Debates of March 15th, 2001

Ethics Counsellor

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the simple fact is that is not true. The Prime Minister is running and hiding.

We have an indication from the ethics counsellor that there has been what he calls an important issue. He has asked for an investigation by an official who reports to the Minister of Industry. Nobody would claim the Minister of Industry is impartial on this issue.

Will the Prime Minister finally come clear and appoint an independent inquiry into this question and all the questions of the auberge file, so that there can be some honour—

[The Speaker]

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have replied to these questions many times. They have confidence in the ethics counsellor because they keep writing to him.

It was that person who said there was absolutely no conflict of interest and that the shares were sold in November 1993. I have nothing to add.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Wild Rose.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I know the hon. member for Wild Rose can be heard over a lot of noise but I cannot hear and I expect hon. members to show proper deference.

Immigration

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, conducting basic police checks on people immigrating to Canada should be standard procedure. The failure to do so damages our international image and puts Canadian lives at risk.

I ask the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration at what point in the application for permanent residency is a police check conducted.

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer the question. It is an important one because criminality and security concerns make someone inadmissible to Canada. Therefore before anyone is granted permanent residence status in Canada both criminal checks and security checks are completed.

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, wanted fugitive Gaetano Amodeo's name appeared on two requests for permanent residency. The first application was in June 1999 and the second was in September 2000. At what point in the application did the department of immigration conduct a police check on Mr. Amodeo?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I answered that question at the start of question period but I will answer it again.

I want to make one thing very clear. Mr. Amodeo is not a permanent resident of Canada. He was not granted permanent residence status in Canada. In fact, he is in jail awaiting a deportation hearing.

As I said earlier, his name was originally removed from the application. On the second sponsorship application the result was that he was not granted permanent resident status.

Ethics Counsellor

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor is going to look into the ownership and actual control of the Prime Minister's shares in the Auberge Grand-Mère affair. However, we see all this as an attempt to whitewash the Prime Minister.

My question for the Prime Minister is a very simple one, which I believe merits consideration. Does he not understand that the only way to settle this matter, to exonerate himself—the only way, there are not 50 of them, only one—is to provide us with the record of sale, as we have demanded so many times already? Let him provide that, and the problem will be over.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor has answered this question very clearly before the Standing Committee on Industry. He answered all questions of interest to the hon. members, and I have nothing to add.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

The problem. Mr. Speaker, is that this same ethics counsellor whitewashed the Prime Minister during the election campaign and we now realize that he did so without checking all the facts. This proves that he was more concerned with hastily whitewashing the Prime Minister than finding the truth.

Does the Prime Minister not realize that, by refusing to make the bill of sale public, he is implying that there is something in it that he does not want known, and that is what is disquieting?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, all members of parliament who become ministers are required to hand all of their assets over to a trustee to be administered. The trustee reported to the ethics counsellor who monitors this for everyone in the House. Even MPs consult him. He appeared before committees. He examined the file in detail and has provided a response on several occasions before the committee and in letters, in response to requests by the opposition parties.

Immigration

[Joe Peschisolido, Canadian Alliance, Richmond, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Gaetano Amodeo and his wife had an appointment with Immigration Canada to discuss their immigrant status. The Corriere Canadese has found out that the meeting was not cancelled, contrary to what the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration told us.

In order to be allowed to appeal, a person must provide documents that state two things: the person does not have a criminal record and is not the subject of an investigation.

Could the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration tell us whether her department received such documents?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite does not want to hear the answer. Mr. Amodeo's application for permanent residence status was never approved. He is not a permanent resident of Canada.

As soon as the RCMP concluded its investigation, it gave the evidence that was required to my immigration officials who picked him up and put him in jail where he is now awaiting a deportation hearing. He is not a permanent resident in Canada. He has no status.

[Joe Peschisolido, Canadian Alliance, Richmond, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's response is completely irrelevant. The name Amodeo was not originally removed from the application. The meeting did take place. This occurred after the meeting. Could the minister explain how Mr. Amodeo received this meeting in the first place?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as I said to the House, an application was received in the Paris office. It was transferred to Buffalo and Mr. Amodeo's name was removed from that application by a legal document. That is what I said. That is the fact.

When his name was subsequently put on an application as a sponsorship, the result was that he was not granted permanent residence status. He is in detention. He is awaiting a deportation hearing. Those are the facts.

Food Inspection

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in October 2000, two ships transporting genetically modified feed corn arrived in the port of Montreal, from the United States. Under Canadian laws this type of corn is prohibited in Canada. One of the two shipments was intercepted, while the other one was recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. One of the two shipments is still missing and may even have been used to feed cattle.

Will the minister confirm that one of the shipments of Starlink corn was sold on the market? Can he explain why?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member raises an issue that is of concern to us. As he has said, the one shipment has been found and has been taken out. The other one is being traced. We are confident that it will be found. I am also confident that it has not gone into the feeding system.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in e-mails dated March 13, Dr. Louise Laferrière, an official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, confirmed that a shipment was sold, delivered and then recalled by the agency.

Can the minister tell us if it is common for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to let grains be sold and delivered before even having been tested for the Starlink gene?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, grain, in this case corn, is supposed to be certified free of the StarLink gene before it comes to Canada. In this case the certification was not provided by the shipper.

It shows that the system works. The CFIA found the shipment, recalled it, and the feed did not enter into the feeding system.

Immigration

[Monte Solberg, Canadian Alliance, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear here. Amodeo's name was removed after the meeting with immigration officials. That means that the Amodeos got their appointment for permanent residence status without the required police clearances or someone intervened to waive the requirement. Which one was it?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. He is wrong and he is wrong.

[Monte Solberg, Canadian Alliance, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister just stated that what I claimed was wrong. I ask the minister to table the documents that outline the procedures that the Amodeos took and make available all the documentation surrounding this matter to make it perfectly clear that there was no intervention by the department at any point to waive the police clearance requirements for the Amodeos.