Debates of April 16th, 2010

John Baird Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite really does stretch it.

When serious allegations were brought forward, the Prime Minister acted expeditiously. He acted ethically and he referred the matter to the relevant authorities. If the member opposite has any evidence or any concern going back to 2008, I do not know why she did not take any action back in 2008.

Yasmin Ratansi Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister acted expeditiously to hide the truth.

The Prime Minister clearly ignored warnings that his minister's husband was involved with unsavoury characters when police found cocaine in a vehicle that she owned. Drug crimes are a serious criminal offence, punishable by years in prison and are linked to murky organized crime operations.

When it became apparent seven months ago that one of his ministers could be compromised by organized crime, did he or did he not order an enhanced security investigation?

John Baird Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to dignify some of the outrageous comments made by the member for Don Valley East.

Here are the facts. Serious allegations were brought to the Prime Minister's attention. Within a matter of hours, he referred the matter to the relevant authorities, so that they could make a determination. He acted ethically. He acted expeditiously. The Prime Minister did the right thing.

Wayne Easter Malpeque, PE

Mr. Speaker, Richard Colvin is a diplomat with 20 years of distinguished service to Canada. He remains a high level employee of the government in perhaps our most important foreign mission, the embassy in Washington.

When Mr. Colvin and others raised serious allegations, the government said he was not credible. However, when the Prime Minister got second-hand information from Mr. Gillani, known as Big Daddy G, the government fired the status of women minister, booted her from caucus and, called in the police.

Why the hypocritical double standard?

John Baird Minister of Transport

Big Daddy G, Mr. Speaker? This coming from Big Daddy E? That is quite outrageous.

I suspect like most members of this place and the member for Malpeque, I had never heard of this individual until last week. Serious allegations were brought to the Prime Minister's attention and what did he do? He immediately referred the matter to the competent authorities. That demonstrates a high ethical standard. That is the right thing to do. The Prime Minister did the right thing.

Laurie Hawn Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, we all enjoy the member's rhetoric on a Friday morning in Ottawa, but the simple fact is when allegations are brought forward under any file, whether it is national defence or other files, when allegations are brought forward, they are investigated thoroughly, and they are forwarded to the appropriate authorities. Appropriate action is taken.

That is what a government that is grounded in ethics, is grounded in what is right for Canada, is grounded in what is right for Canadian soldiers, is grounded in what is right for Canadian citizen, does and that is why we are the Government of Canada.

Jean Dorion Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to testimony at the Military Police Complaints Commission, the main concern of Canadian troops was avoiding another incident like the one in Somalia, where detainees had been mistreated by Canadian soldiers. That explains why the government was so quick to hand over the Afghan detainees.

Is that not the government's strategy, namely to hand over detainees as quickly as possible regardless of whether or not they will be tortured?

Laurie Hawn Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, the government and certainly the Canadian Forces take their international obligations under the law and the Geneva conventions extremely seriously. Whenever credible allegations have come forward, they have been investigated. They are currently being investigated by the Military Police Complaints Commission. Justice Iacobucci is looking at documentation. They have been reviewed by several levels of court. They have been reviewed by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. They have been reviewed by the RCMP. They have been reviewed by Canadian Forces boards of inquiry.

Let us give credit for work previously done and let us let new work to be completed.

Jean Dorion Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canadian troops have used the Afghan security services to get admissions from detainees. Canada does not practice torture; it contracts it out. That was confirmed by a military report from October 2007.

In this context, will the government acknowledge that Canadian troops are acting as the judge in their own case and that only a public, independent inquiry will help shed light on this affair?

Laurie Hawn Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, no such confirmation was ever made. The member opposite is making that up.

The Canadian soldiers, the Canadian military, the diplomats, and everybody involved with the mission in Afghanistan take their obligations under international law and the Geneva conventions extremely seriously.

We have put a lot of trust and a lot of faith in people like the Chief of the Defence Staff. We have put a lot of faith in every member of the Canadian Forces on down, unlike some of the members opposite who tend to agree and want to agree with people who bring forth outrageous allegations against those members, from private to four-star general.

We find that a little outrageous and we are going to stand behind our troops all the way.

Thierry St-Cyr Jeanne-Le Ber, QC

Mr. Speaker, the new president of Rights & Democracy confirmed that since the arrival of Jacques Gauthier, the government's henchman supposedly appointed to clean house, outside contracts rose to $400,000 and were not tendered.

How can the government tolerate public money being used to fund attacks intended to discredit the previous administration and justify the Conservative government taking control of Rights & Democracy?

Lawrence Cannon Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the member that Rights & Democracy is an independent organization. The government has never been and is not involved in its day-to-day activities. The man responsible for its operations, Mr. Latulippe, appeared before the parliamentary committee yesterday. All questions that members wanted to ask or could have asked were put to him and he answered them. That is his job and part of his duties.

Thierry St-Cyr Jeanne-Le Ber, QC

Mr. Speaker, reiterating the Minister of Foreign Affairs's statement, the new president of Rights & Democracy, Gérard Latulippe, claims that the organization is independent. However, at the same time, he confirmed that Rights & Democracy must align itself with the Conservative government's foreign policy.

How can they say, on the one hand, that it is an independent organization and, on the other hand, that the organization's mandate is subordinate to the pro-Israel policies of the Conservative government?