With respect to the government's newspaper ads relating to the Human Development Report of the United Nations, (a) what was the total cost (b) what were the costs of production and placement (c) what

Routine Proceedings

persons or companies received contracts for these ads and what were the dates and amounts of these contracts?

Hon. Robert R. de Cotret (Secretary of State of Canada):

Insofar as the Department of the Secretary of State is concerned, the answer is as follows:

(a) The total cost of the newspaper ads relating to the Human Development Report of the United Nations was $1,044 million.

(b) The cost of production was $67,000; the cost of media purchase (placement) was $977,000.

(c) The production was done by PNMD/Publitel at a cost of $67,000.

The placement was done by Media Canada, the media placement agency of record for Government of Canada, at a cost of $977,000.

The dates of the contracts were:

PNMD/Publitel-April 28, 1992

Media Canada-April 23, 1992

Mr. Jim Edwards (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons):

Mr. Speaker, if Question No. 249 could be made an Order for Return, the return would be tabled immediately.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

The questions as enumerated by the parliamentary secretary have been answered.

Is it the pleasure of the House that Question No. 249 be deemed to have been made an Order for Return?

Agreed.

Since September 4, 1984 has the government ever utilized the services of Interpost Systems and, if so, why and which department has done so, on how many occasions, and what was the expenditure of each government department each time the service was used?

Return tabled.

June 10,1992

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Edwards:

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

Shall the remaining questions stand?

Agreed.

Mr. Jim Edwards (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons):

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers be allowed to stand.

Mr. MiUiken:

Mr. Speaker, your smile indicates that you can guess why I am on my feet today.

I filed a request for the production of documents in respect of the establishment of a military supply depot in Montreal, a decision made by the Minister of National Defence in either late March or early April of this year contrary to the earlier study that was done for the department, at some considerable cost I may say, which recommended another site that just happened to be in my own riding.

There has been a subsequent study, I assume, done to justify this decision. My motion for the production of papers merely requests that that be produced.

I am certain that under the Access to Information Act it is a producible document. This is a request for the document in this House. I would hope that if the parliamentary secretary can locate the Minister of National Defence-I know that he is not often in Ottawa- perhaps the document could be turned up and produced before we adjourn for the summer.

The second motion I have on the Order Paper has been there since May 6.1 raised it with the parliamentary secretary a couple of weeks ago and he said he would look into it. It deals with the expense accounts of persons who travelled with the Prime Minister on a trip to Calgary in April 1991.

This is not new information. It has been requested under the Access to Information Act. Heavily censored versions were released. We are asking for the facts. Surely this House is entitled to them.

If the parliamentary secretary has any reluctance in this regard, perhaps we could instead of transferring it for debate, where he knows it will get buried and never get called, just bring it to a vote immediately and have the question decided in the House. I suspect a lot of his own members would like to see these expense accounts too.

Mr. Edwards:

Mr. Speaker, I seem to recall that the Minister of National Defence answered quite a number of questions yesterday in Question Period. I would be very happy to relay the hon. member's query to that minister.

With reference to the second question, my hon. friend is quite correct that it was posed on May 6. We are looking into that. I believe that our inquiries are meeting with some success and I will be able to report, I hope without undue delay, to the hon. member.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

Shall all Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers stand?

Agreed.

Mr. Halliday:

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to rise under motions if I might. Am I too late for that?

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paproski):

I am sorry. We did pass by it. Do we have unanimous consent?

Agreed.

Mr. Bruce Halliday (Oxford):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to seek leave of the House to adopt the following motion. I think Your Honour will find consent for it. I move:

That, notwithstanding Standing Orders 132 and 140, the petition for a private bill from the Royal Society of Canada, presented on Tbesday, March 31, 1992, and reported upon by the Clerk of Petitions on Wednesday, April 1, 1992, be deemed to have been filed within the required time limit and received by this House.