Subcommittee on Fiscal Imbalance of the Standing Committee on Finance

HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6

Sous-comité sur le déséquilibre fiscal du comité permanent des finances

For immediate release

Ottawa, April 15, 2005 -

On 18 April, the Subcommittee on Fiscal Imbalance of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance will hold public hearings in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The hearings will be held in Ballroom C of the Delta Winnipeg beginning at 8 a.m. Witnesses will include the Hon. Greg Selinger, Minister of Finance for the Government of Manitoba, Mr. Jon Gerrard, MLA, Leader of the Liberal Party of Manitoba, Mr. Stuart Murray, MLA, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and Mr. Gerald Hawranik, Finance Crit for the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba.

The Subcommittee's hearings will continue in Edmonton on 2 May, and in Ottawa on 20 April and 4 May.

On 18 February, public hearings were held in Halifax. At that time, the Hon. Mitchell Murphy, Treasurer for the Province of Prince Edward Island, was among the Subcommittee`s witnesses. The Hon. Greg Sobara, Minister of Finance for the Province of Ontario, Mr. John Tory, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and Mr. Michael Prue, Finance Critic for the New Democratic Party of Ontario appeared before the Subcommittee during its public hearings in Toronto, Ontario on 11 March. The Hon. Lorne Calvert, Premier of Saskatchewan, and Mr. Brad Wall MLA and Leader of the Official Opposition (Saskatchewan Party) met with the Subcommittee in Regina on 21 March. At public hearings in Victoria on 4 April, a presentation was made by Mr. Dan Doyle, Deputy Minister of Transport for the Province of British Columbia.Most recently, on 11 April, the Subcommittee met in Quebec City with Mr. Michel Audet, Minister of Finance for the Province of Quebec, Mr. Benoit Pelletier, Minister for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs for the Province of Quebec, Mr. Francois Legault, Critic for Economic Development and Finance for the Official Opposition (Parti Quebecois), Mr. Mario Dumont, Leader of the Action démocratique du Québec and Mr. Marc Picard, Finance Crit for the Action démocratique du Québec.

A variety of other witnesses have also appeared at these public hearings, including academics and representatives of policy groups, organized labour, employers and students. Presentations made by the Subcommittee`s witnesses are available on the Subcommittee`s website.