Debates of March 19th, 2002

Post-Secondary Education

[Hélène Scherrer, Liberal, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, members of the Canadian Alliance of Students' Associations are on the Hill to bring to the attention of senators, MPs and ministers the difficulties being encountered by their 310,000 members enrolled in post-secondary programs.

With their theme “Education Builds a Nation”, these young students want to get across the message that they want the Government of Canada to realize that it has a role to play in encouraging higher education.

Their recommendations have mainly to do with accessibility for all Canadians to grant and scholarship programs. They are also reminding us that the significant increase in students' living expenses is not reflected in the size of scholarships. Finally, they are getting us to focus our attention on the need for greater flexibility in the repayment process criteria for the debt reduction program, which was introduced by the Canadian government in 1998.

I urge all my colleagues to open their offices and their minds and to be receptive to what these young people have to tell us as they take charge of their future.

Christ-Roi Church in Châteauguay

[Robert Lanctôt, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with regret and disappointment that we learned of the destruction of Christ-Roi church in Châteauguay this morning. In minutes, the flames, which were suspicious in nature, destroyed a part of our history and our religious heritage.

Parish priest Gaétan Daoust said he was deeply saddened by the loss which, according to him, is a heavy one for the parish and for the entire Châteauguay community.

As the member for the riding of Châteauguay, I am saddened by this terrible news and hope that those responsible for this tragedy will soon be found and made to face the consequences of what they have done.

My thoughts are with all members of the community at this difficult time.

Dalton Camp

[John Bryden, Liberal, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Canada lost its favourite curmudgeon of political commentary with the passing away of Dalton Camp.

Familiar, especially to Toronto Star readers, Mr. Camp was an intelligent and witty writer whose Tory vision of Canada was too liberal for some and not conservative enough for others, but enormously influential nonetheless.

Dalton Camp passionately cared about the political process and the Progressive Conservative Party in particular. He deplored extremism of every stripe and was outspoken in his criticism of political opportunism. He demanded intellectual honesty of friends and enemies alike.

Mr. Camp has left an indelible mark on the political history of Canada and we all shall miss him.

As one of his former editors who knew firsthand something of his peppery personality, it is with both sadness and fondness that I say a final 30, a goodbye to Dalton.

Christine Diotte

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, exactly one month ago today I rose in the House to pay respect to Toronto police constable, Laura Ellis. Constable Ellis was killed while responding to an emergency call.

It is with a very heavy heart that I rise again, this time out of respect for RCMP constable, Christine Diotte, who also lost her life in the line of duty. The 35 year old constable was killed near Banff last week as she investigated a highway accident.

Yesterday, 600 police officers from across Canada joined other emergency workers and the small community of Banff to bid farewell to their fallen comrade.

Christine's death is a tragic loss. It is a tragic loss to the RCMP force. It is a tragic loss to the many people of the community that she assisted in the DARE program. It is a tragic loss to all Canadians who owe a great deal of gratitude to all police officers who daily risk their lives to make our lives safer.

Indian Affairs and Northern Development

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

Mr. Speaker, the recent census report indicating that Canadians are moving to major population centres in Canada and away from rural Canada comes as no surprise to us in rural Canada. Government policies since 1993 that encourage this phenomenon are a virtual attack on rural Canada and smaller communities.

A perfect example is the recent effort by Indian affairs to relocate its Atlantic regional office from the small town of Amherst, Nova Scotia, to a larger centre, which will result in the displacement of 140 employees and their entire families. These employees would prefer to stay right where they are but senior officials in the department are determined to move the office. The cost would be high with no improvement in service. Families will be split up. Once again, we are a victim of the Liberals' attack on rural Canada. There is no justification for this move.

I ask the minister of Indian affairs to cancel the study and leave the regional office right where it is.

Golden Jubilee Medal

[Lynn Myers, Liberal, Waterloo—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, this year is the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

To celebrate her 50 years as Queen of Canada, the Governor General has struck a commemorative medal to mark this occasion. This golden jubilee medal will be awarded to about 46,000 Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to their fellow citizens, their community or to Canada. The recipients will be selected by federal, provincial and territorial governments, professional, educational and cultural organizations, and charities.

This medal is a part of the jubilee year celebrations organized by the Department of Canadian Heritage. It was established to honour those Canadians who have made Canada what it is today and who will impact the Canada of tomorrow.

I ask the House to join me in saluting all the potential nominees and, indeed, all Canadians whose achievements have shaped this great country of ours.

Grants and Contributions

[John Reynolds, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Public Works and Government Services said that the sponsorship contracts given to Groupaction were fine and that the contracts had gone to the lowest bidder.

Today the minister said that he will send it to the auditor general and possibly even to the police to investigate these contracts. How things change in a day.

Does the minister now admit that this contract was nothing but a kickback scheme for the Liberal cronies operating within his department?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is confusing two issues. Insofar as the advertising contracts are concerned, I indicated to the member yesterday that they were awarded competitively.

Insofar as the issue of the report is concerned, even though a sworn affidavit was produced yesterday, which I have and am ready to table in the House, I am not satisfied the reports were different. Therefore, I have asked the auditor general to conduct an audit.

[John Reynolds, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can say what he wants but it is a fact that an influence peddling scheme, headed by Pierre Corbeil, existed inside the government and inside the Liberal Party.

Companies, including Groupaction, gave almost a quarter of a million dollars in donations to the Liberal Party for government contracts, including half a million for a report that was never written.

Will the minister assure the House that the investigation will not only examine the missing report but also whether there was any link between Groupaction's contracts and its donations to the Liberal Party?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member already made an allegation in the beginning part of his question in which he suggested wrongdoing. He does not even know that yet, let alone the rest of it.

I have asked the auditor general to investigate forthwith. I personally spoke to her this morning and she agreed to do the job and to produce a report. I have undertaken to table that report here in the House of Commons.

[John Reynolds, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the minister will be tabling things day after day. Yesterday things were fine and now we have the auditor general and possibly the police looking into things.

This is not only about the possibility of Groupaction defrauding the taxpayer, it is also about the government's decision to spend tax dollars on companies that give the Liberal Party big donations.

Will the Prime Minister explain how his government's plans are to clear the air and prove that there was no link between Groupaction, Groupe Everest and other firms getting work for their donations to the Liberal Party?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition should know that the Auditor General of Canada is a person who he and his own colleagues have said does work of unimpeachable integrity. We trust the auditor general, a servant of the House and parliament, to do a proper and thorough job regarding this.

I invite the hon. member to wait for the tabling of the report.

[Peter Goldring, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Centre-East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on March 14 the minister stated that the information received confirmed that the work was carried out.

Yesterday I informed the House that it was my opinion that the report was never written and that a full refund must be demanded.

Today the minister agreed with my request and he is now about to ask for a full refund.

While the minister is asking for a full refund from Groupaction, will the Liberal Party also be asked for a full refund of its commission cheque from Groupaction?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, I will ignore the last part of the question because it obviously has nothing to do with the functioning of government. I will respond to the issue raised by the hon. member.

What I asked the auditor general, which is clear in the note I sent to him--and I contacted him personally to offer him a copy--is that should the auditor general determine that it is the same report we will then proceed to recover the funds and take any other action, including police action, should that be necessary.

[Peter Goldring, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Centre-East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the report was visible when the cheques were written. The report was visible when the Liberal contribution was made. The report went invisible when a copy was requested from government. The report remained invisible when a copy was requested from Groupaction. The minister then vanished, or was banished, to Denmark when the heat started to be turned up?

Will the minister tell the taxpayers that the gross mismanagement of the past will not be repeated again?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, my predecessor did a very good job for the people of Canada. He defended the interests of his constituents and of Canada. He did an honourable job of being a member of the House and a member of the government.

These accusations are not necessary. The auditor general is conducting an audit. The hon. members asked for that. Now they should wait for the reply. They should be able to take yes for answer for a change.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in April 1998, Groupaction was awarded an initial contract for $550,000. Strangely, Groupaction received a second contract in May 1999 to do the same thing, this time for $575,000. Worse yet, Public Works agreed to pay the entire amount to Groupaction, even without the qualitative analysis called for in the contract.

Will the Minister of Public Works admit that, not only is the 1998 report nowhere to be found, as I think he has admitted, but Groupaction never fulfilled its mandate, even if the company was paid not once but twice for the same contract and the second one was never completed?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member claims that the second job was not completed. This is specifically what the Auditor General of Canada is going to determine.

I accept that the Auditor General of Canada is going to do so independently. The hon. member across the way should accept the same thing, and wait for her report to be produced. I make a commitment to table it in the House, and then the truth will be known. The accusations being made by the members across the way, even before the evidence has been heard, do not represent the truth.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one needs only to read the exchange of correspondence between Groupaction and the department to see that it admits that the qualitative aspect was not met but that nevertheless $575,000 had been paid out.

On May 8, 2001, a senior department official wrote about a “request for upward amendment” in connection with the qualitative component. In other words, he is saying that there may be a request for more. They admit that they did not, but the payment was made regardless. There is no need to seek proof, it is already there.

Was there a third contract, as requested by Groupaction, for the qualitative component. In addition to the two contracts, was there a third, by any chance?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member refers to affidavits. Affidavits have been signed by a senior government official who was in place at the time, indicating that he had received the documentation, that there were two distinct reports involved, and so on.

Today the Auditor General of Canada has been mandated to carry out this audit. She will do so. She will table her findings. I will table them in the House of Commons, and we will take whatever action is necessary.

[Ghislain Lebel, Bloc, Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the 1999 contract, the one that was never lost, we know that the “qualitative analysis” component was abandoned at some point by Groupaction, which focused its efforts strictly on the listing of events.

Since the mandate was only partly fulfilled—I would say about half the job was completed—could the minister of public works tell us whether a refund claim or a formal claim has yet been sent to Groupaction?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the question may be turned around 14 times, the facts will not change. The facts are the following: the Auditor General of Canada will conduct the audit; following that, she will make recommendations. I pledge to table that document in the House and to take appropriate steps, including getting a refund or involving the police, if necessary.

[Ghislain Lebel, Bloc, Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the minister has not read the report he tabled in this place. It is in the file.

How does the minister explain that Public Works Canada, which awarded a half a million dollar contract, did not automatically ask Groupaction for a refund when the minister realized—assuming he read the documents—that only half of the job had been done?

In law, this is called a “claim for overpayment”. Will the minister make such a claim?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, again, we asked the auditor general to conduct an audit. Members opposite, at least some of them, asked for exactly the same thing.

Why can they not take “yes” for an answer to the question they asked?

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. Canada's name is still worth something abroad, although there is an astounding lack of self-respect within the government. The public works minister asks us to await the auditor general's report on the Groupaction fiasco.

Pending the auditor general's report, will the Prime Minister do the decent thing and suspend the appointment of the new ambassador to Denmark?