nations Ombudsman Act  It is only a funding agency but it is also supposed to be a legislative agency. Last year the National Post ran an entire series of articles detailing the squalor and corruption on some reserves and the helplessness of band members to effect change. The need for such an officer became apparent to participants at grassroots meetings of aboriginals sponsored by the Reform MPs in the summer of 1998 and 1999.

Human Resources Development  Speaker, no one is questioning the value of properly managed accountable administration of public money. But these shifty efforts, the backtracking and the coverup of what was obviously a corrupt and disastrous plan that was inherited by the current minister has left public confidence in shambles. When will the minister just set the record straight and admit that her riding did not qualify for TJF or CJF funds?

Canada Elections Act  It is toying with our B.C. election rules, and that is what the Liberals are going to do in Ottawa. But the Liberals in Ottawa are even more cruel than the bankrupt, some would say corrupt, NDP government of B.C. The Liberals only want to allow $3,000 to be spent in any riding in Canada by a fledgling third party. That amount of money would not pay for a single advertisement on television.

Municipal Grants Act  When granting procedures are as unstructured as they seem to be in HRDC—and they are certainly not mentioned in law—and a program is put together to please someone, there is political pressure, allegations of corruption, favouritism and those kinds of things. I feel the bill goes a long way toward addressing some of those concerns. We would not want the industry minister, for instance, to make decisions without guidelines when he is handing over taxpayer money.

Division No. 72  Mr. Speaker, they ask what corruptness. There has been allegation after allegation by Canadian farmers who have sought to take this issue to court only to find that the Canadian Wheat Board and this Liberal government do everything they can to keep the issues out of court.

Committees Of The House  I would argue that Canadians today have a right to ask that we go through every department, that we go through the Department of Human Resources Development, not just the projects that were audited, but all of the projects and find the waste, the mismanagement and the corruption and root it out. We could do the same thing in the Department of Canadian Heritage where we know that the government issues hundreds of millions of dollars of grants every year. We should go through every one of those programs.

Supply  If that was in place these problems would probably have been prevented because the government's weaknesses, the corruption and mismanagement of those funds, would have surfaced. There are many questions that remain unanswered. Canadians want to know if the Liberals will admit that these grants are political slush funds to buy voters with their own money.

Supply  Going back to the member's first point, it does remind us of the Mulroney years and we should be reminded of what the Prime Minister said during those Mulroney years when he talked about the corruption that was so rampant in that cabinet. This is a quote from the Prime Minister in 1991. He said, “When we form the government every minister in the cabinet that I will be presiding over will have to take full responsibility for what is going on in his department.

Supply  I can tell the member that non-profit societies in terms of their democracy, in terms of their transparency, are probably the best model that we have in the country of how things should work. If the member wants to look for where there is corruption or where there is mismanagement then perhaps he should go into the business community, into some of the financial institutions, to see what is going on there. Of course we expect that non-profits will make applications in good faith, will fulfil those applications and will meet the mandates of the program.

Customs Act  We ought not take this kind of draconian action against people who blow the whistle when they see corruption in their departments. It is scandalous that the Department of National Revenue has dismissed Mr. Coffey. This underlines once more the need for tough whistle-blower protection legislation so that public servants can speak the truth and identify waste, fraud and corruption where they exist in the public sector without fear of intimidation or losing their jobs because of the government.

Rcmp Investigations  Speaker, let us just talk about that for a moment. We know the RCMP is investigating the Liberal Party for its corrupt fundraising practices. I do not care as much about the corruption in the Liberal Party as I care about corruption in the government. We know the RCMP is investigating the Liberal Party, but will the prime minister launch an independent inquiry into potential corruption in the government itself?

Parliamentarians' Code Of Conduct  The criminal code specifically prohibits members of parliament from engaging in bribery and corrupt acts. However, the courts have recognized some ambiguity in the definition of the term officer of parliament, and it has been suggested that the term should be clarified by parliament.

Rcmp  Speaker, the solicitor general has assured the House that the RCMP are looking into allegations of corruption in the Hong Kong visa office and allegations of cover-up in the RCMP investigation. I have an RCMP briefing note which says the investigation was to be concluded in October. This being December 6, I would like to know what is the truth.

Rcmp  I read from the briefing note “With respect to the other allegations pertaining to CAIPS and corruption, our investigation is in its final stages and is expected to be concluded this October”. I repeat my question. This being December 6, the RCMP said it would be reporting on this in October.