House of Commons Hansard #61 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was equality.

Topics

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, I will tell members what is most shocking in this interview of the Prime Minister on the tape. It is when he speaks about his operatives who were going to make an offer to Mr. Cadman. The Prime Minister said on the tape not to “press it” on Chuck, that it will not work.

The Prime Minister says that it will not work. Never does he say that it is wrong, that it is illegal. Why not?

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, once again the credibility of the Leader of the Opposition's own behaviour on this is pretty clear. It is very clear that for months the Liberal Party has had no issues so it is resorting to smear and to allegations of scandal.

It is a party that, while it says we are guilty of corruption, votes to keep us in office. It is the same party that brings in a non-confidence motion against the NDP. It is a party and a leader who yesterday gave the Bloc and the separatists advice on how to win the next referendum. It is quite a show that he is running over there.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, in July 2005, the Prime Minister is quoted in the Calgary Herald as saying, “I visited Chuck”, Mr. Cadman, “at his home in April, and I knew then that he was far more sick than the public realized”.

So before the May 19 vote, the Prime Minister knew that Mr. Cadman could not possibly be running in another election. If so, how can he continue to pretend that the Conservative offer to Mr. Cadman was a Conservative--

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party is just wrong on this. He does not have to take my word for it. In the Globe and Mail, on page A7, on July 15, 2005, it was reported that Chuck Cadman was in fact planning on running again. The Leader of the Opposition is in fact wrong on this.

What has been demonstrated here by the Liberal Party is the old saying: “If you have the facts, argue the facts; if you have the law, argue the law; if you have neither, pound the table”. The Liberals can pound away. We stand by Chuck Cadman. We stand by the truth.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, that is a ridiculous answer. Mr. Cadman won by a very comfortable margin as an independent. He did not need the Conservatives.

What is more, the Conservatives had already nominated their candidate, so they could not possibly have offered Mr. Cadman a Conservative nomination.

When will the Prime Minister admit, as he did on the tape, that the offer was for financial considerations?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, that is wrong, wrong, wrong. Conservative Party rules regarding nominations for the 2005 campaign clearly stated that sitting members of the Conservative Party would automatically be candidates for our party.

The opposition party's accusations are therefore completely false. The Liberals are constantly making up scandals to parade in front of Canadians. The fact is that our party agrees with the statements made by Chuck Cadman himself, who said that no such offer was ever made.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a reputation for wanting to control and know everything. That is why I was so surprised to hear him say that he did not know the details of the offer made to Chuck Cadman. According to the government, the only offer that was made to Mr. Cadman was to have him rejoin the Conservative Party caucus.

Is the man who likes to control everything telling us that he did not know his party had invited Chuck Cadman to rejoin the caucus? Is that what he calls details?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I said that we offered Chuck Cadman the opportunity to join the Conservative caucus, to get the Conservative nomination and to run as a candidate in his riding. I have said that, the members of our staff have said that and Chuck Cadman clearly said that in 2005.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, Chuck Cadman may have said that in 2005, but the Prime Minister did not say that in 2005. Three months after May 19, he met with a journalist and he did not remember that Mr. Cadman had been asked to rejoin the caucus. He said he was not aware of the details, but—surprise, surprise—three years later he does remember that Mr. Cadman was invited to rejoin the caucus.

This is nonsense. He must stop telling tall tales and start telling us what he meant by “financial considerations”. We want to know what he meant.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Bloc Québécois keeps changing his story too. The Leader of the Bloc Québécois said that there was a meeting on May 17, 2005, and now that has been dropped. The Leader of the Bloc Québécois said that Chuck Cadman did not want to run in an election campaign, and that is contradicted by the facts in this case.

The only thing the Leader of the Bloc Québécois has today is an offer from the Leader of the Liberal Party to help rebuild the sovereignist movement in Quebec. He should accept that gift while he can.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's explanation makes no sense. Mr. Cadman was in no condition to campaign and, in any event, the Conservative candidate had already been chosen. Chuck Cadman did not need campaign financing, and that is not what the Prime Minister was talking about on the tape when he referred to financial considerations offered to Mr. Cadman.

Even though he does not remember all the details, what was the Prime Minister talking about, in general terms, when he referred to “financial considerations” on the tape?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, we have answered that question already. However, for the benefit of our Bloc Québécois colleagues, I will just say that if Mr. Cadman had said he was going to join the Conservative Party as a member of our caucus, he would automatically have been the candidate in the riding of Surrey North.

I have what he said in English only.

I want to say this very clearly, again. When he was asked by Mike Duffy, “Conservatives were prepared to offer you an unopposed nomination if you would vote with them and also help you with the funding and so on”, Chuck Cadman said, “That was the only offer on anything that I had from anybody”.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, in response to questions from reporters, the Prime Minister's Office categorically denied that Mr. Cadman had been offered a $1 million insurance policy, but refused to say that no other financial offers had been made in exchange for his vote. On the tape, the Prime Minister clearly refers to “financial considerations”.

Does the Prime Minister's refusal to answer not prove that the Conservatives are concealing information that would show that an attempt was made to bribe Mr. Cadman?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, we are concealing nothing. We are simply saying that there were three things on the table when an offer was made to Mr. Cadman: first, that he join the Conservative Party; second, that he run as a candidate for our party; third, that we would help him win his seat again as a Conservative candidate. That was the offer.

That is my answer, and it is what the Prime Minister, Tom Flanagan, Doug Finley and Chuck Cadman himself said.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, to have the most senior adviser in the Prime Minister's Office interfering in the American elections is extremely serious. Interference is now what the American Ambassador is calling it.

In answer to my question on Tuesday, when I asked the Prime Minister about the source of what they now refer to as the NAFTA-gate leak, the Prime Minister said, “it was not my chief of staff”. However, new reports indicate very clearly that it was Ian Brodie, the chief of staff.

Will the Prime Minister now apologize to the House, the American people and Senator Obama, and will he fire his chief of staff?

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have already said that the leak of information against the campaign of Senator Obama was extremely unfair. I have also said that it is completely contrary to the interests of the Government of Canada.

I will not comment on rumours. I have said that we are doing a thorough internal investigation of this, led by the Clerk of the Privy Council. I will take whatever steps the Clerk of the Privy Council believes are necessary subsequent to that investigation.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, no apology, no accountability, it sounds like no confidence as far as we are concerned.

American media, analysts, and political parties have said that the Government of Canada's actions clearly had an influence on the American elections. We know where the information came from: Ian Brodie, the Prime Minister chief of staff. That was where Canada's unprecedented interference in the American elections started.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and fire Ian Brodie immediately?

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have already said that the information leaked against Senator Obama's campaign was very unfair. I also said that it is completely contrary to the interests of the Government of Canada.

This is a very serious matter. I asked the Clerk of the Privy Council to conduct an internal investigation. He will do so in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I plan on taking his advice and finding those responsible—

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is dancing around this issue just like he did with the other one. Information was leaked against Democratic presidential candidates twice. The second one had to do with a Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade memo. Everything seems to indicate that the first leak came directly from the Prime Minister's chief of staff.

Will the Prime Minister admit that he is refusing to authorize an investigation into the first leak because he is protecting his chief of staff?

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the Clerk of the Privy Council will investigate this whole matter. We will act on the basis of the information we receive.

To be very clear, we will investigate this entire matter and take whatever action is deemed to be necessary, based on the facts we are able to discover.

I point out for the Leader of the Opposition that while he was throwing around wild accusations of scandal, the leader of the NDP was already on top of this issue.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, it is the only defence of the Prime Minister that we do not know how to choose among all the scandals he has. It begs the question: When the Prime Minister said on Tuesday, “it was not my chief of staff”, was the Prime Minister misleading the House, or was his chief of staff misleading him?

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Neither, Mr. Speaker. The problem with the Leader of the Liberal Party is he is so busy chasing appointments that never happened, favours that were never given, lawsuits that were never cancelled, that when there actually is a serious matter and, as I said, a serious matter of improper information circulating about the campaign of Senator Obama in a way that was damaging and in a way that was completely unfair, he completely misses the story.

The leader of the NDP has asked solid questions on this. He deserves answers, and we are going to find those answers.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, wonders never cease.

The Prime Minister said that he would find the person responsible for the NAFTA leak. He claims that it is all a big mystery. But it is no mystery.

He should pay a visit to his chief of staff.

Does the Prime Minister agree that he must dismiss his chief of staff, not only for having embarrassed his boss, but also for having shamed his country?