Debates of Oct. 10th, 1997

Employment

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, statistics show that we are indeed seeing major improvements around the country in employment. Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick had significant reductions in the their unemployment rates last month. There has been a substantial shift in the country from part time to full time employment in the month of September.

The situation for youth has improved tremendously over the last four months, with a nearly 1% drop in the unemployment rate. Employment is up by nearly 300,000 jobs since February. The unemployment rate is 2.2 percentage points lower and private sector employment is up by a million jobs since the government took office.

It is very clear that the job strategy of the government is working for Canadians.

Agriculture

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the summer of 1997 was very cruel on agriculture producers in Nova Scotia as dry weather conditions created the worst growing season in 100 years. Crop shortages are creating fear and apprehension among farmers who dread the long winter ahead. The situation for beef farmers is particular severe. Feed shortages of 50% mean that by February they will run out of feed for their herds. The prospect has many so concerned that they are putting their cattle on the market now and prices are depressed lower than those in the 1950s.

Dairy farmers have sought a price increase of 6 cents per litre to ensure they can buy feed for their cattle. Potato yields are likely to be two-thirds or less of the normal yields, jeopardizing the viability of this industry. Nova Scotia farmers face an extremely grim winter.

The Government of Nova Scotia has requested help and the prime minister himself has been asked to intervene but to date there has been no reply. I urge the minister of agriculture to stop delaying and meet with his provincial—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie.

Justice

[Carmen Provenzano, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here are the disturbing facts surrounding the recent sentencing of three convicted rapists in Montreal. Found guilty of gang raping and sodomizing a pregnant teenager, they were sentenced to two years less a day. The court was told the men held a 17-year old girl captive for more than 12 hours, repeatedly assaulted her, and at one point dangled her over an apartment balcony to deter her from reporting the incident. One of the rapists was the father of the victim's unborn child, a gruesome circumstance which apparently prompted her to have an abortion.

In announcing the sentence the judge said the crown attorney's recommendation for prison terms of 10 to 12 years was grossly exaggerated. He also said that while the rapists' actions were deplorable, the victim had no signs of provable violence.

In my opinion there is no such thing as a non-violent rape. There is no such thing as torture without pain. As parliamentarians—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.

Highways

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this week I met with and outlined in detail to the director of investigations at the Federal Bureau of Competition aspects of the Highway 104 agreement that contravened the Competition Act. I also met this week with the auditor general to point out areas that break terms of the federal-provincial SHIP agreement. Both have shown an interest. In the last two weeks I have asked the Minister of Transport and the parliamentary secretary questions regarding untendered contracts, and with all due respect, their answers are incorrect.

Now the Prime Minister has written me a letter dated September 30, and with all due respect, his information is incorrect as well.

It is clear that the top levels of the government do not understand that this deal involves contracts that have gone untendered, funding formulas that have been improperly changed and federal funds that are being used in a way never intended.

The time has come for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Transport to realize they have a serious problem and they must contact the Nova Scotia government and fix it.

Rcmp Investigations

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we saw the minister of the treasury board squirming about a criminal investigation of his own office. He gave four different answers in four minutes. Surely that is a new Canadian record.

Now that he has had 24 hours to get his alibi straight, I was wondering if he could tell us just what—

[The Speaker]

Yesterday I asked the hon. member to please be judicious in her choice of words. I do not want her to push me too far, because then she will lose a question.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let me ask the minister this question. Could he tell the Canadian public what he knew about this investigation and the search warrant and why he knew it in the first place?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the occasion to put the facts straight.

The first time I learned about a mandate that would possibly have been issued for a search warrant to search the regional offices of the ministers in Quebec was during the course of question period yesterday, in a question from the Conservative member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty hard to even read from a prepared script.

The RCMP investigation into the illegal fundraising tactics first of all was delayed until after the election. Then when the police did get two search warrants, they only acted against the party bagman, not the Liberal minister to whom he answered.

I want to ask the question one more time. Who in the world is running this investigation, the RCMP or the Liberal minister of the treasury board.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is very clear. The investigation is being run by the RCMP at arm's length from the government and at arm's length from ministers.

I want to tell the hon. member, after her totally wrong assertions about grants in the Prime Minister's riding, not only should she apologize but she should not be taken seriously on anything she says in the House on any subject.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we are coming up with the facts. There are a lot more where those came from and the House will hear more about them.

Somebody, somewhere on the inside was giving special lists of these companies to Liberal bagmen so they could shake some cash out of these people. Somebody, somewhere on the inside was giving the minister confidential information about the RCMP investigation and secret, and I note, secret search warrants. The minister said yesterday “we were well organized.” That is the point. You betcha.

Just how well organized is this Shawinigan shakedown?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to indicate clearly what the facts are because these are allegations that are totally without foundation.

One of my employees was listening to the debate yesterday and immediately called Montreal, relayed the message to my legislative assistant who was here in the lobby and who sent me a note through a page which said that in Montreal there have been no search warrants executed. Those are the facts. That is how I knew.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have just learned about another tainted fundraising deal that was consummated in the heat of the Liberals' re-election passion.

The federal government cut a cheque to Les Confections St. Elie for $62,108 two days after the minister for HRD called in the police. Les Confections St. Elie then donated $1,500 to the Prime Minister's personal election war chest.

Why did the minister send that big cheque through just two days after the RCMP were involved? Was it because they gave a $1,500 donation to the Prime Minister's election fund?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, that is ludicrous. All projects from the transitional jobs fund are based on merit. That is absolutely clear.

As of this morning there have been nine projects in the Prime Minister's riding. Seven of them did not give a cent to the Liberal Party.

A representative of Mégatec company said very clearly this morning that he gave money to the Liberal Party without being pressured by Mr. Corbeil or anyone, and received the project strictly on its merits—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Fraser Valley.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this Shawinigan shakedown can no longer be written off as an isolated incident.

The minister admits that at least five companies were approached for campaign donations in return for government grants. We have found four other examples of companies receiving money from this tainted fund after they made donations to the Prime Minister. In fact, Les Confections St. Elie received a further grant of $220,000 after the Prime Minister was re-elected.

Why have they allowed this transition jobs fund to be misused as the Prime Minister's private election slush fund?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I could also give him the example of the Ryder Travel Group which has received a $600,000 grant and has only contributed to the Conservative Party, not a cent to the Liberal Party. It is based on merit.

Also I can give an example which pleased the official opposition. The hon. member for St. Albert was very pleased to write to me on July 24 supporting the transitional jobs fund in the St. Albert constituency, with funds going to Alexander Wood Products.

I could tell them—

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.

Yesterday, the minister finally admitted that a warrant had been issued to search his Montreal office, but he said it had not been executed.

Who informed the minister of the existence of a search warrant if it has yet to be executed?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, as I already said, I learned of the possible existence of a warrant when a Conservative member indicated yesterday that a warrant had been issued and then gave its number.

At that point, one my assistants checked with our Montreal office and was told that no search had been carried out. This is why I said that while a warrant may have been issued, it had not been executed.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to information we checked with various sources this morning, search warrants issued in the course of criminal proceedings are only made public after they are executed, when a report is tabled in the court house.

Who informed the minister that a warrant had been issued but not executed?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I already answered the question. But it is a very good question, since I learned of the existence of a warrant when a Conservative member told us.

The real question is: How did the Conservative member know that a warrant had been issued, and also knew its number, since he mentioned it in the House?

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board, because the more he tries to explain, the less clear it gets and the less we understand.

Yesterday, when asked by journalists how he knew about the search warrant, his answer was, and I quote: “Because we are well organized. We checked and we were told it was not executed”.

My question is very clear. Was the minister suggesting he knew about the search ahead of time because he had access to privileged information?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I have already given a very clear answer to this question. One of my employees phoned the regional office in Montreal and was told that no search warrant had been executed. This information was then relayed to my legislative assistant, who mentioned to me that no search warrant had been executed. That is how it happened. It is quite simple.

Perhaps it is worth repeating that allegations were made by the opposition regarding one of my employees, and Radio-Canada had to retract yesterday. I think I should warn opposition members that the same could happen to them.