House of Commons Hansard #24 of the 37th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has acknowledged the existence of the national unity fund in his own budget. This is a fund that is absolutely without a trace, however, in either the public accounts or the books of the Privy Council, even if this hidden fund was primarily used to fund the sponsorship scandal.
Out of a concern for transparency, might we be told under which item in the PM's budget the national unity fund is concealed?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did indeed have an envelope available to him to be used to support projects throughout Canada. These were projects he deemed appropriate to strengthen national unity.
The present Prime Minister has asked the Clerk of the Privy Council to carry out a detailed examination of that envelope. Incidentally, no new project has been initiated by this government from that envelope since the government was formed on December 12.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is curious nevertheless that this fund cannot be found in the public accounts. Finance says it is not under that department, and so does Public Works. Alfonso Gagliano says the money for the sponsorships, used to support Canadian unity, came from that fund.
It is all very well to ask the clerk to look into it, but will the following be made known about this fund that has been around since 1993: how much in total was in it, all the projects that were supported, by whom, for whom, where the money went, what was done with it, and why it is not to be found in the public accounts?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I think everybody in the House is aware that the government has already provided all cabinet documents, including Treasury Board documents, in relation to sponsorship issues.
I understand there was a new motion from the public accounts committee this morning. I want to reassure all hon. members in the House that we are in the process of reviewing that motion, and we will respond to it in a timely fashion.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, it has just been confirmed that this fund was used for initiatives all over Canada. We know that in Quebec it was used as the basis for the sponsorship scandal. We would, of course, be interested and curious to know what it was used for in the rest of Canada.
I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister the following: if the government wants people to believe there has been a change in mentality, might we be told why this fund is a hidden fund, why no one can identify where it is in the budget, or what it was used for? We want to know what it was used for.
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, actually there are two things in response to the hon. member's question.
First, as my colleague, the Minister of Health, has pointed out, the Prime Minister has asked the Clerk of the Privy Council to review all issues surrounding that fund, its existence and so on. The Prime Minister has not used that fund in any way since becoming Prime Minister. Nor will he use that fund until reviews are completed by the Clerk of the Privy Council. No one wants to get to the bottom of this more than the Prime Minister.
Second, as I have already indicated, the government has provided all cabinet documents, at the request of the public accounts committee, in relation to--
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, to be clear with the minister, we know that partisan polls were conducted by the government. Some $4.6 million disappeared from Option Canada. No one ever knew where the money went during the Quebec referendum. There were all kinds of activities and sponsorships. These funds smack of illegality from start to finish.
My question is for the minister. Will she make sure that it is not just the Clerk, who is an officer of the Prime Minister, but also the members of this House and the public who know what this money is used for? What was is used for and how is it being used now?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, as I have already indicated, in response to a motion from the public accounts committee, we have provided all cabinet documents, including Treasury Board documents, in relation to the sponsorship situation.
As I say, there was another motion from the public accounts committee this morning requesting additional documents. The government will review that new motion, and we will respond in a timely fashion to it.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, in Great Britain, it took only ten days before the Hutton Commission started its work. This is day 30 after Justice Gomery's appointment and the investigation into the sponsorship scandal still has not begun.
If the Prime Minister wanted to know the truth, why did he appoint Justice Gomery even though he knew he was going on vacation?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure the hon. member that Mr. Justice Gomery has been very busy in relation to putting in place the preconditions to carry forward this inquiry.
Mr. Justice Gomery to date has named Sheila-Marie Cook as the executive director of the inquiry, Bernard Roy as counsel and Neil Finkelstein as co-counsel. They have already begun preparing for the inquiry's hearing.
I think anyone who understands how these public inquiries operate--
Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period
The Speaker
I was trying to get some order so I could hear the Deputy Prime Minister's answer, but I have given up. The hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre has a supplementary question I believe. I hope we will be able to hear her with all the noise down there.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, this is incredible. One hundred million dollars is gone and the judge finding out about it is on holidays. It is 10 days in Britain for a public inquiry. Here it is day 30. So much for the government getting to the bottom of it.
Today we heard the only whistleblower in this case was never contacted. For 10 years the Liberals have been rewarding their friends, and no one asked the guy willing to talk. Thank goodness the Prime Minister is not a cop. He would never bother talking to any of the eyewitnesses.
How can an entire government forget to ask the one person willing to tell the truth?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, again, as I have said on numerous other occasions, no one is more committed to getting to the bottom of this than this government. That is why we have a public inquiry headed up by Mr. Justice Gomery. I would hope that the hon. member is not attacking the reputation or integrity of Mr. Justice Gomery.
As I have indicated, if anyone understands the process of public inquiries in this country, there is considerable preliminary work that needs to be undertaken, including the appointment of counsel, co-counsel, the finding of office location--
Monte Solberg Canadian Alliance Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, in 1990 Claude Boulay of Groupe Everest fame was the director of communications for the Prime Minister's leadership campaign. In 1994 the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Terrie O'Leary, made sure that Boulay's company, Groupe Everest, got the contract to run a finance department ad campaign. That same ad campaign was augmented by over $900,000 so that Groupe Everest could get a $170,000 commission for not doing any work at all.
When will the Prime Minister admit that this scandal reaches right into his office?
Stephen Owen LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member seems to be speaking of government advertising through the ministry of finance to tell Canadians about Canada savings bonds. This is not only legitimate, but it is an essential feature of government advertising in keeping the public informed.
If there is anything improper that is being suggested, then put it before the public inquiry and the public accounts committee. That is where those documents should go. I invite the members to do so.
Monte Solberg Canadian Alliance Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what happened today in the public accounts committee. Now we would like some answers from the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's chief of staff, Terrie O'Leary, was directly involved in ensuring that one of the dirtiest firms in this whole scandal, Groupe Everest, got a contract from the departments of finance and public works.
Allan Cutler told us today that Groupe Everest was getting a commission on the Canada savings bond advertising campaign without doing any work at all. That was the testimony today. Now we would like some answers.
How could the Prime Minister deny his involvement when his own staff were involved right up to their ears?
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, we have already had a lengthy discussion of this memo from Terrie O'Leary. Members will recall that the hon. members opposite only tabled two pages of it. In fact it was a six page memo from Terrie O'Leary, outlining processes to expand competition and involve more companies in the bidding process. That was the subject of the memo.
Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has indicated repeatedly that he knew nothing of the irregularities in spending practices and contracts in public works until 2002. Today a memo tabled at the public accounts committee draws a direct line to the Prime Minister.
Karl Littler, the legislative assistant to the Prime Minister when he was minister of finance, received a memo in 1995 specifically outlining the authorized breaking of the rules and the raising of a contract by almost $1 million to Groupe Everest. That memo is direct evidence that the Prime MInister knew.
When is he going to come clean on what he knew about this dirty ad scandal?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, I do have in my possession a memo, not from Karl Littler but to Karl Littler from a finance department official. In fact, this memo deals with nothing more than the ordinary annual advertising in relation to Canada savings bonds.
I would think that it is hard to make the kinds of assertions or allegations that the hon. member is in relation to a matter that we know is an important annual advertising campaign to encourage Canadians to buy Canada savings bonds.
Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS
Mr. Speaker, what that memo is, is direct evidence of the Prime Minister's knowledge of this rotten corruption in his government. His chief of staff knew, his legislative assistant knew and ministers in the government knew. The Prime Minister was clearly in the know on this ad scandal from the very beginning.
How can the Prime Minister continue to pretend that while his closest staff were in the know and ministers of his government were in the know, he had this feigned wide-eyed innocence about what was happening? If he was not in control of his staff, his budget and what was happening in government, who was?
Reg Alcock LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I think I get the point now. The member for altered documents is referring to a memo from a justice lawyer to a staff member in the Prime Minister's department telling him that there would be a campaign to promote savings bonds. That is a pretty serious charge.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, the current Prime Minister, who was finance minister for nearly ten years, slashed federal funding to health so much that Quebec and the provinces are drowning under the costs they must bear to ensure health care. They are currently holding an ad campaign to this effect.
Will the Prime Minister admit that his only concrete action as Prime Minister has been to confirm the one-time payment of $2 billion, which was already announced by the previous government, and that this is a pittance for someone who says that health care is a priority to him?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister has admitted that it was essential to hold regular federal-provincial meetings. He has taken a different approach. He has admitted that cooperating with the provinces was the way to go.
The finance ministers and health ministers are determined to meet, with recommendations from our government leaders in hand, and to report back over the summer to ensure the long term sustainability of our health care system.