House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 46% of the vote.
Auberge Grand-Mère May 13th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
France Bergeron was manager of the Business Development Bank branch that served the Prime Minister's riding at the time of the Auberge Grand-Mère case. Court records indicate that she told the RCMP that “without the intervention of the federal MP, the project would never have been accepted”. The MP who made the $615,000 intervention was the Prime Minister.
Does the government agree with Ms. Bergeron's professional analysis and sworn testimony?
Auberge Grand-Mère May 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP search warrant application for leaked documents included a sworn affidavit by Corporal Roland Gallant that BDC manager France Bergeron said the loan application went through normal stages. The RCMP affidavit did not add Ms. Bergeron's statement that without the Prime Minister's intervention, the loan would never have been approved.
Can the Solicitor General advise whether someone in the RCMP more senior to Corporal Gallant signed off on the search warrant application? How does he explain that highly relevant testimony was omitted from an official RCMP statement to the court?
Auberge Grand-Mère May 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
In a letter dated March 26, 2001, the Prime Minister's trustee, Deborah Weinstein, said the Prime Minister's private company received $40,000 in 1997 as partial payment for his golf club shares. An RCMP investigator examined the books and records of the Prime Minister's private company, J&AC Consultants. The investigator testified that he saw no record of that payment. He testified that “there was no outside revenue to the company”.
Where did the $40,000 go? If it was paid to the Prime Minister's private company, why is it not on its books?
Member for LaSalle--Émard May 8th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, for eight years the member for LaSalle—Émard was simultaneously Minister of Finance and owner of Canada Steamship Lines. As minister he received 12 separate briefings on his private business. A vice-president of Canada Steamship Lines told the CBC program Disclosure that the company had moved its operations to Barbados because of “changes in Canadian tax rules”.
Would the government confirm that those changes were made in the member for LaSalle—Émard's first budget and can the Prime Minister categorically declare that the former minister did not influence the changes in Canadian tax rules in his budget which caused his company to move its activities to Barbados?
National Defence May 8th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister used to have conversations with homeless people who did not exist. Now, on missile defence, his position is that he is studying very carefully a proposal he has never received. Let us coax out a little more of the truth.
The U.S. plan involves the deployment of ground-based interceptors and the upgrade of early warning radar. The Americans have already requested the U.K. and Denmark to upgrade radar on their territory.
Has the government received either a formal request or an informal suggestion that Canada should upgrade early warning radar or allow ground-based interceptors on our territory?
Foreign Affairs May 7th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, there are news reports that the Minister of National Defence has made a commitment to Liberal MPs that he will give them as much information as possible on what is at stake under the missile defence plan.
Would the Prime Minister care to make that same commitment to all members of Parliament? Would he also commit to a full debate and a vote on any Canadian contribution to missile defence before Canada makes any commitments abroad?
Foreign Affairs May 7th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has received no proposal from the United States. He says there is no significantly more serious threat of attacks by weapons of mass destruction. He has no realistic idea of the costs. He has no scientific proof that a missile shield would work, yet he is rushing to a decision on this issue.
Will he tell the House of Commons and the people of Canada just why is he doing this? What does he know that he is not telling the people of Canada about this missile defence system and pressures being imposed by the government of the United States?
Foreign Affairs May 7th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the government is now considering the American system because the Prime Minister says that unspecified conditions have changed.
We know that CSIS has just created a new counter-proliferation branch to focus on terrorist groups or states with weapons of mass destruction.
I am not asking the Prime Minister to disclose information that should be secret, but could he tell us whether the government has received information which leads it to believe that there is a significantly more serious threat of attacks by weapons of mass destruction? Is that among the reasons he is considering a change in Canada's traditional policy?
National Defence May 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just said that Canada has received no proposal on missile defence from the United States. What then is cabinet discussing? The foreign minister says that there will be a decision next week. A decision on what?
Health May 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.
Twenty-five health ministers from across Europe met in Brussels today to discuss containment of the SARS virus in Europe. Of Europe's allies, Canada has had the most direct and relevant experience with SARS. Was the Minister of Health invited personally to join her colleague health ministers in Brussels and if she was not invited originally, why did she not take the initiative to inform personally her colleague health ministers of the lessons that Canada learned?