Debates of June 6th, 2005
House of Commons Hansard #109 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fisheries.
Topics
- Foreign Credential Recognition Program
- Department of Social Development Act
- Job Finding Club
- Rural Post Offices
- Jean-Marc Filion
- Sustainable Development
- Senator Isobel Finnerty
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
- Léonard Brisson
- Municipalities
- Alternative Energy
- Canadian Forces
- Arts and Culture
- Astronomy
- Bernard Landry
- China
- Member for Labrador
- New Member
- Inquiry by Ethics Commissioner
- Taxation
- The Budget
- Audiotaped Conversations
- The Economy
- Child Care
- Audiotaped Conversations
- National Defence
- Veterans Affairs
- Infrastructure
- Taxation
- Fisheries
- Taxation
- Government Contracts
- Maher Arar Inquiry
- Taxation
- The Environment
- Public Service of Canada
- Transportation
- An Act to Authorize the Minister of Finance to Make Certain Payments
- Presence in Gallery
- Points of Order
- Information Commissioner
- Government Response to Petitions
- Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act
- Bank Act
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Points of Order
- Fisheries Act
- Committees of the House
- Fisheries Act
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Kings—Hants
Nova Scotia
Liberal
Scott Brison Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, when we became aware of this situation, in fact, our department wrote to the company. The letter said specifically:
We would like to know...what arrangements...you have taken to ensure that you are in compliance with the Lease...Please inform us...of what corrective measures you have taken to arrange your affairs in such a way that you are not in breach of section 25.10 of the Lease.
Further, section 25 refers to section 14 of the Parliament of Canada Act. Section 14 has been repealed and in fact there is a new code of conduct for senators. If the hon. member has any complaint to make in terms of a senator's code of conduct, he ought to contact the ethics commissioner in the Senate.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Is that not handy, Mr. Speaker? After the Liberals got caught breaking the law, they merely cancelled the law. Only days after, section 14 of the Parliament of Canada Act--
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
The Speaker
Order, please. I do not think the hon. member said anything that was out of order. He did not say that a member of the House had broken the law.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
The Speaker
He did not say that either, but the hon. member might watch his code; he must avoid creating a disturbance in the House. I would invite him to continue with his question.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, after the Liberals got caught breaking the law, they used a loophole to cancel the law. Handy, is it not? Only days before section 14 of the Parliament of Canada Act forced them to stop paying rent to the Liberal-tied company, the Liberal cabinet just cancelled section 14, meaning that taxpayers will continue to pay big bucks.
Is it not true that the Liberal cabinet gave a $500,000 escape hatch to its Liberal friend with cancelling this law?
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Kings—Hants
Nova Scotia
Liberal
Scott Brison Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, that is an outrageous statement and the fact is--
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
The Speaker
Order, please. The Minister of Public Works and Government Services has the floor. I cannot hear a word he is saying.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that there is a new Senate code of conduct and section 14 has been repealed and supported by the Senate of Canada.
If the hon. member has a complaint or suspicion about the conduct of one of the senators, I would suggest he speak to some of his Senate colleagues who can make the complaint to the Ethics Commissioner on the floor of the House of Commons, many of whom support the new code of conduct and believe it is the appropriate way to deal with any of these types of issues in the Senate.
Maher Arar Inquiry
Oral Question Period
June 6th, 2005 / 2:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Mr. Speaker, last week, we learned that the U.S. had proposed to Canadian authorities that Maher Arar be returned to Canada, but that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, CSIS, said no.
How could the government say no and refuse to ensure the safety and protection of a Canadian?
Maher Arar Inquiry
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Edmonton Centre
Alberta
Liberal
Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is aware, we will not comment on the daily testimony that is proffered before the Arar inquiry.
Mr. Justice O'Connor was put in place as an independent judge to determine the facts in relation to any Canadian involvement in the deportation of Mr. Arar from the United States to Syria. I think what is required is for Mr. Justice O'Connor to hear the evidence, hear the witnesses and make those factual determinations.
Maher Arar Inquiry
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am beginning to think the government is creating commissions of inquiry in order to avoid answering questions.
This decision, both thoughtless and deplorable, resulted in Maher Arar's ending up in Syria and being tortured.
How could the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness allow CSIS to go over the head of a minister in making decisions?
Maher Arar Inquiry
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Edmonton Centre
Alberta
Liberal
Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we want to get to the bottom of this. We want to know what the facts are in terms of any Canadian officials and their involvement in any way in relation to the deportation of Mr. Arar from the United States of America to Syria.
We put the Arar inquiry in place to get to the bottom of what happened and I think we should all await Mr. Justice O'Connor's factual findings.