House of Commons Hansard #56 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was million.

Topics

EthicsOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Order. Order. The hon. Leader of the Opposition has the floor.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, not only was trying to bribe Chuck Cadman an insult to his honour and his integrity, not only was it morally and ethically wrong, but it was against the law. Again I ask the Prime Minister, what was he thinking?

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Order. The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I knew Chuck Cadman very well. He was a fine man who had experienced tremendous tragedy in his life and had brought that passion to do something about it into politics. His wife is our candidate in Surrey North.

The Leader of the Opposition would have us believe that Chuck Cadman was offered a bribe, then went on national television to deny it ever happened. This is completely false and completely irresponsible, and I think the Leader of the Opposition should give an apology to the entire Cadman family.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, in light of the Prime Minister's answers, there is one thing that I think the House needs to have clarification about. Is he saying that the widow of Chuck Cadman is lying? Is he saying that a Conservative candidate is lying?

He needs to make this point clear, because the issue then is why did he not stop the offer in the first place, why did he not treat a dying man with respect, and why did he not control his own desire to win at any price?

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, there is one fact in this case that matters more than anything else and that is the word of Chuck Cadman, who on national television on the night of that vote, on May 19, 2005, himself said, “There were no offers”.

I hope the Liberals can accept Chuck Cadman's word, because we do.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, the problem with the minister's comments is that the widow of a respected member of Parliament denied the Prime Minister's statements. We need to clarify this issue.

Does the Prime Minister realize that by failing to stop his party's agents, he is an accomplice to attempts to corrupt a parliamentarian?

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, here is the clarification my colleague is seeking: Mr. Cadman himself said on national network television that there had been no offer. End of story.

Securities IndustryOral Questions

February 28th, 2008 / 2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, in the budget, the government stated that it plans to create a Canada-wide securities commission, which is something that falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. But in the budget speech, the Minister of Finance said, and I quote, “We have been...keeping our eye on core federal responsibilities”.

Could the Prime Minister explain to us how he plans on creating a securities commission while still respecting Quebec's areas of jurisdiction, which he claims is one of his priorities?

Securities IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has been clear on this issue for several years now. The reality is that we are examining this issue, in cooperation with our partners from the provinces.

It is the Bloc Québécois that proposes a contradiction. The Bloc is saying that the federal government cannot regulate exchanges, but it wants us to move a carbon exchange to Montreal. That is a contradiction.

Securities IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, they cannot move a carbon exchange to Montreal because one does not exist. There would have to be one in order to move it. That is the first thing. The second thing is that we are asking him to set fixed reduction targets. That is what we are asking for. We will take care of the exchange.

All parties in Quebec have spoken out against a single securities commission. So why create one, unless it is to centralize the financial sector in Toronto? Is that not the reason?

Securities IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Montreal and Toronto stock exchanges are merging.

Once again, the Bloc is contradicting itself. It is saying that the federal government cannot create a national exchange, but at the same time, it wants a national exchange to be set up in Montreal. The constant presence of a separatist party in Ottawa is a contradiction in itself.

Tax TransfersOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Mr. Speaker, all three parties in the National Assembly are denouncing the fact that the Conservative government has the nerve to claim that the fiscal imbalance has been resolved. The proof is that in his budget, the minister does not have any provisions for improving transfers for post-secondary education and social programs to bring them to 1995 levels, indexed to the cost of living.

What is the minister waiting for to increase this transfer to the indexed levels, to allow Quebec and the provinces to face the endlessly growing financial pressures on training and education?

Tax TransfersOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Medicine Hat Alberta

Conservative

Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, I want to correct the record. Of course the budget measures we have brought in stand on a foundation established in the previous two budgets and, starting on April 1, $800 million more a year will go to the provinces' universities and colleges for support of post-secondary education.

It is true that we have eliminated the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. I think the Bloc should be happy about that. This means that we will extend student financial assistance to 245,000 low income and middle income Canadians across Canada, up from 100,000 people under the CMSF. That is terrific news.

Tax TransfersOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Mr. Speaker, the minister has rehearsed his answer quite well, but he answered the wrong question.

What the Bloc Québécois is asking for is the same thing the education network and the three parties in the National Assembly are asking for, and that is transfers for post-secondary education. In light of the rise of emerging economies, needs in training are even more pressing if we are to remain competitive.

How can the minister be so irresponsible and mortgage the future by refusing to reinvest in post-secondary education transfers simply to bring them to 1995 indexed levels?

If the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development does not know what that means, could the Minister of Finance respond?

Tax TransfersOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Medicine Hat Alberta

Conservative

Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, I have to argue. It is the member who is not listening very well. On April 1 we will be increasing transfers to the provinces by $800 million a year, indexed each and every year over the next five years. That is terrific news for the people of Quebec and the people of Canada. We owe the finance minister a great debt of thanks.

International TradeOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a trading nation, and rules that are balanced and respected for trade are very important to the global climate, but we have had an unbalanced North American Free Trade Agreement for years now, which has benefited the large and powerful corporations far more than ordinary Canadians.

Now we have leading candidates in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who are saying that NAFTA should be renegotiated. I hope the Prime Minister would agree with me that this is an opportunity for Canada to put to the forefront reforms to the environmental and labour aspects of these trade agreements that could benefit working families.

International TradeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have learned to take with a grain of salt what opposition politicians say about trade agreements during election campaigns. We all know about the Liberal promise to rip up NAFTA some 15 years ago.

This government has been clear. We view NAFTA as a very positive agreement for all three of the countries, for Canada and the United States in particular, under which we have had tremendous growth in trade and tremendous growth in opportunity. Of course, if any American government ever chose to make the mistake of opening it, we would have some things we would want to talk about as well.

International TradeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, we can agree that the Liberals did promise to fix NAFTA. They broke that promise, but that does not mean we should turn our backs on the opportunities to bring labour and environmental standards into that agreement. They are fundamentally important.

However, for too long we have been importing pollution and exporting jobs under this agreement. We put our resources, like energy and bulk water, at risk and when it comes to pay and wages, they have been frozen or they have fallen for most Canadians.

Why will the Prime Minister not take the lead here, exercise some sovereignty and bring about change to the agreement that will be good for workers?

International TradeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, under this government and under our trade arrangements, real disposable incomes of Canadians are up. Employment is up. That is a trend we want to keep going.

As I said, I think NAFTA is a solid agreement for both of our countries. I would caution about jumping to a conclusion about what a future president may do. If a future president actually did want to open up NAFTA, which I highly doubt, then Canada would obviously have some things we would want to discuss as well.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Chuck Cadman was a respected parliamentarian and a man of integrity. We now learn that two mystery men went to Mr. Cadman's Parliament Hill office and offered him a bribe.

The Prime Minister has confirmed that these men were representing the Conservative Party when they offered this bribe. Would the Prime Minister now tell Canadians who his two emissaries were and are they Privy Councillors?

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, the one and central fact of this case that matters is in fact the word of Chuck Cadman himself, who on May 19, the night of this vote, said, “There were no offers”.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Dona Cadman has said that Chuck told her about this bribe himself. The Conservative Party operatives offered a dying man a $1 million life insurance policy in exchange for his vote. The insurance policy was only one of a list of things they were willing to offer. Obviously, these men were in positions of power.

Why did the Prime Minister send these two people to offer a bribe to a dying man?