Debates of Sept. 16th, 2003
House of Commons Hansard #120 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was marriage.
Topics
- Government Response to Petitions
- Business of the House
- Petitions
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Question No. 230
- Question No. 234
- Supply
- The Environment
- Firefighters Memorial
- Cambridge Choir
- Riding of Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière
- B.C. Forest Fires
- Nicole Demers
- Les Invasions barbares
- Northern Ontario
- Canadian Idol
- City of Barrie
- Canadian Idol
- Employment Insurance
- Hermel Giard
- Les Invasions barbares
- Canadian Idol
- Foreign Affairs
- Junction Arts Festival
- Rural Expo 2003
- Government Contracts
- Agriculture
- National Defence
- Public Service
- Government Contracts
- Agriculture
- The Canadian Grand Prix
- Foreign Affairs
- Agriculture
- The Economy
- Government Contracts
- Foreign Affairs
- BioChem Pharma
- Human Resources Development
- National Defence
- Government Assistance
- Marriage
- Trade
- Marriage
- Highway Infrastructure
- Employment Insurance
- Presence in Gallery
- Supply
- Business of the House
- Supply
- Chief Actuary Act
Public Service
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Paul Forseth New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, I had to convince the minister to even get a passing reference to whistleblower protection in Bill C-25. The former finance minister who was responsible for creating the red book in 1993 promised it back then. For 10 years he had the money, he had the cabinet influence and yet all we have today is a memo.
When honest public servants try to report wrongdoing and political interference, will they be left unprotected?
Public Service
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Westmount—Ville-Marie
Québec
Liberal
Lucienne Robillard President of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, first, Dr. Keyserlingk reports on the internal disclosure policy on wrongdoing. I think the member on the opposite side when he brought in an amendment, it was not to a memo, it was to a policy already designed by the government.
I am telling members that we are ready to act on that matter when we receive that report and that parliamentarians also will make recommendations to the government.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
September 16th, 2003 / 2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Robert Lanctôt Châteauguay, QC
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the sponsorship scandal, the police investigation led to the Liberal Party. The Prime Minister's conduct and that of his ministers is not under investigation. The Prime Minister was unable to confirm that none of his ministers were involved.
Is there not just one way to clear his government, namely holding a public inquiry on the role his ministers played in the sponsorship scandal? Perhaps that would satisfy us.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Wascana
Saskatchewan
Liberal
Ralph Goodale Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP, in dealing with this matter, has already indicated that it will follow this issue wherever the trail may lead. It is completely independent. It exercises its own discretion to ensure that justice is properly done.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Robert Lanctôt Châteauguay, QC
Mr. Speaker, the sponsorship scandal did not happen on its own. Decisions were made and someone untied the purse strings and invested dozens of millions of dollars in this scandal.
The Prime Minister should admit that it would be in the public's interest to find out the role of the future Prime Minister, then Minister of Finance, in the sponsorship scandal.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Wascana
Saskatchewan
Liberal
Ralph Goodale Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman is obviously engaging in a good deal of smear and innuendo.
The fact of the matter is, if one is really interested in determining what unfolded, who was responsible and so forth, the very best way to do that is to rely upon the RCMP and the Auditor General step by step methodically moving forward ensuring that justice is properly done.
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Gerry Ritz Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government mistakenly believes that it has reopened the border to trade for Canadian livestock. Far from it. Limited trade in muscle cuts will never save our livestock industry. It is really death by a thousand cuts.
Trade of live animals represented more than half of our sales pre-May 20. Now hundreds of thousands of culled and aged animals have little or no value.
When will the minister table his plan to deal with this escalating problem, or does he just not give a damn?
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Portneuf
Québec
Liberal
Claude Duplain Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I do not understand how the hon. member can say that the border is not open. The border is in fact open and meat can now cross the border. There are still problems to resolve. The border needs to be fully reopened. The minister is currently working on this with his American counterparts.
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Gerry Ritz Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary proved to the world he does not get it. That is the problem.
The borders are open about 20%. We can get parts and pieces of cattle through but not a live one. That is the problem. Aged cattle are piling up in this country and there is no processing to handle them, sir. That is the problem. Farmers and ranchers are going broke here day by day. These guys do not get it.
Why is the minister letting the livestock industry crisis get worse while he plays politics with agriculture aid? What is he doing?
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Portneuf
Québec
Liberal
Claude Duplain Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the border is open, and work needs to be done to open it fully. Now, the member needs to understand that this is the first time ever that a country has managed within 100 days to open its borders after detecting a case of BSE, and this needs to be said.
If the member is unable to explain this to his constituents, I humbly offer my services to go to his riding to help him explain—
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
The Speaker
The hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve.
The Canadian Grand Prix
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Bloc
The Canadian Grand Prix
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
The Canadian Grand Prix
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
The Speaker
Order, please. It is impossible to hear the question. The hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve has the floor. The noise is coming from both sides of the House.
The hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve has the floor. I urge order.