Hansard Feb. 15/05 -- ORAL QUESTION PERIOD

Auditor General's Report

Hon. Stephen Harper (Leader of the Opposition, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report you just tabled indicates the government has learned nothing from the sponsorship scandal. That scandal happened because the Liberals stashed millions away from the watch of Parliament. Now, even after repeated warnings, billions of dollars continue to be hidden away in these unaccountable foundations.

When will the government learn and put foundation spending under the scrutiny of Parliament and the Auditor General?

Right Hon. Paul Martin (Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the foundations are available to Parliament. The Canadian Foundation for Innovation, as an example, has appeared over 11 times in front of parliamentary committees.

[But, has the audit come to Parliament? No. Scroll down for links. NJC]

The fundamental point the hon. member seems to be raising is he is questioning the validity of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and other such foundations.

[The PM deliberately misunderstands the questions, then misdirects his answer and his ire. The Honourable Leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition asked about the AUDIT, not a particular foundation but the PM knows that if he huffs and puffs the words 'Innovation' or 'Technology', the compliant media will pick up on that.

Is the man attempting to be evil-cunning? -- or simply incompetent? NJC]

The Leader of the Opposition should go to the universities and the teaching hospitals in the country and ask them what they think about the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. He will find that they support it. They are supporting fundamental research in the country, and that is what is important.

Hon. Stephen Harper (Leader of the Opposition, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I am only quoting the Auditor General who says today, “Given the significant sums involved, I am concerned about the lack of adequate accountability to Parliament”. It is for $8 billion.

The Prime Minister has just finished appearing before the Gomery commission where he could not remember anything about finance in the last 10 years.

Will the Prime Minister promise the House that this time he will ensure in the upcoming budget that more taxpayer money is not hidden away in foundations?

Right Hon. Paul Martin (Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, no money is hidden. Public reports are made. All the hon. member has to do is read them.

If the hon. member would like to call the members of any one of those foundations in front of a committee, he is certainly free to do so. In fact, I can tell the hon. member that those foundations would like to appear.

[Are the public reports AUDITS? Who audits these foundations? Not the Auditor General. AG Sheila Fraser has reported on this--see below. When and by whom are the audits carried out? To whom are reports made? Are these arms-length and therefore the money is hidden, as it is with crown corporations?

"The auditor general is barred from looking at Crown corporations." Stephanie Rubic, Toronto Sun, Feb. 16, 05

If an audit is done, how is the knowledge gained through the audit disseminated to the Canadian public? Have you seen a report on these audits? NJC]

[PM:] If the hon. member is challenging what the foundations do, saying that the money is hidden, then why does he not go to the hospitals, go to the universities and go to those who benefit from what those foundations do and say that to them?


Related:

Canada's Federal Foundations Lack Oversight, Auditor Finds Bloomberg, Feb. 15, 05

[. . . . ] The foundations, with C$7.66 billion ($6.25 billion) at their disposal, were created to help further policy goals.

"Given the magnitude of these transfers, the public policy purposes involved, and the reduced opportunities for parliament scrutiny, the existing provisions for audit and evaluation in funding agreements with foundations are not adequate,'' according to the report released today. [. . . . ]

Government computers vulnerable, A-G warns -- Info accessible to hackers -- "last-minute cash transfers to private foundations " Andrew McIntosh, National Post, Feb. 15, 05

OTTAWA - Auditor-General Sheila Fraser blasted the federal government yesterday for failing to protect information in its computer systems from dangerous hackers, not filling key jobs at Crown corporations and for funelling more than $9-billion into foundations that remain unaccountable to Parliament.

[. . . . ] She complained that last-minute cash transfers to private foundations that don't spend the money for years "continue to place public money beyond the reach of effective scrutiny by Parliament."

Link and search: nuclear, CIDA, Crown corporations, airports.



An embarrassment of federal riches

An embarrassment of federal riches -- Fraser takes aim at foundations -- "laundering scheme" John Ivison, National Post, Feb. 16, 05

[. . . . ] By last April, the foundation had been awarded $1.2-billion, but had only provided $51-million in grants to third parties. It spent $30-million on administration but, on the bright side, it earned $83-million in interest payments, meaning the balance in its account was $1.202-billion -- more than it started with.

Search: technology, health, arm's-length, moribund, overlap, Industry Canada, Technology Partnerships Canada, sleight of hand, business case.

Grits hide $9B in slush funds -- "Paul Martin and his Liberal government for continuing to hide over $9 billion of taxpayers' money in a series of secretive foundations" Toronto Sun, Feb. 16, 05



[End of related articles and back to Hansard Feb. 15/05]

Justice

Mr. Peter MacKay (Central Nova, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino said on the weekend that hard-core, gun-crazed gangsters were perpetrating a frenzy of violence and bloodshed in Toronto on the weekend. When the smoke cleared, two were dead and six were injured. Seventeen of these 18 crimes involved guns.

Alarmingly, Chief Fantino made a damning assessment that criminals have no fear of the justice system and that it neither deters nor rehabilitates. He and many others are calling on the government to take action to crack down and restore safety on the streets. When will the government legislate mandatory minimum sentences for the criminal use of firearms and end this ineffective gun registry, putting the money into front line policing?

Hon. Irwin Cotler (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, we care no less than the opposition about the safety and security of Canadians. We made safety and security a centrepiece of our meetings with federal, provincial and territorial ministers of justice and we will continue to promote and protect the security and safety of Canadians. [talk, talk, jaw, jaw]

* * *

[Translation]

Public Security

Mr. Peter MacKay (Central Nova, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the CBC is again reporting that the Liberals are not taking terrorist threats seriously. Our borders are like sieves, and our major dams are open to attack at any time. The Liberals are cutting back on the number of RCMP in Quebec and ignoring all the alarm signals.

The minister needs to wake up. She needs to tell us what steps she plans to take, without further delay, to protect Canadians.

[English]

Hon. Anne McLellan (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in this House, the redeployment of RCMP officers in Quebec is not reducing the complement in that province. In fact, what the force is doing is redeploying those officers to ensure they can provide better border protection; for example, through the creation of more integrated border enforcement teams. In fact, we are redeploying officers so they can work more effectively with the Sûreté du Québec in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking, gun smuggling, people smuggling and so on.

We are redeploying to be more effective and more efficient in protecting the people of Quebec and Canada. [End: Hansard]



Related:

Quebec dams open to attack, probe suggests CBC, Feb. 16, 05

Quebec Minister of Natural Resources, Sam Hamad, said he's visited the Bourassa dam twice and doesn't believe there's anything to worry about.

Search: Anne McLellan

U.S. advised Ottawa on terror list -- Pettigrew -- Tamil Tigers Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service, February 16, 2005




More grow-ops in Toronto than U.S.

More grow-ops in Toronto than U.S. -- MPP: Ministers back Chief's demand for crackdown on guns -- the rent-a-gun crowd -- gun-crime penalties April Lindgren, CanWest News Service, February 16, 2005

Firearms rent just like videos -- A-G URGES STIFFER SENTENCES FOR GUN CRIMES ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF, Feb. 16, 05

The provincial Liberals are calling on their federal cousins to scrap conditional sentences and increase jail time for gun offences.

Government secrets lost, stolen, copied memos show Jim Bronskill, CP

See what he says about: Natural Resources, Justice Department, Treasury Board Secretariat -- and more.




Media: Hydro security -- "Manic and LG-2 installations near James Bay"

The media don't challenge Deputy PM Anne McLellan, minister responsible for public security, on her veracity. It simply doesn't add up. the government have only a knee jerk, band aid approach to security for Canadians and Deputy PM, Anne McLellan keeps pumping out the bilge. She claims that they are putting $8 billion into security and the media, like sheep, buy it.

How many RCMP and CSIS agents have been hired, beyond those retiring, with that $8 billion? The Senate Report on National security pointed out all the gaps; yet the media sleep. The ports are undermanned, they are closing detachments in Quebec, every unit is undermanned, from white collar crime to drugs, to intelligence; yet, she says all is well and the media believe her? The RCMP have 2500 fewer officers today than there were 12 years ago but everything is under control? The crooks and terrorists are laughing themselves silly. The government keeps reorganizing, redeploying, with fewer officers and she says that less is more? Where's the media? Or is the security of Canadians not important?

Quebec court allows Radio-Canada to broadcast report on Hydro security -- "Manic and LG-2 installations near James Bay" Rollande Parent, Feb. 15, 05

MONTREAL (CP) - A Quebec judge refused on Tuesday to grant a Hydro-Quebec request to block Radio-Canada from broadcasting a report highlighting apparent security gaps at two of the utility's major power installations.

[. . . . ] Lawyers for Radio-Canada, the French-language network of the CBC, argued the public had a right to know that no guards, security cameras or other measures protected the installations, which provide power to a large part of the province and several American states. [. . . . ]

Corcoran on Kyoto

Kyoto begins and ends today Terence Corcoran, National Post, Feb. 16, 05


Also, don't miss Lawrence Solomon in the Financial Post editorial page today -- great on education. Also, Newstalk 11 -- Jim Carroll who was good today on inflated, empty praise for kids -- It's not working!