Debates of May 19th, 2005

Sponsorship Program

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

Mr. Speaker, it is odd that, on the eve of an election, the government is changing its mind and suddenly agreeing to create a trust fund for the dirty money.

Will the Minister of Transport acknowledge that this symbolic gesture is intended primarily to permit the Liberal party to save face on the eve of an election rather than to really correct the tainted money situation?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is changing the culture of government for a generation. This Prime Minister is taking the courageous stand to identify a problem, to fix a problem and not hide from problems as the leader of the Bloc is doing and the leader of the Conservative Party is doing.

I am proud to stand as a Liberal next to this Prime Minister and this Liberal Party that is doing the right thing to change the culture of government for generations of Canadians.

If it is possible to change the government's future, it is worth it in the short term.

The Budget

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today we are going to face two important budget votes. People care about these votes a great deal because they have the potential to help people and to help our environment.

What people are hearing about is Tory MPs raising the issue of patronage jobs. They are hearing responses that the Prime Minister's Office is playing games with public appointments. This does not rebuild faith in politics and if it in any way endangers the vote on the budget, this will have serious consequences. Can the Prime Minister assure us that there has been no offer of public jobs for a change in votes?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Yes, I can, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to inform the House and the leader of the NDP that no such offers were made. I made it very clear the other day that no such offers were made. No such offers were made. Offers were solicited and offers were turned down.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are about to vote on a very important budget. It is a better budget. I appreciate the answer, but I have to say if no public jobs were offered, the Prime Minister needs to explain now in the House why senior officials from his office are on tape speaking about the dangers of there being an explicit trade of jobs for votes.

What is the Prime Minister's explanation?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, a third party intermediary has confirmed that in fact a solicitation did come from a member of the opposition to a member of the government and that the solicitation was refused unequivocally.

Sponsorship Program

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

Mr. Speaker, when the Auditor General did her audit of the sponsorship program, she said that at least $100 million flowed from government contracts to Liberal friendly ad agencies for little or no work. In other words, $100 million kind of just disappeared, and yet the government is saying that $750,000 in a trust account fixes the problem.

Why is there such a gap between the $100 million the Auditor General talked about and the $750,000 the Liberal government is talking about?

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

Mr. Speaker, is the member implying that $100 million was donated to the Liberal Party of Canada?

I am surprised that somebody who once at least called herself a lawyer would be so sloppy in her research. She should fire her researchers and really bone up on her research such that she asks a question that actually can be considered serious on the floor of the House of Commons.

She is not doing anything for the House of Commons when she stands up and makes wild allegations that not only disgrace herself, but disgrace all members of the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, I assume that the minister has no good answer for Canadians because the best he can do is smear the questioner.

That is the minister who got up just a few weeks ago and said--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

Order. The hon. member for Calgary—Nose Hill has the floor.

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

Mr. Speaker, the same minister got up and said that there was a big audit of the Liberal Party books and there was no dirty money that went into the Liberal Party.

Now he is saying that $750,000 will cover whatever problem was not there and yet the Auditor General talked about $100 million. How is anyone going to be fooled by this ploy by the Liberal Party?

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

Mr. Speaker, no other member of the House has to smear the hon. member for Calgary—Nose Hill because she smears herself when she refuses to apologize to the member for York West for the months of criticisms, attacks and smears that she launched on the floor of the House. Now that the member for York West has been cleared by the Ethics Commissioner, the hon. member should not be taken seriously until she offers her apology.

She smears herself. Nobody else has to do it.

[Rahim Jaffer, Conservative, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport has said, “Our credit is good, we have been in business for 138 years”. Diverting public funds has swelled their election coffers, but undone their credibility. The trust fund exists, but there is still no money in it.

How can we have confidence in this government, when the Liberals are preparing a fourth election campaign with tainted money?

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

Mr. Speaker, clearly the party, by establishing a trust fund in the amount of $750,000, intends to put $750,000 in the trust fund in the very near term.

The fact is the Conservatives' entire line of questioning today is based on a false premise. We are doing the right thing. The Liberal Party is doing the right thing. It is time for other members and parties in the House to do the right thing, clear up their own conspiracies and difficulties, stand up for Canadians and the truth, support Justice Gomery and let him do his work.

[Rahim Jaffer, Conservative, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals think we should celebrate a down payment on corruption. No wonder the banks give them good credit. Whenever a Liberal loan comes due, all the government needs to do is tap into taxpayer dollars and redirect the money into the Liberal Party.

The public works minister said that there was no dirty money. Now he says that they will put the dirty money into a trust account. With this most recent admission of guilt, how can Canadians be expected to trust the government?

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

Mr. Speaker, the public works minister never said that at all. These are serious allegations. We take them seriously for Canadians. That is why we are supporting Justice Gomery in getting to the truth. Anybody who used the brand of the Liberal Party of Canada to commit malfeasance, to harness the unity crisis for financial gain, ought to and will face the full extent of the law.

We as Liberals stand with Canadians demanding justice to ensure that the right thing is done.

Government of Canada

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some very serious accusations have been made by a member of this House, who maintains that he was offered a position of ambassador by the Prime Minister's chief of staff. This is supported by a recording.

I am asking the Prime Minister, who carefully refused to answer the very simple question put by the NDP leader and by the media earlier will he confirm whether or not that was indeed the voice of his chief of staff?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the allegation is totally false.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am not asking the Prime Minister for his opinion as to whether his chief of staff is innocent or guilty. I am asking him to tell us whether or not the voice that was recorded by the hon. member, offering him a position of ambassador, was that of his chief of staff, his top aide. Is it the voice of his chief of staff, yes or no?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the hon. member does not understand. This is not true.

Employment Insurance

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on April 13, the new Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development voted in favour of an independent employment insurance fund to end, once and for all, the government's plundering of that fund, which now totals in excess of $47 billion.

Now that she is in a position to establish such an independent fund, since she is now the minister in charge, will she be consistent with herself and establish that independent fund?

[Belinda Stronach, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal]

Mr. Speaker, it is a complex file. I will take the opportunity to study it and ensure that I make an informed decision that would be in the best interest of Canadian workers.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the minister realize that her credibility is at stake here?

I remind the minister that she voted in favour of an independent fund, and of the amendment to the throne speech calling for an in-depth review of the employment insurance program.

When she discussed her joining the government with the Prime Minister, did the minister only negotiate her own personal hiring conditions, or did she also take that opportunity to negotiate the needs of the unemployed, whom she claims to support?

[Belinda Stronach, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, it is a complex file. I am in a position to make changes. I will take a look at all the options on how we can make improvements.