Debates of Oct. 27th, 2004

Sponsorship Program

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I have enumerated in this House the three errors that the party opposite has made on this issue by commenting on day to day testimony last week.

Once again, they are making allegations that are false. We should allow Justice Gomery to do his work, not only to get to the truth but to avoid the opposition from losing any more credibility by commenting on day to day testimony and making grievous errors.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister's statement is bogus and he knows it. The series of errors and “misstatements” are on the government's side, on the Prime Minister's side. That is the problem and that is why we are asking the questions.

Canadian priorities have to be based on trust. It does not matter what a government says on health care or resource wealth or equalization; if its word is no good, it does not matter what it says.

Why does the Prime Minister not stand up and answer those questions?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, it is not the government that is making those comments and those mistakes on a day to day basis. It is that party.

I believe that is indicative of the contempt that party has for judicial independence, the type of contempt that was illustrated fully during the election when the member from Abbotsford said, “Well, to heck with the courts, eh. The courts interpret the law and if we don't like that interpretation there's the notwithstanding clause”. Further, he said, “Judges are appointed individuals, not elected, not responsible to anybody but themselves”.

I would ask them to respect Justice Gomery and to respect--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Charlevoix—Montmorency, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the papers are publishing only excerpts of a letter from the Prime Minister to Claude Boulay, president of Groupe Everest, which starts by “Dear Claude” and ends with the Prime Minister's usual salutations.

Can the Prime Minister disclose the entire content of the message between the recipient's name “Dear Claude” and the signature “Paul”? That is what we are interested in.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, again, I will not comment on day to day testimony because that would be a mistake from the perspective of respecting judicial independence. Beyond that, the risk is making errors such as the ones the hon. member makes.

I sometimes write letters to other members of Parliament, in fact to members opposite and to other parties. Sometimes I will scratch out the Mr. or the Ms. and write their name but that does not mean I am their friend. That is a common courtesy between civil people and common discourse on an ongoing basis.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Charlevoix—Montmorency, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about testimony at the Gomery commission, but a letter that appeared in the papers. Remember, it was this same Prime Minister who said he was outraged by the whole sponsorship scandal.

If the Prime Minister still feels the same way, if he is still outraged, the first thing he should do is tell us everything he knows frankly and directly. I am asking him to table, here in this House, the letter to his “dear Claude”. Will he agree that his refusal to table it would suggest he has something to hide?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister had anything to hide, he would not have set up the Justice Gomery inquiry. He would not have said from the beginning that he was willing to testify in front of Justice Gomery and provide the facts. He would not have instructed his government to cooperate fully with Justice Gomery and in fact provide over 10 million pages of documents, including cabinet documents.

We are cooperating because the Prime Minister is not afraid of the truth and our government is not afraid of the truth.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, in the report she tabled yesterday, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development contends that the Department of Finance cannot tell whether or not the current tax system promotes the implementation of sustainable development in Canada.

Given the commissioner's findings, what is the Minister of Finance waiting for to reconsider, cut back subsidies paid out to polluting sectors and invest more in renewable energies?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the importance of the environment is very powerfully signalled in the government statement in the Speech from the Throne. It is also signalled by the selection of the current Minister of the Environment to lead that portfolio.

The government is very intent upon moving this forward. For example, we have dedicated a very substantial portion of the proceeds from Petro-Canada to environmental and sustainable development technologies. In a whole variety of ways, both through the tax system and through our expenditures, we intend to make decided progress on the environment.

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

Mr. Speaker, despite what the Minister of Finance says, after the OECD, the environment commissioner is now preparing a damning balance sheet on Canada's tax policy with respect to the sustainable development strategy.

How can the Minister of Finance justify the June 2003 tax measures that will return $250 million to oil companies, thereby supporting the polluter paid rather than the polluter pays policy?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, indeed in the fiscal system over the last number of years the balance has been improving between the government's treatment of the petroleum sector compared to the renewable and alternative sectors, for example.

I would point out to the honourable gentleman that we have a very strong recommendation in our platform, which is repeated in the throne speech. Part of the policy of the Government of Canada is to move forward with very significant new investments in alternative and renewable fuels, like wind energy, for example, ethanol and a variety of others.

Natural Resources

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

Mr. Speaker, on June 27, 2004, one day before the election, the Prime Minister told the people of Nova Scotia that they would receive 100% of their offshore royalties. Today the new deal covers the production life of the Sable project and excludes any revenues produced by any future projects.

Will the Prime Minister commit to keeping his election promise and ensure that Nova Scotia receives 100% of its offshore royalties, no cap, no limit and no exception?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, in the last couple of days I have had some very useful discussions with Premier Hamm and also with Minister Clarke in Nova Scotia. Those discussions are ongoing in a very cooperative and constructive spirit. I expect we will be able to arrive at a very satisfactory conclusion.

[Norman Doyle, Conservative, St. John's North, NL]

Mr. Speaker, now that the Prime Minister has had 24 hours to reflect on his broken promises to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and now that he has had a chance to talk to Premier Williams, would the Prime Minister tell the House if he is willing to stand by the commitment he made to the premier and the people of our province during the federal election campaign?

Or maybe he will bounce this question off the Newfoundland minister who, unfortunately, today has been called the Benedict Arnold of Newfoundland and Labrador.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[R. John Efford, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

Order. I am sure the minister appreciates the choral welcome but the Minister of Natural Resources has to be heard and he has the floor.

[R. John Efford, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, let me say to all hon. members opposite and my colleagues from Newfoundland and Labrador that after 20 years of working for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, I will take second place to nobody on that side.

Let me say that, on this side from the Prime Minister to all members of the government, the Minister of Finance and myself, we, unlike the other side, want to see Newfoundland grow and prosper and--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

Order. The hon. member for Carleton--Mississippi Mills.

National Defence

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Lanark, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of defence has repeatedly distanced himself from the tragic incident aboard the Chicoutimi by pointing a finger at our navy. Every time he is asked a question on submarines, his standard answer is, “The navy made me do it”.

Why will the minister not take responsibility for his department's decisions with respect to the procurement of the submarines?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, ministers of the government, particularly defence ministers, take the advice of professionals.

I am proud of the fact that when I said the navy wanted those submarines, we supported the navy in getting those submarines. That is exactly what we should be doing. I do not make strategic decisions for the military. I take its advice. I am proud of that as the defence minister. I hope that the House will support me when I act on behalf of our services when they need our support.

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Lanark, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of defence assured us that his department took all the appropriate measures to ensure that the submarines were operational and safe. We now learn that the department was aware for some time of difficulties with insulation and electrical wiring.

Will the minister advise the House when the department knew the insulation and wiring needed replacing? Why was it not done before HMCS Chicoutimi sailed?