Debates of June 1st, 1999

Government Contracts

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's own ethics counsellor has said publicly that the Prime Minister knew in January 1996 that the sale of his part ownership in the golf course had not and would not go through. He is therefore wrong when he says he does not own it any more.

People who had business dealings with this same property have mysteriously come up with grants, loans and CIDA contracts. Is it not true that the Prime Minister's personal financial interest in these related business dealings puts him in a clear conflict of interest?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I will believe until I die that I sold the share in 1993. I was informed by my trustees that the money has not been paid. I tried to get paid. I quit this company before I became Prime Minister. I have had no interests at all in that golf course since that day. This has been made very clear but members continue to make accusations and innuendo. They continue to make this accusation of conflict of interest inside of the House where I cannot take them to court.

The members of that party are desperate because they are sinking. They have absolutely no sense of respect for the institution and the sense of honour.

Asbestos

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as the self-styled backroom boy of the federation, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs claims to be the one who brings Quebec's concerns to the attention of his cabinet colleagues.

Can the minister tell us what sort of advice he has given the Minister for International Trade that he is refusing to allow Quebec to be present to defend asbestos before the World Trade Organization?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, backroom boy is the nicest thing the member has ever called me, and I thank him.

Second, Quebec will be present at the table, because Quebecers are Canadians, and the Government of Quebec has been extensively consulted. There have been no fewer than 23 meetings between October 6, 1998 and April 29, 1999. The Government of Quebec helped draft the Canadian submission and will be briefed every evening of these important negotiations with respect to asbestos.

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is the second largest producer of asbestos in the world. Can the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who has given much though to federations around the world, tell us why the fact that Quebec is accompanying the federal government to defend asbestos before the World Trade Organization constitutes a threat to Canada's unity?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, winning a round against the WTO means playing by the WTO's rules. That is very important. There can be no question of the loot politics the Bloc Quebecois usually relies on in trying to achieve winning conditions. This is too important.

The rule is that, if one of Quebec's regulations were involved, the Government of Quebec would be an observer at the table. But a regulation of the French government is at issue. We want to win, and we are going to play by the rules and do just that.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The hon. member for Cypress Hills—Grasslands.

Government Contracts

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this question is to the Prime Minister.

Claude Gauthier purchased half a million dollars worth of land from the Prime Minister's golf course. Coincidentally, it was just a month after his company received $6.3 million in a CIDA contract.

The Prime Minister makes a lot of his ability to represent his constituents. Did he ever make representations on behalf of his constituent, Gauthier, to the minister then responsible for CIDA, the current Minister of Human Resources Development?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I never mentioned anything to the minister.

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary is to the Minister of Human Resources Development.

The minister said in the House last October 9, “The Prime Minister has never lobbied or influenced me. Good projects are part of the role of a good member of parliament”.

Given that the minister prides himself in his objectivity, will he tell the House whether or not the Prime Minister or his representatives ever approached him for a CIDA contract for Claude Gauthier and his company?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps if I keep repeating the same thing over and over the people across the way will understand.

It was an independent selection committee made up of two representatives of the Mali government, an outside consultant, with a CIDA observer that gave this contract to this firm. That is the way it was done. It followed the rules.

These people are too busy trying to sully the name of a person who served Canada for over 35 years.

Infrastructure Program

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the weekend, the Minister of Finance opened the door to a third phase of the infrastructure program. However, the minister provided very few details.

Can the government give us the assurance that the provinces will be in charge of the possible third phase that was announced on the weekend?

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

Mr. Speaker, the first infrastructure program was clearly a success.

It was a success because it was a model of co-operation between the municipalities, the provincial governments and the federal government.

If a new infrastructure program is put in place, and no one gave assurances to that effect, even though municipalities often ask us for such a program, we will try to apply to same rules that were used during the first phase of the infrastructure program, precisely because it was so successful.

Poverty

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour.

There is much concern across Canada about the needs of low income families and children, and the problems of poverty and homelessness in particular. What has the minister done to address these issues?

[Claudette Bradshaw, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, we have put in place a secretariat. We have 19 different departments which deal with homelessness and we are co-ordinating the program so that we can meet the needs of the homeless.

We have also put 10 facilitators in 10 Canadian communities who are going to work with the municipalities and the provinces to make sure that all of the programs for the homeless are co-ordinated.

I will be travelling all of July and part of August to meet with the municipalities and the provinces, as well as various non-profit groups.

Government Contracts

[Jason Kenney, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. First a friend of the Prime Minister's gives him $15,000 in contributions for his personal re-election campaign. Then he gives another $28,000 to the Liberal Party of Canada. Then he buys a parcel of land from the Prime Minister's numbered company for over $500,000. Lo and behold, the same Mr. Gauthier received a $6.3 million CIDA contract and was subcontracted to do a $190,000 paving job on the Prime Minister's driveway.

If this is not a conflict of interest, just what is a conflict of interest?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, whatever happened to a new way of doing things in the House of Commons? I have never seen such despicable behaviour.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please.

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I guess when one hits a sore point members opposite understand.

I have been in the House for over 10 years and never have I seen such shameful behaviour by members of parliament. They are sullying the names of all parliamentarians, including their own, by this kind of behaviour.

[Jason Kenney, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is right. I thought we were going to get a different kind of government. The Liberal red book said: “This erosion of confidence seems to have many causes; some have to do with the behaviour of certain elected politicians, others with an arrogant style of political leadership”.

If we had seen this same pattern under the previous Conservative government, the Liberals would have been crying bloody murder and the Minister of Canadian Heritage would have been jumping over furniture.

Will the Prime Minister tell us how he can excuse himself from this kind of very clear conflict of interest?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I believe I have been very clear. I will repeat that I sold the shares of this company before I became Prime Minister.

I know that the truth does not interest them. I know how nervous they are because what was to be the united alternative is the de-united alternative. I am sorry that most probably their leader will disappear. He is a great asset to the Liberal Party.

Canada Post

[Angela Vautour, NDP, Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, rural and remote regions have seen a decline in services from Canada Post. A supermailbox cannot replace a helpful Canada Post employee.

Canada Post could find $200 million to give to the government. However, it cannot find a penny to increase rural services and provide rural route carriers with basic rights.

When will this government stop siphoning millions of dollars from Canada Post and start reinvesting in services for our rural communities so that every Canadian will receive the same level of service?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is working very hard to improve service in rural communities. As a matter of fact, for the first time mail is being processed in rural communities. Previously it was sent to major urban centres.

We are looking at ways to improve the policy for giving contracts for mail route delivery. We are working very hard and we will continue to work hard. What is important is that Canadians receive good postal service and can have trust in their post office.

The results, audited by two auditors, tell us that we are—