The right hon. Prime Minister.
House of Commons Hansard #96 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was liberal.
House of Commons Hansard #96 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was liberal.
Paul Martin LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we most certainly want it to pass, and to pass as quickly as possible. However, I have a question for the leader of the Bloc. If he wants it to pass today, why did he try to bring down the government yesterday?
Louis Plamondon Bloc Richelieu, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should be ashamed of himself for taking advantage of our veterans to save his government and, I might add, taking advantage of the illness of some members of Parliament.
If the government had not, as it did, postponed the allotted opposition days to take away the opposition's right to speak and to prevent it from moving motions, we would not find ourselves in this situation now. This crisis was created by the government itself, because it refuses to see and recognize that it has lost the confidence of the House.
Will the government agree that the crisis—
House of CommonsOral Question Period
The Speaker
The leader of the government in the House.
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, as I have said over and over again in the House, a reasonable proposal has been put forward that the vote take place on May 19. I do not understand why the opposition leaders cannot take yes for an answer. There is an opportunity to debate the budget bill. There is an opportunity to get the veterans bill through. There is an opportunity to get the DNA bill into the House and get that through.
It is not just the government that sees this as reasonable, but constitutional experts do also, so I would hope that the members would participate, but have that legitimate confidence vote later.
Louis Plamondon Bloc Richelieu, QC
Mr. Speaker, how can the Prime Minister claim to have the legitimacy to govern when, as soon as it regained its right to speak, the opposition eloquently demonstrated, through a motion, that the government no longer had its confidence?
Should the government not clarify the situation by urgently holding a vote today?
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, again they link their argument to the vote last evening, which was a procedural matter. It was not in fact a confidence matter; it is a report that is going back to committee.
I do not understand why the members opposite do not see the merit in the approach that has been taken, but I would say this. That party has never stood up for Canada. In fact, it wants to destroy Canada
What is the rush? What is it that you are really looking for? You will have a confidence motion, a legitimate one, that--
House of CommonsOral Question Period
The Speaker
The government House leader will want to set a good example and address all his remarks to the Chair.
The hon. member for Calgary Southeast.
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, the government has had 12 years to pass a veterans charter. The Prime Minister has had 18 months to pass the charter. Yesterday the Senate could have passed it at all three stages in one sitting like we did here, but instead his hand-picked senators sent it to committee to delay it.
Has it come to this, that the Prime Minister has to bide for time and hide behind Canada's veterans in order to save himself from the Canadian public?
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I think what is very clear is that what is a reasonable proposal is deemed to be unreasonable by unreasonable people. Again, we had leaders of every party agreeing on a veterans charter and had it pass at all stages here. Those members were looking to dissolve Parliament yesterday when it did not have an opportunity to get through the Senate. It will be through the Senate on Thursday.
If anything, what Canadians understand is that there will be a legitimate vote of confidence and that will take place next Thursday. We will work to win that vote and we will continue to fight on behalf of Canadians.
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, there is nothing reasonable about violating our constitutional conventions.
Everyone knows that this government lost a confidence vote yesterday evening. An editorial published in today's Le Devoir states, “The federal Liberals lost the confidence of Parliament yesterday evening; there is no other possible interpretation of the vote”. As for La Presse , it states that, “This non-confidence vote clearly shows that this government no longer has the confidence of the House”.
How can this government still deny the obvious and ignore both the democratic will of this House and the Canadian Constitution by remaining in office?
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, we are in fact adhering specifically to democratic values. We are looking at a confidence vote on a budget, which will take place on May 19. I fail to understand why the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition party cannot accept yes for an answer.
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, I think what Canadians are wondering is why the Prime Minister cannot accept non-confidence for an answer.
The Prime Minister's original story in trying to explain ad scam was that it was the “activities of a...few who...have colluded” in this scandal. The truth, according to sworn testimony, is that Alfonso Gagliano and his cohort Joe Morselli ran a team of up to 30 fake volunteers, which included ministerial aides as well as lawyers and engineers on loan to the party.
With this many people involved and millions of dollars, how can the Prime Minister still claim that he knew nothing?
Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, this is the same kind of smear campaign based on unproven allegations that the Conservatives perpetuated for weeks against the member for York West last fall. The member for York West has been fully cleared by the Ethics Commissioner. In fact, the Conservatives based their allegations in the House on a sworn affidavit from Harjit Singh, who has retracted his statement completely.
Let this be a lesson to all members of this House that they should never use parliamentary privilege to attack an individual in this House and destroy reputations unfairly.
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, former Quebec Liberal organizer Marc-Yvan Côté confessed. He admitted to personally distributing $120,000 in illegal cash donations to the Liberal Party. Let me repeat that so the minister gets it: Marc-Yvan Côté has confessed to breaking the law in a way that financially benefits the Liberal Party.
When is the Liberal Party going to give back this illegal money?
Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the party has been clear. If any funds were received inappropriately, they will be returned to the Canadian taxpayer.
Harjit Singh was quite clear in his sworn affidavit as well and he has in fact retracted.
Beyond that, yesterday after the statement of the member for York West when she demonstrated an act of grace here in the House of Commons, I would like to say that the member for Calgary--Nose Hill demonstrated a graceless act. When all members of the House from all parties were applauding the member for York West and congratulating her, she sat on her hands. The member for Calgary Southeast is called the “Prince of Meanness”. Perhaps she is the queen of mean.
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
Canadians have expressed a strong desire to make this Parliament work and to see elected officials work together for the good of the country. Recently the federal government announced additional spending measures in cooperation with the New Democratic Party. Would the Minister of Finance advise this House as to how these new measures will support the 2005 federal budget?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-48, giving legislative authority to the government's understanding with the NDP, was made necessary by the 180 degree flip-flop by the official opposition.
It was made possible by four important principles: first, the assurance of no deficit; second, the assurance of continued debt reduction; third, the profiling of two particular tax measures in a separate piece of legislation; and fourth, investment priorities consistent with the government's own spending commitments, those being housing, learning, the environment and foreign aid. They are also Canadian priorities.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, crab fishing season has begun, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada has allocated 32,000 tonnes of crab to the fishers. The fishers have chosen to increase their landings this spring and shorten the fishing season, thereby preventing workers from qualifying for EI. This is unacceptable and disgraceful.
My question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Does the government consider it acceptable to send crab to the trash, or will it manage the vessels' fishing trips in order to avoid the unacceptable waste of this perishable resource?
Geoff Regan LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's concern. This waste is truly unacceptable. That is why I have asked certain public servants to monitor the situation closely and determine what actions might be taken.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of dairy farmers from across Canada came to Ottawa hoping to have serious issues in the dairy industry addressed. They have heard nothing in this House from those other parties. If we want to talk about a crisis of confidence, it is a crisis of confidence in the behaviour of these politicians while rural Canada burns.
My question for the minister is very simple. Will the government apply article XXVIII of the GATT and stop the flood of modified milk products into Canada? It is a yes or a no: will he give the answer to farmers today?
Andy Mitchell LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, as a government we will take the actions which are designed to and which most effectively will defend supply management, and which will ensure that all the pillars of supply management are protected so that our producers will be able to earn a livelihood, create wealth for themselves and create wealth for Canadians.
Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, sworn confessions show that senior Liberal Party officials were major ad scam players. Top Liberal organizer Marc-Yvan Côté admitted he received three separate wads of sponsorship cash totalling $120,000, which he doled out in envelopes as illegal cash donations to 18 Liberal candidates in the 1997 election.
This is more sworn evidence from another top Liberal organizer that tax dollars were used by Liberals to benefit the Liberal Party. How can Canadians believe that the Prime Minister knew nothing about this Liberal criminality and corruption?
Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
In fact, Mr. Speaker, we have seen before Justice Gomery allegations against the Liberal Party, the péquistes in Quebec and the Conservative Party. The fact is that in fairness to the reputations of all people involved in any of these political parties, we owe these individuals the responsibility to wait for the truth and to wait for Justice Gomery's work.
Those members can take selectively testimony that fits their narrow partisan position, but the fact is that Canadians know what they are doing. They are manipulating the work of Justice Gomery when Canadians want them to support the work of Justice Gomery and wait for that report.
Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, the real fact is that Liberal admissions of Liberal Party corruption continue. Senior Liberal organizer Marc-Yvan Côté confessed his part in a Liberal Party network that laundered sponsorship tax dollars: a suitcase and envelopes with $120,000 in ad scam cash funnelled to 18 Liberal candidates.
With so many senior Liberals working together passing around taxpayer dollars to Liberal candidates in the Prime Minister's backyard, how can Canadians believe the Prime Minister knew nothing about that Liberal corruption?