Debates of March 4th, 2008

Trade

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the leak of this particular document is not only regrettable as the Canadian embassy in the United States has already said. It is completely unacceptable to this government and we will do our best to find out who did it.

What we are talking about here is a report that somebody in the consulate in Chicago wrote to their superior. There are literally thousands of documents like this written around the world by Canadian officials. It is ridiculous to think that the Prime Minister's Office even ever sees these documents.

Ethics

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the interview the Prime Minister did with Mr. Zytaruk, which is there for any of us to hear, the interview begins:

Mr. Zytaruk: I mean, there was an insurance policy for a million dollars. Do you know anything about that?

The Prime Minister: I don't know the details. I know that there were discussions, uh, this is not for publication?

These are the Prime Minister's own words: “I don't know the details. I know that there were discussions. This is not for publication?”

If he did not know anything, why did he not say, “Insurance policy, what insurance policy? I don't know anything about an insurance policy”. Why?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, I would cite for my colleague an interview between Chuck Cadman and Mike Duffy.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

There are children in the room. Members are scaring the children. Just calm down and listen to the answer.

Chuck Cadman was asked about this very issue by CTV:

Mr. Duffy: --Conservatives were prepared to offer you an unopposed nomination if you would vote with them, and also help with campaign funding and so on. Was that offer actually made?

Mr. Cadman: Well there was some talk about that. As far as the unopposed nomination, you know, the discussions did come up--

Mr. Duffy: So they were making an offer to you, and in the end you refused?

Mr. Cadman: Yes. Well, that was the only offer on anything that I had from anybody.

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the interview went on:

The Prime Minister: Um, I don't know the details. I can tell you that I had told the individuals, I mean, they wanted to do it. But I told them they were wasting their time. I said Chuck had made up his mind,--

These are the Prime Minister's own words. He did not say, “No. Don't do it”. He did not say, “No. That would be wrong”. He did not stop them. His own words are there for any of us to hear.

If the Prime Minister knew nothing about this, why did he not just say “No”?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said a number of times, the only offer made to Chuck Cadman was made by Doug Finley and Tom Flanagan on May 19, 2005, when they talked to Chuck Cadman about rejoining the Conservative caucus and running as a Conservative candidate.

If the member for York Centre really believes in what he is saying, if he really believes his accusations against the Conservative Party, then maybe he will show up tonight and vote on the confidence motion on the budget tonight. He did not show up last night. Only seven Liberals showed up. The only Liberal MPs that--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. I remind hon. members that it is not proper to refer to the absence of members from the House.

The hon. member for Beauséjour.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, nobody believes the parliamentary secretary who claims Conservative operatives were only offering Mr. Cadman a nomination.

First, David Matta was already nominated as the official Conservative candidate in that riding. Second, Mr. Cadman's health was such that he was never going to run in that election.

Why will the government not just admit what the Prime Minister said on tape, that there were financial issues and that “the offer to Chuck” was to replace financial considerations?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, if my colleague from Beauséjour wants to present himself as an expert on Conservative nominations, he may want to read the Conservative constitution which says clearly that any member of Parliament who is a Conservative caucus member is automatically a party nominee.

Chuck Cadman would have automatically been a nominee. The member's comments about Dave Matta are not at all true.

Everything that we have said here has been consistent and straightforward. Chuck Cadman spoke the truth when he said no other offer was made. What my friend from Beauséjour is saying is not at all true.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the pattern is often to pay them off to vacate their seats as well.

The parliamentary secretary refuses to acknowledge the facts. Even if it is true that the Conservatives only offered a nomination to Mr. Cadman in his own riding, and a $70,000 loan, it is nevertheless a criminal offence. In addition the Conservatives already had a candidate in Surrey North.

Why is the parliamentary secretary not telling the truth?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, why is my colleague from Beauséjour ignoring the truth and the facts?

The facts are clear. It is simple and it is public knowledge. Mr. Cadman himself said on two occasions, on CTV national television and on Global, that there was only one offer, that of May 19, 2005. Tom Flanagan and Doug Finley both said that all they wanted from Mr. Cadman was that he vote against the Liberals, return to the Conservative Party caucus and stand as a Conservative candidate in the next election. That was the only offer.

Older Workers

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

Mr. Speaker, another plant in Montreal just announced the layoff of nearly 600 employees, whose average age is 52. The minister must understand that we have to help older workers who cannot retrain.

How can the minister justify the fact that he could not find $60 million in his $240 billion budget to create a support program for older workers?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, it is a difficult time when people lose their job. The good news is that the most successful job seekers over the last year have been people over the age of 55. More than half of all the new jobs created were filled by older workers.

I know the Bloc likes to hearken back to the 1980s and solutions that date back to the era of eight track tapes, but this government is convinced that older workers still have a lot to give. That is why we extended the targeted initiative for older workers and continue to invest more heavily in training than any government ever has done.

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some one hundred forestry workers from Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean visited the office of the Minister of Labour to remind him that he is not a member from Alberta, but rather from Quebec. Accordingly, he should listen to them and help them, instead of telling them to go work somewhere else.

Will the minister admit that creating an income support program for older workers would at least allow them to remain in their regions and live decently?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, I hate to be the one who has to inform a Bloc member about the amazing record of job creation in Quebec, but it is true.

Today Quebec enjoys the lowest unemployment rate it has enjoyed in a generation. This is very exciting. There are many new opportunities. It means that we have to seize those opportunities, provide training programs so we can help workers of all ages make the transition from sectors that are struggling into ones that are prospering. This is exactly what we are doing.

Fisheries

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a WTO draft text threatens several programs for supporting the fishing industry. If adopted as is, this text would limit the government's involvement in construction, the renovation of port infrastructures, fuel deductions, and even employment support, particularly employment insurance. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans tried to reassure us by reminding everyone that this was just a draft text.

How can we trust this government when the draft currently on the table is completely in line with its laissez-faire ideology?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows much better than that. It is fearmongering at its finest.

The draft text is not only a draft text put forth by the chair, but it has bracketed all these suggestions. It will never see the light of day. If they ever make it to any kind of serious round of negotiations, Canada will be firmly against them.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, independent observers told the committee that Canada has a long way to go to reverse the strong trend that has developed at the negotiation table. The reality is that Canada has embraced a logic that would eliminate subsidies for fishermen.

How does the government plan on defending the Quebec fishing industry, when in the past two years it has not been able to stand up to Australia, New Zealand and the United States, who have succeeded in getting a text that reflects their interests?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, again, one of the ways the hon. member can help is give me the tools to do the job.

I told him to pass Bill C-32 so that I can help fishermen.

Ethics

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is time for the Conservatives to stop the cover-ups and come forward with the truth. In his book, Harper's Team: Behind the Scenes in the Conservative Rise to Power, Tom Flanagan states that one last attempt was made on May 19 by Doug Finley to persuade Chuck Cadman. However, May 17 is the date Dona Cadman states that her husband was offered a million dollar bribe.

Will the Prime Minister admit that a meeting also took place on May 17, or is he saying that Dona Cadman is lying? Who were the political operatives at the meeting and what offers were made to a dying man for his vote?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, I say this again for my colleague from Brampton. There was only the one meeting with Doug Finley and Tom Flanagan. That happened on the 19th. We have been clear and straightforward about that. It is the central truth of this.

I wish the Liberals would embrace the truth and recognize it as it sits before them plain as day.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a new revelation, in Mr. Flanagan's book we also learned that the natural resources minister helped to organize the May 19 meeting. No small feat since Chuck Cadman had just bounced two other Conservatives from his office for offering him a bribe.

When will the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about his role in the multiple offers that were made by the Conservatives to a dying man for his vote?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, the allegations about the natural resources minister are just flat not true. However, I wonder, though, if the Liberals really believe in these allegations, if they really believe in their own rhetoric, last night why did only seven Liberal MPs show up to vote on their own budget amendment? If they really believe in their own rhetoric, if they really believe that the government should not continue to govern, then maybe we will see tonight whether they show up to vote and represent their constituents.

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Dona Cadman stands by her contention that Conservatives deeply offended her late husband when they tried to get his vote with a million dollar insurance policy. When asked if she considered it to be a bribe, she said, “yes”.

Her husband did not tell her the names of the two individuals involved, but it is clear from the tape that the Prime Minister knew who they were. On tape, he told them to “make the case” to Mr. Cadman.

When will the Prime Minister tell Canadians just who these two individuals are?