Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today seeking clarification on an answer I was given a few weeks ago concerning an ethics question that I asked the Prime Minister. As we all know, we do not always get answers. My question had to do with ethics and with what is now known as the Cadman affair.
The situation is most alarming and very serious. Let us review what happened. In 2005, there were a number of crucial votes. Canada had not had a minority government in years. Bills were put to the vote. We all remember the late Chuck Cadman, who was the member for his Vancouver area riding. Despite the fact that he was seriously ill, he decided to come to the House to vote and carry out his duties as a member of Parliament.
However, we later found out that what happened was far less noble, particularly on the part of a government that claims to be transparent and pure as the driven snow. In the last federal election, the Conservatives said that they had never done anything wrong and never would. However, some of the things the government tried to do were certainly disturbing. The people of Canada found it disturbing. I think I will have a hard time getting clear answers, because there is a tape that proves what the Prime Minister said to a reporter not so very long ago.
Clearly, as I said earlier, there is more going on than the Cadman affair. Here are a few examples: the Mulroney-Schreiber affair; the Baird-O'Brien affair; the NAFTAgate affair concerning the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Ian Brodie—not that I am naming names—who commented on certain allegations and uncovered some information. And that's not all. There was also the “in and out” scheme with Elections Canada.
It is clear and plain that we have here a government which refuses to be transparent; it tries to control everything and hide things from the people of Canada. In addition, the allegations made in the Cadman affair about discussions the Prime Minister apparently had concerning a “financial consideration” are alarming. It is very difficult to imagine a Prime Minister attempting to somehow convince a member to give him his vote, when in a recording he finally admits that both he and his party knew that some “financial consideration” was offered to an unfortunate, gravely ill member in order to secure his support in bringing down the Liberal government of the day.
It is clear that this Conservative government has hidden many things from Canadians. I think it is time the Conservative government owned up to its role in the Cadman affair, stop hiding behind interviews given by the late Mr. Cadman and tell the people of Canada the truth, namely that it has indeed—