House of Commons Hansard #79 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was report.

Topics

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal Party that engaged two auditors, PwC and Deloitte, to do a full audit of the books of the Liberal Party. That audited information has been provided to Justice Gomery. We are working with Justice Gomery's auditors to ensure that we get to the bottom of this. It is the Liberal Party that wants to ensure that any profiteer who operated below the screen of the Liberal Party is brought to justice and is punished appropriately

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to wrap their scandal in the Canadian flag by claiming that the money stolen from taxpayers served the cause of federalism in Quebec. However, we just learned that one of their accomplices, Jean Brault, is an avowed separatist. He campaigned door-to-door for the Parti Québécois, and he and his wife even made financial contributions to the Bloc Québécois and the Parti Québécois.

How can the Liberals justify their corruption in the name of federalism, while at the same time funding separatists with dirty money from the sponsorships?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear members now attack Jean Brault when a few minutes ago they were presenting his testimony as sacrosanct.

That is the point. Canadians trust Judge Gomery to get to the bottom of this. They do not necessarily trust individual testimony from someone like Jean Brault who is currently facing criminal charges, fraud charges and a lawsuit of over $30 million from the Government of Canada.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, here is the truth. Canadians no longer trust the Liberal Party because of its corruption.

The minister and the wire brush Prime Minister keep telling us to wait until Gomery has done his report. Why then did they shut down the parliamentary inquiry last spring before it could hear from Jean Brault and 50 other witnesses? Why did he shut down Parliament before Judge Gomery had started, let alone finished his work? Is it not because the Prime Minister knew full well the kind of testimony that Jean Brault would give?

Why does he not admit that he knew all along about the culture of corruption in the Liberal Party?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has committed himself to get to the bottom of this issue. That is why he established the Gomery commission. That is why--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. The member for Calgary Southeast asked a question. He must have expected an answer, but I cannot hear a word. How can we possibly weigh how good the response or answer is unless we can hear it. The hon. Minister of Public Works and Government Services has the floor to give a response to the question. Whether it is an answer is another matter, but he has the floor and we will all want to hear it. The hon. Minister of Public Works.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, I invite the hon. member to go outside the House and make that exact allegation because I bet that outside the House, without the privilege of Parliament that he is abusing here today, he would be less likely to do that.

Beyond that, the Prime Minister has worked assiduously to get to the bottom of this issue by ending the sponsorship program, by appointing Justice Gomery, by cooperating completely with Justice Gomery and by going after $41 million of--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Dartmouth--Cole Harbour.

SudanOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Michael John Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of International Cooperation. The humanitarian situation in Sudan is of great concern to Canadians and indeed the entire world. On January 9 the Government of Sudan and the SPLM signed a comprehensive peace agreement in Nairobi.

Today donor governments are meeting in Oslo to show their support for this peace agreement. Could the minister please inform the House of Canada's contribution to helping the people of Sudan?

SudanOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Barrie Ontario

Liberal

Aileen Carroll LiberalMinister of International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, it is very important for the House to note that today the Government of Canada announced $90 million to alleviate the suffering of the people of Sudan. Of that money, $40 million will go to assist in international humanitarian efforts, another $40 million of the $90 million will go to help sustain the peace and the other $10 million is for people who are truly suffering and really need the help of this government. They will be working toward the peace building and all of the governance processes that are combined.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, only the arrogance of these Liberals, perfected over so many years, could express pride and righteousness even as they are awash in scandal and corruption.

In my riding of Vancouver East, as across the country, people are disgusted by the Prime Minister and the government's record. People are still breathing the smoggy air. They still lack affordable housing. They still cannot afford for their kids to go to school.

That is the real record here. Twelve years of broken promises now covered up in Liberal corruption. Now they have the gall to say that they want the respect of the Canadian people. What about the respect to the Canadian people? Just stand up and apologize to them for what has happened here.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on the citation earlier from the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore. I am very surprised at the statement just made by the hon. member. I would understand it coming from the Bloc and its cohabiting party, the Conservatives, that are only focusing on one thing.

This morning we had a very important meeting with a group of doctors in terms of the establishment of national benchmarks and accountability in terms of the health care deal. I am quite disappointed that the NDP, which poses as the defender of the smaller person and of medicare, did not stand up and want to talk about accountability--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Vancouver East.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, that is why we are here. We are talking about accountability. We are talking about the accountability of the Prime Minister, and the Liberal Party, who has yet refused to stand up and admit that he has failed the Canadian people, both in terms of corruptness and scandal, but also on all issues, whether it is health care, or housing, or child care or help for our cities. On all those issues, he has failed.

Let us talk about accountability. I ask the Prime Minister to stand up and be held accountable to the people of Canada.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member were as interested in these issues as she says she is, then she would go through the budget implementation bill, where she would see the increase in the GIS for senior citizens. She would see the money that will go into the cities to deal with the problems of housing and with the problems of pollution. She would see the whole issue of climate change and how it will be dealt with.

Then, if she went through the budget implementation bill, perhaps she would then stand up in this House and say why she and her party oppose the will of Canadians.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, a few minutes ago the Prime Minister was challenging the member for Calgary Southeast to go and ask his questions outside the House. I think before he would do that, it would be an obligation of the Prime Minister to attempt to answer them inside the House.

Would the Prime Minister answer this question: Why did he and his government shut down the public accounts inquiry last year before it heard from Jean Brault?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we did not shut down the House of Commons committee. The fact is the Leader of the Opposition--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. There is no rule in the House that a response to a question has to be one that the opposition or the person who asked the question wanted to hear. However, there is a rule that there be order in the House when someone has the floor because the person who has the floor has the right to speak and be heard.

I have recognized the Prime Minister since that choice is mine. He stood up to answer the question. He got the recognition. We will hear the answer. The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Justice Gomery is in the process of carrying through the most extensive examination that has ever been held on an issue such as this.

The issue really is why will members of the opposition not let Mr. Justice Gomery continue with his work? Why consistently do they stand in the House and misrepresent testimony? Why do they consistently stand in the House and repeat testimony that has been contradicted? Why do they try to shut down--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, I asked the Prime Minister a question about his own actions prior to the Gomery inquiry. He did not have the honesty and the guts to stand up and give us a straight answer to it.

I will repeat my question: Why did the Prime Minister and his government block Jean Brault's testimony before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts before the election?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, it was not the government that did that; it was the opposition.

What happened is a matter of record, but what the opposition--

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!