House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was americas.
Standing Committee On Industry, Science And TechnologyOral Question Period
Canadian Alliance
Charlie Penson Canadian Alliance Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, I think most Canadians would see the action of the chair this morning at committee as simply outrageous.
When a real ethical question comes up, a question that speaks to the heart of the ethics of the government, the chair and other Liberals on the committee would not even allow it to be discussed. So much for democracy that she claims to uphold over there.
Why did the chair use her parliamentary office today to cover up for the Prime Minister?
Standing Committee On Industry, Science And TechnologyOral Question Period
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Standing Committee On Industry, Science And TechnologyOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. The Chair cannot hear the question. Questions directed to chairs of committees concerning the business of the committee are in order in question period, but I cannot hear the question.
I do not know whether it concerns the business of the committee. I was hearing a good long preamble but I need to hear the question. Perhaps the member could put the question with no preamble.
Standing Committee On Industry, Science And TechnologyOral Question Period
Canadian Alliance
Charlie Penson Canadian Alliance Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to repeat the question. Why did the chair use her parliamentary office today to cover up for the Prime Minister?
Standing Committee On Industry, Science And TechnologyOral Question Period
The Speaker
I am not sure the question is in order. I am not sure it concerns the business of the committee, but the government House leader may wish to answer.
Standing Committee On Industry, Science And TechnologyOral Question Period
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario
Liberal
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is telling us that if he brings a point to committee and he is wrong it means that others are undemocratic.
The fact is that he is wrong because he is wrong, because the facts are not right. We all know what the real answer is. These are false accusations against the Prime Minister. That is all that is being made. He does not respect the rules of the House, and he knows it.
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we are proud of Canada's leadership role in the Ottawa process to ban anti-personnel mines.
An important effective instrument of international law, the convention demands that signatory countries destroy their stockpiles of landmines.
Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House what Canada is doing to help Ukraine deal with its significant stockpile of anti-personnel mines so Ukrainian authorities can meet their Ottawa convention obligations?
John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, yesterday during the visit of the foreign minister from Ukraine to Canada we were able to enter into a framework arrangement on the destruction of anti-personnel landmines with Ukraine.
This is a very important development. As members will know this will enable us, together with the co-operation of NATO partners, to begin the destruction of 400,000 landmines that have been stockpiled in Ukraine.
We have managed to begin to make the world a safer place with the elimination of landmines. This is something of which all Canadians should be very proud.
Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It concerns the Talisman Energy complicity in the bloody civil war in Sudan.
Earlier this month the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa urged all Canadians to sell their shares in Talisman and called for a much tougher Special Economic Measures Act. Last week his colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources, was on a PR show for Talisman promoting the oil industry.
Will the minister accept the recommendation of his colleague, the secretary of state, to toughen the Special Economic Measures Act? Will he explain to the House who speaks for the government on Talisman in Sudan? Is it the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa who condemns it, or is it his colleague who supports it? Which is it?
John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we certainly share the hon. member's deep concern about the continuing conflict in Sudan. He will know that a number of members of parliament from different parties in the House have recently visited Sudan investigating the situation for their own part.
I received, for example, a report yesterday from the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, who provided a very thoughtful view of the situation in Sudan.
I certainly will be taking into account all these points of view as we consider what if anything Canada should be saying with respect to the developments in Sudan.
Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the minister again specifically whether he will agree to toughen the Special Economic Measures Act.
While he is at it, the minister referred to a group of members of parliament that travelled to Sudan. How does the minister feel about the fact that the tickets for that trip were paid for by Talisman Energy?
Does the minister feel it is appropriate that two Liberal colleagues and one Alliance member, one of the Liberals being the vice-chair of the foreign affairs committee, should be travelling to Sudan, paid for by Talisman Energy? Is that acceptable to the minister?
Foreign AffairsOral Question Period
The Speaker
I do not believe that question is in order. It has nothing to do with the administrative responsibilities of the government.
André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister still has a few little problems when it comes to the Auberge Grand-Mère affair.
I remind hon. members that the documents tabled this morning did not include the official bill of sale. What we have is a photocopy of a sheet of paper signed but not witnessed.
Moreover, there are no documents for the 1993-99 period, when the Prime Minister was actively lobbying for the Auberge Grand-Mère.
Where are these documents? Where is the original bill of sale?
Prime MinisterOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, we now know what is the next line of attack by the Conservative Party. It has now discovered something powerful and important.
We do not have 300 original copies of the bill of sale to be tabled in the House. This indeed is proof of wrongdoing by the Prime Minister.
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister stated in yesterday's letter that he was in full compliance with the conflict of interest code for public officeholders. The code that the Prime Minister signed states that a public officeholder shall make a confidential report to the assistant deputy registrar general of all assets that are not exempt assets.
The debt owed to him by Akimbo Development Corporation was a declarable asset. Why did the Prime Minister not declare the asset?
Prime MinisterOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough who sits very close to the member who just spoke said on March 26, and I think that was less than 24 hours ago, that the Prime Minister could have put this matter to rest a long time ago by providing definitively that he did not stand to gain himself by his actions by tabling a document that would lay out the details of a sales agreement he had with an individual named Jonas Prince. That is precisely what the Prime Minister has done today.
The people of Canada are tired of this nonsense. They want parliament to go back to work on behalf of all citizens of the country.
Betty Hinton Canadian Alliance Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is reported that the minister of multiculturalism contacted the RCMP to find out if there were any cross burnings or racist incidents after her statement to support her horrible accusations against two British Columbia cities.
This fishing expedition to use the powers of the RCMP to attempt to incriminate people after she smeared them is a clear violation of cabinet ethics. When will the Prime Minister see that it is time for this junior minister to go?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, after the question was asked on the subject yesterday I verified that there were no phone calls made by the minister or anybody in her office about that.
We checked with the department and now apparently it is not sure that there were. There were no instructions and no communications from the minister or anybody on her staff dealing with the RCMP on that. It is not even sure that somebody from the department contacted the RCMP. What was written in the press yesterday was not the real fact. It was not true.
Betty Hinton Canadian Alliance Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC
Mr. Speaker, I beg to differ. This junior minister has destroyed any credibility she might have had in fighting genuine racism. She has a record of making false accusations. She will not produce a letter to the House because no such letter exists.
She has tried to use the power of the RCMP to support her smear campaign after the fact. When will the Prime Minister fire the minister?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I just said that nobody has called the RCMP. When the Prime Minister of Canada stands and says he has inquired and there were no phone calls by the minister or her staff, the burden of proof is on the opposition and it has no leg to stand on because there were no phone calls made by anybody.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was asked whether he had endorsed the stock certificates in 1993, when he is alleged to have sold his shares once and for all.
I put the question very simply once again and clearly. Did he or did he not endorse the stock certificates in 1993?.
Prime MinisterOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the statements by the leader of the Bloc Quebecois are totally false. The facts are clear. This is my first opportunity to respond in French and I am pleased to be doing so in response to this question.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, he would do well to continue his French lessons, because I was not making a statement, I was asking a question.
Section 3.6 of the September 29, 1999 agreement provides that if Michaud, the company, its representatives, administrators or shareholders were called to testify or be part of proceedings, the company of the Prime Minister would have to cover the legal and representation costs, for example, if they came before the Standing Committee on Procedures and House Affairs.
Is this not proof that he had an interest, since it is always to the Prime Minister's advantage that there be no investigation or appearance because his company would pay and he does not want us to hear the full truth about the matter?
Prime MinisterOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, all the questions that need to be answered and that have been asked in the House over the last period of time have been dealt with this morning in the release of the documents by the ethics counsellor.
We have had questions to the RCMP. The RCMP has opened the books and closed the books. We have had the ethics counsellor. We have had a request for a tabling of the document of sale and other relevant materials. All of that has been done.
It is time for those opposite to recognize that this fishing expedition, so described by the leader of the Conservative Party, has yielded no catch. It is time to put away the poles, go back home and get back to the real work of Canadians.
Dick Harris Canadian Alliance Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the Prime Minister that nobody wrote a letter to that junior minister of multiculturalism, no mayor from any city in British Columbia, about any cross burnings ever in that province.
She made it up. She fabricated that story. She lied to the House.