House of Commons Hansard #192 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was life.
Stephen Harper Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, late Friday the RCMP ordered an investigation into the Groupaction affair. This morning we have some new revelations. It was reported that over $100,000 was paid to Communication Coffin with nothing to show for it. We have now learned that subsequently this firm began to contribute generously to the Liberal Party.
Has the new minister of public works taken steps to refer the Coffin contracts to the RCMP for investigation?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, there is no information before me at the present time that would lead me to the conclusion that the Leader of the Opposition invites.
However I want to assure him sincerely that the matter is under a very active review by me. If such circumstances should arise, he can be assured that the appropriate action will be taken forthwith.
Stephen Harper Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, this new revelation only adds to what we have been saying for weeks, that the government must take action to deal with the growing cash for contract scandals at public works.
While the new minister is reviewing this information will he now do what his predecessor failed to do and order a freeze on discretionary advertising and sponsorship programs pending completion of police and auditor general investigations?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I am not in a position to give the hon. gentleman a precise answer to what he is inviting with respect to the advertising part of his question.
However, with respect to the sponsorship issue, unless and until I am satisfied that the program criteria are correct and that each and every project in fact meets those criteria, I will be making no further approvals.
Stephen Harper Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, this is a positive development. We will push for action on the advertising front too.
Will the following also be done? We believe in fighting accusations of corruption with a policy of transparency. To end the government's culture of secrecy, will the new minister of public works once again do what his predecessor failed to do and table a complete list of its advertising and sponsorship contracts today?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman will know, that request would involve a very considerable amount of paperwork. I would assure him of my personal commitment to transparency. I am very anxious for Canadians to be fully informed with respect to these matters. I will be very carefully examining what steps are necessary in order to accomplish that.
Gerry Ritz Canadian Alliance Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, it really does not surprise us on this side. The reports do not exist so why should there by any lists that exist? No wonder he has a problem finding them.
The Prime Minister noted the other day that some of the seats in this place have ejector buttons. I guess all of Canada is watching to see if the minister of the month will be able to keep riding his for a little while.
Will the Minister of Public Works and Government Services order an immediate independent public inquiry into this fiasco?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the auditor general was invited to review particular contracts that arose as a result of internal audits. I remind him that the responsibility of the auditor general is to review operations of government. We have demonstrated a willingness to see those reports followed up rapidly and we have demonstrated our co-operation with her. I do not understand why the member would want to duplicate the work that is already being done by the auditor general in her existing office.
Gerry Ritz Canadian Alliance Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, certainly everyone knows that an independent public inquiry would have a larger scope and broader list of witnesses than anything we can do in the House. We would ask for that again and again.
The latest skeleton out of the coffin of the Liberal ethics graveyard comes courtesy of another Montreal ad company and more missing reports. In spite of never having donated before, it did not forget to cut a cheque for the Liberal Party for $20,000 after it got the contract. It made $38,000 in commissions and then the Liberals gave it $116,000 to do a post mortem report. We cannot find it. Where are the reports?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the matter in relation to the Coffin company was identified in the course of an internal audit that was inspired and undertaken by the department of public works itself. The general results of that audit have been on the website since October 2000.
There were remedial actions taken by both of my predecessors in this portfolio. As I indicated earlier to the Leader of the Opposition, I am considering now what further may be required.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, like the former minister of public works, the minister of immigration has also enjoyed the hospitality of the president of Groupe Everest. In fact, he admitted on Friday that he had stayed in the Îles-des-Soeurs condo of Claude Boulay in 1997. Yet, when asked about this in 2000, the minister categorically denied having stayed in a condo owned by Claude Boulay.
Could the minister of immigration explain to the public why, for two years, he deliberately concealed his connections with Claude Boulay?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations
Mr. Speaker, the events referred to by the hon. member occurred before the member was a minister. The code of ethics does not apply to other members of this House.
We have proposed that there be a code of ethics for MPs and senators, but this was not in place in 1997.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Precisely, Mr. Speaker. The member became a minister, and one of his first decisions immediately after his appointment as Secretary of State for Amateur Sport, was to announce in May of 2000 that there would be a large scale consultation across Canada on sport. And who was it that obtained the $500,000 contract to organize that consultation? You guessed it: Groupe Everest.
Since this arose out of an initiative directed by the very same person who had enjoyed the condo of Claude Boulay, will the minister of immigration admit that the $500,000 contract awarded to Groupe Everest has all the characteristics of “you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours”?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations
Mr. Speaker, it is possible that, according to a certain standard, ministers do not have a right to a private life.
MPs do, however, have a right to a private life. He was not a minister, so he was not obliged to conform to a code of ethics applicable to ministers.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister's answer is pretty weak. As soon as a minister, who used to be a backbencher, established special ties with someone to whom he then gave an advantage, I believe that that minister has placed himself in a conflict of interest.
My question is for the minister of immigration: did he not deny having stayed at Claude Boulay's condo in the first place because he was well aware that this put him in an untenable position when he awarded him contracts once he was appointed minister?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations
Mr. Speaker, that was never the standard here, that members could not have ties with the private sector. In fact, I think that the experience that people here have is valuable. However, when they are ministers, the code applies.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, will the Deputy Prime Minister not admit that the fact that the minister stayed in Claude Boulay's condo for a six-week period before being appointed minister, that Claude Boulay's wife, vice-president of Everest, served as his campaign organizer in the 1997 and 2000 elections, and that once appointed minister, one of the first contracts he gave out was to Claude Boulay and Everest, places him square in the middle of a conflict of interest, a situation where “you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours”?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations
Mr. Speaker, the issue is whether the contract was given to this group according to Treasury Board rules. If so, then I do not believe there are any other questions.
As I already said, members have a right to have ties with the private sector. The code of ethics only applies if they are ministers.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, in asking this question I would like to welcome the new Minister of National Defence to his challenging new portfolio.
In view of what would seem to be a convergence of scandal ridden portfolios, it has come to our attention that DND through the department of public works has commissioned Groupaction to undertake communications work for the armed forces.
Will the new Minister of National Defence confirm that Groupaction has been doing work for the Canadian military? What has been the total value of any such contracts? Will the minister get off to a good start in his new job by tabling any such contracts and the billing schedules of any such contracts?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, with respect to Groupaction's relationship to the sponsorship program, my predecessor took the appropriate action in terminating that relationship.
With respect to any activity that Groupaction may have in connection with any other department, that obviously is not tainted or connected by the issue with respect to sponsorships. If there is any information, it should come to the government's attention in that regard. The hon. member may be assured that the government will take the appropriate action.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, unless I missed something, he is not the new Minister of National Defence.
We already know that part of Groupaction's work for DND was to design and test market a disastrous new logo for the military. It was deemed unusable because first of all, it eliminated the word “Canadian” and second, it made the word “forces” read like “farces”. The farce of course is the government's incestuous relationship with Quebec communications companies.
This time I want the Minister of National Defence to tell us how much he spent for this unusable logo. How much more DND spending has already been preapproved by four Groupaction contracts? Will the minister agree then--
Government ContractsOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. Minister of National Defence.
John McCallum LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, after 10 hours on the job I do not know the answer to that question but I will look into it.
I will say that as one whose father participated in the liberation of Holland more than 50 years ago, I am proud and humbled to be appointed as Minister of National Defence. I will do my best to carry on this job appropriately.
I think we can all feel extraordinarily proud of the way in which our soldiers have been conducting themselves in recent years.
Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration about the ability of the House to accept his word.
The minister was questioned by the Globe and Mail about his actions as a minister in urging that two contracts be issued to Groupe Everest. He acknowledges that the Globe and Mail asked “Is it true that Everest loaned you a condo?” The minister said “No, not all. No, no, no”. He has now changed his story. He admits that he stayed in a condo owned by Groupe Everest to whom his department later gave business. He received a benefit and so did Groupe Everest.
Why did the minister change his story? Does he recognize that accepting hospitality from a company which later profited creates the appearance of being placed under an obligation to an organization which--