Reg Alcock

[Sponsorship Program, May 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I asked this question yesterday: what has the member forgotten about fundamental justice? It is an abuse of the privileges of this House to use it to slander people who cannot respond in this House.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is remarkable how quickly people let go of the principles of fundamental justice. I would urge members not to rush to tarnish people who cannot defend themselves.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is a little much to take a lecture from the member opposite on smears. That is all we have heard coming across the House on the unsubstantiated allegations of individuals.

The reality is that the Prime Minister takes the Gomery inquiry very seriously. We will look at all of this information and examine it. We have a process in place to deal with these issues and we will respond.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I would caution the member not to go on one more time with unsubstantiated allegations. The reality is that there are processes in place to look at these things. We will listen to the evidence, talk to the individuals and make our decisions in due course.

[Foreign Affairs, May 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, if I understand the member correctly, if he is alleging that the farmer-led board of the Canadian Wheat Board has engaged in corrupt practices, he might want to step outside of the chamber and make that claim so it can respond appropriately.

[Labour, May 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as is often the case in the House, the allegations of the member opposite are completely false. I was indeed approached by the members of the construction union and they asked that a mediator be appointed.

I worked with the premier and a mediator was appointed. An agreement was arrived at that is believed to be fair on behalf of everyone and allows us to get on with the work of building this important resource. Some members have refused to abide by the very agreement that they were a part of.

[Fisheries, May 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans I would simply say that he is working on that very question today. I know he has a deep interest in this issue. He wants to do what he can to ensure that the people making these decisions have all the information they need. I have every confidence that he will.

[Question No. 121, May 2nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as negotiations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to comment specifically on the state of those discussions. The Treasury Board’s ultimate goal in the collective bargaining process is to reach a negotiated settlement that is both reasonable and fair to our employees as well as to the Canadian taxpayers.

Nonetheless, on November 30, 2004, after several meetings, the conciliation officer appointed by the Public Service Staff Relations Board, PSSRB, informed the parties of his decision to terminate the conciliation process based on his assessment that the number and the scope of issues still remaining provided a limited perspective that the conciliation process would lead to a settlement.

We are currently reviewing the situation to determine the most appropriate course of action to continue the negotiations process.

We trust that we will be able to conclude an agreement that is satisfactory to both sides.

[Correctional Service of Canada, May 2nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is nice to have somebody in the House who is concerned about the employees of the government.

We have been bargaining with the new representatives of the correctional officers for some time now. There are a couple of issues that are outside the normal bargaining process. We are working hard. I would like to see this resolved, but we have a few issues yet to come to terms on.

[Correctional Service of Canada, April 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, we are in constant dialogue with the union, the CSN. Staff report that progress is being made. We will reach a conclusion when both sides are satisfied that we have reached an agreement.