Community Initiatives Program (May 3)
Mr. Agnihotri: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Applewood broke the rules, CIP broke the rules, CFEP broke the rules, and the other initiative programs do not even have the rules.
Shame. Now the government has launched another program, the major community facilities program.
My question to the President of the Treasury Board: why should Alberta taxpayers now trust this government withthe new $280 million grant program?
Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, it’s not just the CIP and the CFEP grants. The government takes very seriously its responsibility to be accountable to the taxpayers of Alberta. The CIP and the CIP grant process have done tremendous good across Alberta, and the opportunity for us to give more money back to Albertans through the major grant to help with major facilities is one that we feel very honoured to be able to do on behalf of the people of Alberta. I can assure you that the Auditor General and our department will be watching very carefully that the money is spent appropriately and accounted for.
Mr. Agnihotri: I’m talking about the breaking of the rules. I’m talking about accountability, transparency. I’m talking about the trust which this government has lost. My question to the same minister. This government is more concerned about its friends than hard-working Albertans. Does health get a 66 per cent increase in funding? No. Education? No. Environment? No. So why did this department in an election year increase its budget 66 per cent?
Why?
Mr. Snelgrove: Well, I don’t know for sure. Mr. Speaker, this party just went through a very exciting if not difficult leadership process. You know what Albertans said to us? We’ve got a gentleman that’s now our leader that has a history of honesty and integrity. This government that’s under our new Premier will govern with integrity and transparency and openness, and you’ll see it.
Mr. Agnihotri: Well, if that’s actually true, why don’t you answer my question properly every time?
Anyway, my question to the Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture. This minister has had a full month . . .
Mr. Bonko: How long?
Mr. Agnihotri: A full month.
. . . to find the names of 43 recipients of grants that broke CIP rules. Alberta taxpayers are starting to smell a cover-up. Minister, for God’s sake, please stop making excuses and be accountable.
What are you trying to hide? Why don’t you disclose those names? Taxpayers want you to disclose the names now.
The Speaker: There are some members who will take strong exception to the phrase “for God’s sake.†[interjections] No, no, no. I want to make that comment. There may be some histrionics that go on from time to time; there are also some phrases that we use with some degree of respect in this House.
Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, certainly, on the 40 applications that the hon. member is talking about, our staff, as I indicated before, are trying to extract all of those 40 applications. Our initial, preliminary observation is that there were absolutely no rules that were broken. You know, we’re going through the over 2,000 applications to try to locate those 40, and that material should be available fairly soon.
Alberta Hansard, May 3, 2007