House of Commons Hansard #258 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was railway.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, who did the Prime Minister task with managing the crisis surrounding illegal Senate expenses?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I do not fully understand the question.
Obviously, the Senate is responsible for managing its expenses and business, but because of recent events, the Senate has asked other authorities to investigate. Investigations are ongoing. We are adamant that those who acted inappropriately will be held accountable.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, when was the topic of illegal Senate spending first raised in cabinet?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the NDP leader knows full well that we cannot discuss cabinet matters.
As a matter of course, while we are sworn not to discuss cabinet matters publicly, I can certainly say that these matters were not matters of public business at any point. In fact, as we have said, I became aware of this matter on May 15. I immediately made that information public, which is very different than the leader of the NDP who withheld information on the wrongdoing of the mayor of Laval for 17 years.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, that is interesting. That was not yesterday's excuse.
Does the Prime Minister have proof that the $90,000 cheque his chief of staff gave Mike Duffy was a personal cheque?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, that is what Mr. Wright told me. I immediately insisted that the public be informed. Mr. Wright is currently being investigated by the ethics officer.
Once again, as I have said repeatedly, as soon as this information was conveyed to me by the former chief of staff, I immediately insisted he go to the appropriate authorities and the information be made public, which is totally different than the leader of the NDP who withheld that information from the public and from the police for 17 years.
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday it was reported that the RCMP asked the media for that February 20 email that details the $90,000 arrangement between the Prime Minister's chief of staff and Mike Duffy.
As we know, the Prime Minister's Office has a copy of that email. Will the Prime Minister proactively make that email public?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I have said repeatedly, we have put in place government authorities to deal with any kind of matters such as this that may arise. We expect the authorities to deal with those matters and they will have the full assistance of the government in doing so.
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that he did not learn about his chief of staff's $90,000 payment to Mike Duffy until Wednesday the 15th, yet media contacted his office on the afternoon of Tuesday the 14th to comment on the payment. His office and Mike Duffy then released identical statements on the source of that payment.
How does the Prime Minister reconcile his assertion that he did not know about the scandal until Wednesday if his office responded the afternoon before?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, Mr. Wright informed me and informed others of this matter on the morning of May 15. That is why I did not know that in the afternoon of May 14.
On the contrary, it was my understanding, the understanding of the caucus and the understanding of the government that Mr. Duffy had repaid his expenses using his own resources.
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, even the meagre answers provided to us by the Prime Minister do not add up.
It is a simple question. How can the Prime Minister explain that he said he knew nothing of his chief of staff's $90,000 cheque until Wednesday, May 15, yet the PMO and Mike Duffy's office released identical, coordinated statements on the afternoon of May 14?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, once again, those are the facts. I do not like them, but they are clear.
We have been very clear about what the facts are in the situation. When I became aware of such information, I immediately revealed that information to the public.
On the other hand, the leader of the Liberal Party should explain why he has known for weeks that a member of his caucus, a Liberal senator, is connected to an undisclosed offshore bank account worth $1.7 million and he has chosen to take no action whatsoever.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just told us that, until May 15, he thought that Mike Duffy was repaying his illegal Senate expenses himself. That raises another question.
On what basis did the Prime Minister assume that Mike Duffy had even agreed to repay his expenses? Who informed the Prime Minister of that?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, my understanding was the same as everyone else's, that Mr. Duffy was repaying his expenses himself. He said so publicly.
Those are the facts. Mr. Duffy himself said that publicly.
However, as little as three years ago, the leader of the NDP said that he knew absolutely nothing about the affairs of the former mayor of Laval, which are now being investigated by the Charbonneau commission. It is up to him to explain why, when he knew such information, he did not think it relevant to tell the public or the courts.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, in a typical day, how many times does the Prime Minister speak with his chief of staff?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I do not understand the question.
As I have said a number of—
EthicsOral Questions
Stephen Harper Conservative Calgary Southwest, AB
Mr. Speaker, the former chief of staff did not inform me of the payment he made until May 15. I have been very clear about this matter. The facts are clear.
Why did the leader of the NDP withhold information about the activities of the former mayor of Laval for 17 years?
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, when did the Prime Minister first speak with Nigel Wright about the whole question of the Senate expenses scandal?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, obviously we all spoke of this as soon as the story was in the news. As I have said repeatedly, I was not aware of any payment made by Mr. Wright before the 15th of May.
What I do not understand is how the entire Quebec construction industry can be mired in a deep scandal involving mayors and public officials all across the province, subject to an inquiry called by the government he was a member of and that for all of those years he did not think it relevant to inform the authorities and the public that he had been offered considerations by the mayor of Laval.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport explicitly said that the $90,000 cheque was issued “Because we didn’t believe taxpayers should have to pay the cost and Mr. Duffy was not in a position to pay them himself”. Who is we?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Wright has been clear that his motive was he wanted to see the taxpayers recompensed for expenses that we all believed were inappropriate. It is important that those expenses be recovered. It is also important that all the people who have been involved in this be subject to the appropriate investigations and held accountable.
Once again, when we knew this information, it was all rendered public. I contrast this with the leader of the NDP who withheld vital information on the improper activities of the mayor of Laval for 17 years, even during a provincial royal commission.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, did Nigel Wright receive or will he receive severance pay?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Wright will receive only the payments to which he is entitled under the law and nothing more.
