Debates of March 28th, 2001
House of Commons Hansard #38 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was new.
Topics
- Canadian Cancer Society
- Transportation
- Canadian Cancer Society
- American Bar Association
- Ara Sarafian
- Agriculture
- Canadian Ski Championships
- Social Housing
- Outaouais Tourist Industry
- Taxation
- Nunavut
- Freshwater Exports
- Organized Crime
- Arts And Culture
- Softwood Lumber
- Prime Minister
- Trade
- Prime Minister
- Ethics Counsellor
- Multiculturalism
- Employment
- Prime Minister
- Foreign Affairs
- Prime Minister
- Multiculturalism
- Ethics Counsellor
- Multiculturalism
- Health
- Multiculturalism
- Code Of Ethics
- Privilege
- Points Of Order
- Government Response To Petitions
- Food And Drugs Act
- National Horse Of Canada Act
- Statistics Act
- Treaties Act
- Tabling Of Treaties Act
- Treaty Approval Act
- Treaty Publication Act
- Conclusion Of Treaties Act
- Fuel Price Posting Act
- Canada Elections Act
- Income Tax Act
- Farm Income Protection Act
- Petitions
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Motions For Papers
- Canada Foundation For Sustainable Development Technology Act
- Points Of Order
- Canada Foundation For Sustainable Development Technology Act
- Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act
- Financial Consumer Agency Act
- Division No. 39
- Division No. 47
- Division No. 40
- Division No. 41
- Division No. 42
- Division No. 43
- Division No. 52
- Division No. 44
- Division No. 53
- Canada Foundation For Sustainable Development Technology Act
- Division No. 54
- Division No. 58
- Division No. 59
- Education
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Bloc
Gilles Duceppe Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is a sure bet they did not talk about the Prime Minister's integrity.
When the Prime Minister tells us that releasing the record of sale should put an end to it, it is because they thought that that would clear his name but, in fact, everything that has been tabled has been blackening his name with each passing day; his integrity is being called into question. Will he admit—
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
The Speaker
The right hon. Prime Minister.
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, when someone makes a lot of noise, it is because he is wrong. I have tabled the record of sale. And I see—
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
The Speaker
Order, please. The Right Hon. Prime Minister.
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Saint-Maurice, QC
There will be a ménage à trois. Now the Canadian Alliance has managed to join forces with the Bloc Quebecois. What a charming trio. Next thing, the leader of the Progressive Conservatives will be in bed with them.
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Gauthier Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would by far prefer to be an ally of my colleagues here than of the people he befriended in the Auberge affair.
We asked the Prime Minister to table the documents concerning the golf issue, so that he could restore his integrity. Not only do the documents tabled yesterday prove that he was in a conflict of interest, but the Prime Minister now has a financial interest in making sure there is no inquiry.
Will the Prime Minister confirm that, indeed, should an inquiry be held, he would be required under the terms of the contracts to pay for the lawyers' fees of others?
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Saint-Maurice, QC
First, I sold my shares in the Auberge in March 1993, six months before I became Prime Minister.
As for the mortgage on the Auberge, the Fonds de solidarité and the Grand-Mère Caisse populaire are involved. If these are undesirable partners, I wonder who would qualify as desirable partners.
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Gauthier Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not have to dodge the issue.
Is it true that the contract provides that he must, with his own money, pay the lawyers' fees of the other parties should he agree to a parliamentary committee, which would call them to testify? In that sense, is the Prime Minister not in a conflict of interest once again?
Prime Minister
Oral Question Period
2:25 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I will say it again, because they have a hard time understanding.
On March 15, the member for Roberval said:
Does he not understand that the only way to settle this matter—there are not 50 of them, only one—is to provide us with the record of sale—
That was done.
Trade
Oral Question Period
March 28th, 2001 / 2:25 p.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
The current trade regime uncritically embraced by this government treats trade as an end in itself. It is a recipe for the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor.
Under the in common banner, civil society groups want to see poverty on the trade agenda. They are urging this government not to sign any more such trade deals until we have a thorough, transparent evaluation of the contribution of current trade deals to the increase in global poverty.
Will the Prime Minister agree to do that?
Trade
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, it is exactly what we are doing. We are trying to create growth in the Americas so that there will be more money for more people, there will be better education and there will be better social and medical services in all countries of the Americas.
We are working on a civil agenda to make sure that democracy will remain in this country. The goal of the meeting is not only trade. It is to improve the whole of society in all the countries, in particular the poorest nations of the Americas.
Trade
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the Prime Minister is just ignorant or whether he really does not understand the toll current trade deals are taking on the real lives of real people.
If we take Brazil today, its government is distributing low cost generic drugs to the poorest of the poor who are suffering from HIV. For this humanitarian act, Brazil is hauled before the WTO by multinational pharmaceutical companies.
What is the charge? It is that their right to make money should take precedence over saving human lives. Will the government drag us farther down the road to such an—