Mr. Speaker, the Liberals vote against the amendment.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 20% of the vote.
Canada-Panama Free Trade Act October 20th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals vote against the amendment.
Minister of Natural Resources October 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, he discussed the process for the awarding of contracts with a company to which he then awarded contracts. We have not heard the last of this.
How can Canadians believe the minister after he has changed his story three times?
How can Canadians believe the government when it has repeatedly denied its links to long-time Conservative operative, Gilles Varin, who took a $140,000 cut on the West Block contract? Now a second construction firm is walking off the West Block site and again the RCMP has been called in.
What will it take? How many other versions will the minister have to go through before they put him out of his misery and fire him?
Minister of Natural Resources October 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources has told his story three times, and changed it with every version.
The first time, he did not talk about contracts at the cocktail fundraiser with anyone involved in construction.
The second time, he simply congratulated the contractor who organized the cocktail fundraiser on winning a contract.
Now the minister is changing his story again and admits that he discussed the contracting process with another company to which he later granted $650 million in contracts.
Which of the three versions is true and which two are false?
La Revue October 8th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, journalists and the media play a role in political and democratic life. As the hon. member for Hull—Aylmer, I want to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of La Revue and pay tribute to the entire team that oversees its production and publication.
La Revue is owned by Médias Transcontinental and is distributed every week in the greater Gatineau area. It owes its longevity to its professional journalists, its diverse news coverage and its ongoing focus on community affairs.
Over the past 50 years, La Revue has published news about Hull, Gatineau and Aylmer, and information about our community. Today, despite new information technology, La Revue still has a place in the lives of the people of Gatineau.
I want to congratulate the entire team at La Revue, including regional director Jacques Blais, editor Martin Godcher and news director Sylvain Dupras.
Congratulations and long live La Revue.
Government Contracts October 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, so why are they not accountable?
They can try all they like to distance themselves from this scandal, but it will end up swallowing them whole.
Gilles Varin, a long-time Conservative organizer, had dinner with Bernard Côté, the assistant to the former public works minister, before the contract was awarded. Gilles Varin helped organize a cocktail fundraiser with the Minister of Natural Resources after the contract was awarded. Senator Nolin's assistant, Hubert Pichet, says Varin talked to him about Public Works, and Varin walked away with $140,000.
Who in the Conservative government had their palms greased?
Government Contracts October 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, nine months ago I asked the now Minister of Natural Resources whether any rules had been broken in the awarding of the contract on the north tower of the West Block. He tried to slough off my questions as fictional stories and said next we would ask him to start searching for Elvis in his department.
Will the minister now come clean on exactly who was involved in his “internal...staff matters” that he was so evasive and arrogant about last December?
Government Contracts October 6th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the Parliament of Canada here.
If Conservative organizers take a $140,000 cut on the renovations of our most cherished political institution, then I guess it confirms that the Prime Minister has no respect whatsoever for Parliament.
The Minister of Natural Resources is under investigation by the Information Commissioner, the Ethics Commissioner and now by the RCMP. Is it not time he took a little time off to clean up his act?
Government Contracts October 6th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP is conducting an investigation into corruption in the award of a contract worth nearly $10 million to renovate one of the Parliament buildings.
An influential Conservative organizer pocketed $140,000.
He says that in exchange, all he did was pass along a CV. For $140,000 bucks. It makes no sense.
Who in the Conservative government had their palms greased?
How long have the Conservatives known about the RCMP investigation into this construction contract?
Ministerial Responsibility October 4th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, at the same time, the Conservatives are trying to avoid an inquiry into their information censoring process.
The information commissioner is studying the possibility of illegal interference in eight departments, including the department of the former minister of Public Works.
Will the government shed some light on its information censoring process and make the emails, briefing notes and other Public Works documents fully public? They are relevant to this inquiry and currently being held back by the government.
Office of the Prime Minister October 4th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Onex's VP, Nigel Wright, is taking temporary leave from leading the company's defence, aerospace and energy units to become the Prime Minister's chief of staff.
In just 18 months he is obligated to return to overseeing multi-billion dollar defence procurement files, among other unspecified responsibilities.
Will the Prime Minister make public all of the terms and conditions under which Mr. Wright will be released by Onex and the terms and conditions of his employment and post-employment as chief of staff to the Prime Minister?