Debates of Oct. 28th, 2003
House of Commons Hansard #145 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was child.
Topics
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Committees of the House
- Open Government Act
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Question No. 248
- Question No. 256
- Supplementary Estimates (A)
- Supply
- Business of the House
- Supply
- Points of Order
- Supply
- Don Deacon
- Rural Woman of the Year
- Assisted Human Reproduction
- Child Pornography
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Landmines
- William Kalleo
- Réseau des organisateurs de spectacles de l'est du Québec
- The Homeless
- Greece
- National Library Day
- Volunteers
- Liberal Government
- Landmines
- Acadian Community
- Landmines
- Member for LaSalle--Émard
- Ethics
- Liberal Government
- Ethics
- International Aid
- Ethics
- Agriculture
- Ethics
- Arts and Culture
- Ethics
- Budget Surplus
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- Ethics
- Highway Infrastructure
- Ethics
- Insurance Industry
- Ethics
- Quebec
- Broadcasting
- Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
- Ethics
- Nuclear Industry
- Ethics
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Ethics
- Health
- Ethics
- Business Development Bank
- Supply
- Business of the House
- Library and Archives of Canada Act
- Supply
- Supplementary Estimates (A)
- Assisted Human Reproduction Act
- Canada Pension Plan
- Bankruptcy Legislation
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Gauthier Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, one by one, ministers of the government are apologizing for accepting a $1,500 fishing trip from the Irving family, which is unethical and puts them in an apparent conflict of interest.
My question is for the Prime Minister, who is responsible for the ethics counsellor. What should his successor do for having accepted $100,000 from the Irving family?
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, political contributions are known and made public and are used for election campaigns. Everything is done out in the open.
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Gauthier Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is a question of political morality, not a question of rules.
The Minister of Industry is saying that because he accepted a $1,500 trip, he refrained from discussing any issue or making any decisions regarding Irving.
What should the next prime minister do for having accepted $100,000?
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, first, it was his organization that accepted the money, not him personally. Secondly, starting next year, this type of contribution will no longer be possible. The maximum will be $5,000 based on the legislation passed by the House of Commons a few months ago, which will come into effect on January 1.
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Paul Forseth New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, many ministers are admitting to very limited knowledge today.
For the minister of the Treasury Board, the author and defender of ethics in this House, the minister who writes all the rules for everybody else, has the minister, the President of the Treasury Board, ever received undeclared gifts in excess of $200?
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Westmount—Ville-Marie
Québec
Liberal
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Vic Toews Provencher, MB
Mr. Speaker, the issue of undeclared gifts in breach of the ethics code has been front and centre in the public for some time now. Every minister should be in a position to clearly and unequivocally know if he or she failed to declare those gifts.
Has the Minister of Justice ever failed to declare gifts in excess of $200?
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Outremont
Québec
Liberal
Martin Cauchon Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, to the best of my recollection, the answer is clearly, no. When there is a problem, I ask the ethics counsellor. I am used to dealing with him in a proper manner.
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Bloc
Louis Plamondon Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC
Mr. Speaker, the agriculture community is unanimous in denouncing the inadequacy of measures to help farmers affected by the mad cow crisis.
Is the federal government, through its minister, prepared to listen to Quebec's Liberal Minister of Agriculture, who is saying that it is essential for the federal government to provide a quick solution to the problems being experienced by producers of cull cattle?
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Prince Edward—Hastings
Ontario
Liberal
Lyle Vanclief Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, it is very evident that the government has been listening to the beef industry and the dairy industry in the challenges they have been facing because of the BSE find last May. I have discussed that on a regular basis with those in the cattle industry and in the dairy sector as well. I also discussed it with all the provincial ministers yesterday.
I will continue to do that in order to provide ways to support the marketing and use of older animals in our beef industry.
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Bloc
Louis Plamondon Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC
Mr. Speaker, farmers do not want words, they want action. This is an urgent situation. The minister does not seem to understand that. Yet, the minister from Quebec understands, people in the opposition understand, and producers of cull cattle understand.
Will the minister take his blinders off and respond to this urgent situation with an emergency program?
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Prince Edward—Hastings
Ontario
Liberal
Lyle Vanclief Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the opposition members want government to have discussions with the provinces and with the industry before taking action and that is exactly what we have been doing right from May 20 with regard to this issue.
The federal government has put millions of dollars forward. The provinces have been there. We have been there together. We have worked with the cattlemen, the dairy industry, the processors and the manufacturers. Canadians have supported the situation in Canada.
We will continue to take that approach because it is working.
Ethics
Oral Question Period
October 28th, 2003 / 2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Brian Pallister Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, for many Canadians $200 is a lot of money. According to Canada's Auditor General and our chief actuary, this year Canada's working poor will be overcharged by more than $200 on their EI premiums.
Has the Minister of Human Resources Development Canada ever received an undeclared gift in excess of $200?
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Brant
Ontario
Liberal
Jane Stewart Minister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, to the best of my knowledge, all my gifts have been declared appropriately under the ethics guidelines.
Ethics
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
James Moore Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Has the minister ever received an undeclared gift worth more than $200?