Debates of March 4th, 2008

Tom Lukiwski Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK

Mr. Speaker, the depths to which the Liberals will stoop to create false smears and fake scandals has fallen to an all-time low.

The Liberals' outlandish attack on the Prime Minister's reputation is baseless and irresponsible. The allegations made by the Liberal leader, his deputy leader and others in the party are false and misleading and the Prime Minister deserves a full and immediate apology.

Chuck Cadman himself said on national television that no offer was ever made. Why will the Liberals not believe his word?

If the Liberals were so concerned about this matter, why did they wait for more than one year to bring this matter forward? Are they trying to divert attention from their weak leadership crisis and their weak leader? Are they trying to divert attention from how they are supporting us on the budget?

The Liberal leader should be ashamed of himself. Will he take the opportunity he has right now and apologize to the Prime Minister immediately?

Stéphane Dion Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, we all heard the tape. The first question: Could the Prime Minister tell Canadians whether it really is his voice on the tape, yes or no?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have been clear and everybody in this matter has been clear.

We wanted Chuck Cadman to rejoin our party. The party was prepared to assist Chuck Cadman in securing his nomination and to ensure, financially and otherwise, that he was able to fight a successful election campaign. Those are the facts and Chuck Cadman is on the public record saying that those are the facts.

The Leader of the Opposition says that they are otherwise. We will see how that theory stands up when he has to deal with it in a court of law.

Stéphane Dion Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, since I did not get an answer, perhaps I will try again in French.

Can the Prime Minister tell me if it is indeed his voice that we hear on the tape? Yes or no?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, to my knowledge, I have responded to the facts.

The Leader of the Opposition has made criminal allegations against me. He will have to defend himself and defend these allegations before a court of law.

Stéphane Dion Leader of the Opposition

Do you know, Mr. Speaker, why the Prime Minister does not answer this simple question? It is because he is afraid of the truth and the consequences. However, he has no choice. He must answer. Canadians have the right to know.

Once again, is it his voice on the tape, yes or no?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Of course, Mr. Speaker, nobody suggested it is not my voice.

What the Leader of the Opposition has suggested is that he has some evidence of me offering Chuck Cadman a bribe. He has absolutely no such evidence. He will need to defend that in a court of law. I hope he does a better job than he did last night when he brought in a motion to bring down the government and then promptly told his MPs not to vote on it.

Michael Ignatieff Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, we know that Tom Flanagan and Doug Finley made an offer to Chuck Cadman on May 19. No one disputes this.

However, we also know, based on statements from the Cadman family, that two Conservative operatives approached Chuck Cadman on May 17 with a financial offer of some kind.

The Prime Minister acknowledges both the operatives and the financial considerations on the tape we have just been discussing.

Will the Prime Minister tell us who these two other operatives were? What does he have to hide?

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

Mr. Speaker--

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order, please. I know the parliamentary secretary evokes a lot of sympathy when he stands in the House but that is not an excuse for all this noise. We need to be able to hear the parliamentary secretary when he gives his answer so we will have some order, please.

James Moore Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, there was only one offer made to Chuck Cadman and that was for Chuck to rejoin the Conservative caucus. It was made by Doug Finley and Tom Flanagan on May 19.

We asked Chuck Cadman to rejoin the Conservative caucus and to be a candidate for us in the subsequent campaign. That was the only offer put forward on May 19.

Michael Ignatieff Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, the answer is not clear. During his interview with Mr. Zytaruk, the Prime Minister clearly said that two legitimate Conservative representatives made an offer to Chuck Cadman and that the offer had a financial aspect to it.

What was that financial aspect?

Who were those two emissaries who made a financial offer to Chuck Cadman, not on the 19th, but on the 17th?

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

Mr. Speaker, there was only one offer: that of May 19, 2005. It was an offer inviting Chuck Cadman to join the Conservative Party and to run as one of our candidates in the 2005 election, if the Liberal government fell. That was the only offer on the table. Chuck Cadman said so himself in his own words during a television program on May 19.