Sandy Lee

Inaction and omission is also inaction. The Minister is getting around this rule by saying well we're coming to you now and we're saying we want to do it in another place. I don't think that is what the spirit of what this rule is.

I've always thought that myself, as a Member of this Assembly, comes here and we review our budgets, we debate our budgets, and we vote on that. I have to have comfort when I'm leaving this place that the money that I voted on will be spent the way it was voted on. The government should not be allowed to just hold off and not even have to bring to us any...

I am sorry, I didn’t catch all that. Does the Minister have the dates of when this will happen, other than it will happen in June? It is June 1st.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On that item I agree also that the proposal now to move this to another community and to use the money to renovate another building is definitely a change in scope. But I want to also point out that when the Minister gets the money from this Assembly and chooses not to spend, that definitely is a change in scope; a change in the nature of the project.

Are we going to recoup the fees and payments to get them started, or is that like operating core funding? I am talking about the $328,000 under fees and payments.

Could any of the Ministers indicate whether it’s the plan of the government to buy the equipment necessary for bailing, crushing or whatever you do for recycling products? I thought the plan was to get local groups to bid for it and if they do get it, I thought they would buy the equipment and make these projects work. Can I get that information, please?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I should just state here that this might be an example where it makes sense that, for whatever reason, the government couldn’t spend the $933,000 that was allocated for the recovery program and they are asking us to re-approve this and there are good reasons for that, as opposed to the other thing that we are occupied with at this Assembly.

Mr. Chairman, I want to ask for more details about $550,000 allocated for materials and supplies. I wonder if the government is going to buy the equipment necessary for this program. What is that about?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think it’s absolutely appalling, Madam Speaker, that the Minister would say that for political reasons, not even in this House but on the Cabinet table, that they could move a capital project as big as $2.4 million for political reasons. I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance, as a Finance Minister in charge of numbers, whether he’s asked for any information in making his decision about what extra costs would be for the government in moving this program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I was not here I don’t believe when that happened with the young offenders’ centre and if there was an uproar then, and there should be an uproar now, two wrongs don’t make it right. It was wrong then, it’s wrong now and I don’t think that justifies the Minister’s move on this thing.

My point is we can’t do that. It’s not a proper expenditure in decision-making of government money. The Minister stated some of the reasons why the young offenders' centre had to be moved here. There are, so far, no reasons given whatsoever why it is better to use the Hay...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I learned via some people in the TTC that apparently DPW came by and poked about 82 holes in this building and never really came back and told them what was right or wrong with this building. In the meantime, the political masters are trying to figure out what to do with this.

I would like to state, Madam Speaker, when we are debating the budget in this House, Ministers fight tooth and nail for every dollar. Members on this side cannot change anything. They convince us that they need this; the sky will fall if it just doesn't get approved. Then we...

That is it for now on this issue. Thank you.