House of Commons Hansard #14 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was liberal.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
They can keep talking all they want, but I may be the first member of this House to talk about the campaign preceding the June 2 election. That is not so long ago.
I have here the list of contributions to my campaign. No Bloc member could hand me his own list right away. I will give them 60 seconds.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
We are talking about contributions. I do not have a single contribution from mining companies, although we have a number of them in my area. The Raglan mining company is located in the northern part of my riding.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
The hon. member for Rouyn-Noranda is right when he speaks about the Raglan mining company. He is dead right. I know Michel Rioux of that company quite well. He is a man of integrity.
Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac—Mégantic, QC
Madam Speaker, would you please remind the hon. member for Abitibi that everything that is being said here is recorded in Hansard . He should be more respectful of the truth. He should know that the Liberal Party collects cash contributions. When it is cash, it goes right into the party coffers, and just about any name can be used.
That is probably the reason why there are no mines on his list.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
Madam Speaker, it is strange, but—
SupplyGovernment Orders
The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)
That is not a point of order. Resuming debate. Resuming debate with the hon. member for Abitibi.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
Madam Speaker, my constituents in Abitibi know that I stand up for what I believe in. I am an honest person. I get books out of the library. I dig up figures. I even go get—
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
You know, everything is public information nowadays. My expenses for the June 2 election have already been tabled. There was a deadline. They have been tabled and if anyone wants to see them, they have only to pay for copies from the returning officer in my riding.
On the topic of mines, Madam Speaker, I do not think that that person has ever visited Abitibi. Abitibi covers 802,000 square kilometres, and has a population of over 92,000. It stretches from Val d'Or, the mining sector, to the Raglan sector in the east. The Raglan mine is 2,000 miles away. That is the same distance as from Abitibi to Tampa, Florida.
But I want to get back to Raglan. The member for Rouyn-Noranda is right. As I was saying earlier, the head of Raglan, of Falconbridge in New Quebec, is Gerry Bilodeau. I visited that mine in August. I know Michel Rioux very well. It is regrettable that such things are being said in Quebec.
Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac—Mégantic, QC
We are honest folks.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
He can say what he wants, but at least I visit my riding.
Moving along, a single election does not help much. Let us go back to the 1996 by-election in Lac-Saint-Jean. The Bloc Quebecois said: “We want to do the right thing. We are for individual contributions. Individuals must contribute”. Their principle is $5,000 and under.
I find it strange that, in the 1996 election, there are no contributions from individuals, none. However, we see: political organizations, $5,000; registered parties, $51,154. We do not know where that money comes from. We do not know where this $51,000 comes from. We do not have the list. It is just a $51,000 contribution.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
We are. The figures are all available from the library. Ask the Chair. He is asking me to be honest. I got this from the library this morning. All the figures are public information, but I am not saying they are not dishonest, Madam Speaker. What I have said is the truth for everyone to hear. That is what is important.
Benoît Sauvageau Bloc Repentigny, QC
On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
The hon. member for Abitibi is waving a piece of paper and he claims to be honest. I would ask the unanimous consent of the House for the hon. member to table this sheet of paper.
SupplyGovernment Orders
The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)
We do not have unanimous consent.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
On the same point of order, Madam Speaker.
I will table this copy only after I am done with my speech. I will not take orders from this House before I am done with my speech. I need to refer to my notes.This is a directive from the Bloc Quebecois. I did not have the time to finish my speech. I need to refer to those notes.
They hurt because I am really shaking them up today. I need to refer to my notes in order to be able to finish my speech. So, I would ask that I be allowed to finish my speech before I have to table my notes. I will not need to make another trip to the library. I want to save myself some running round.
SupplyGovernment Orders
The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)
We normally let members deliver their speech without being interrupted. The member for Abitibi, on debate.
Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC
Madam Speaker, I knew you would be impartial. It is important to conclude one's speech. I have my notes here and I know why the member wanted me to table them immediately. He wanted me to stop speaking. Truth is funny, sometimes. The member did not want me to go on with my notes.
Again, in 1996, the numbers for 1996 are in this library book. I will tell you what book it is. I have it here and I can even table it. It gives the official results. I want to finish with this document.
