Major Community Facilities Program (April 30)
Mr. Agnihotri: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government is more concerned about photo ops than being accountable with taxpayers’ money.
Although this government hasn’t even figured out how to run its current grant programs, that hasn’t stopped it from launching another one, the major community facilities program. To the Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture: given that the guidelines for this new program are not yet complete, will this minister inform this House if top Tories will have easier access to the money than hard-working Albertans?
The Deputy Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Goudreau: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, like all of our other programs that are on the Internet and people are aware as to where the money goes, this new program will be the same. We will try to be as equitable as possible to all regions. Certainly, there are dollars that have been identified for the various cities. There are dollars that have been identified for rural Alberta. We’re going to try to spread those dollars around right across the province to meet the growing pressures that have been identified across the province.
Mr. Agnihotri: To the same minister: why did this government in an election year give its grant department a 66 per cent increase in funding and its Environment department only a 6 per cent increase in funding? Why?
Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, the members opposite would be the first ones to ask us to respond to increasing pressures. Initially they were asking to spend additional monies in health. They’re asking for additional money in education. Now, you know, certainly, they’re concerned about the additional monies that we are putting to meet the recreational facilities, the sports facilities, the arts facilities that are desperately needed in the province of Alberta. We’re responding to those increased pressures to meet those particular needs.
Mr. Agnihotri: To the same minister: why is this minister taking so long to table the names of the 43 grant recipients that broke CIP rules? If they have the proof, if they have the information, why don’t you table right now?
Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased that the member opposite is environmentally concerned. He’s recycling some of the questions that we had a few weeks ago. I indicated that we’ve got many thousands of applications to go through to be able to pull out those 40 applications that he’s alluding to. We are reviewing those, and we are making sure that no mistakes have been made. As I indicated in the past, we don’t believe that any mistakes have been made, but we are looking at them.
Thank you.
Alberta Hansard, April 30, 2007