Debates of Dec. 6th, 2011

Bob Rae Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Prime Minister.

Perhaps he misunderstood the problem with the answers given by his Minister of National Defence. The problem is that the minister said clearly, and I quote, “I cut the trip short to take part in a search and rescue demonstration.”

It is clear that it was not a search and rescue demonstration; it was to pick up the minister and take him from one place to another. Why did the minister tell the House things that clearly did not happen and were not true?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, it was the opposition that said that the aircraft was used for personal reasons, when it is clear that the minister used it on government business.

Bob Rae Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear the government has a real problem with admitting it made a mistake and has a real problem with simply telling the truth.

In the case of the campaign against my colleague from Mount Royal, the government opposite allowed a campaign to take place when it knew things were being said, in directly attacking the member for Mount Royal, that were in fact false and completely untrue.

My question is for the Prime Minister. When will he stand in his place, take some responsibility for the things that are going on around here, and tell his ministers and his friends that morality and truth start right in this place?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I utterly reject the premise and the so-called facts in that question.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

Order. The right hon. Prime Minister.

Stephen Harper Calgary Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, I utterly reject the facts and the allegations made in that question.

The truth of the matter is that the people of Canada have elected a Conservative government. They sent a very clear message to the Liberal Party.

I note that in a recent public opinion poll the people of Canada continue to believe that this country is moving in the right direction, that we are creating jobs and growth, and that is what we will continue to do.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

Order. Once again, I will have to ask members to hold off their applause until the member is finished putting the question, not in the middle of it.

The hon. member for Toronto Centre has the floor.

Bob Rae Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, we ask a question on one subject and we get an answer on another.

The question now is for the Prime Minister with respect to Attawapiskat. It is a truly terrifying situation for the people there to have a government whose only response to the situation of urgency and emergency is to send in an auditor. We are hardly surprised that the response to that from the local people living there, the chief and those in charge, would be to say, “Look, we expect respect for our governance. We expect respect for our rights. We expect to be taken seriously”.

How could the Prime Minister, having given the apology that he did, have gotten it so wrong with respect--

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

The right hon. Prime Minister.

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with the hon. member and I guess just about everyone else. I think the hon. member for Toronto Centre is right where he belongs.

In terms of the specific question, this government has made it very clear at every stage that it has been and will continue to respond to the immediate needs of that community. Part of that response is not simply to expend public funds, it is to make sure that, for all Canadians but particularly for the people of that community, help gets to the people who actually need it, and that we are accountable for doing that.

Jamie Nicholls Vaudreuil-Soulanges, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is not only us who are asking questions about the port of Montreal file, both the RCMP and the Quebec provincial police are officially investigating influence pedalling, including Dimitri Soudas, former chief of communications for the Prime Minister.

If we listen to the records, we will hear talk of payoffs to Conservative senators and threats to members of the Montreal ports administration.

Did the Conservatives officially play a role in those nominations and what was it?