Michel Gauthier

[Ethics, November 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Canadian Press, the government's ethics counsellor, Mr. Howard Wilson, had signing authority for federal contracts taken away from him in July 1992 as the result of an investigation by the Auditor General himself. This action was taken against him for having awarded contracts worth close to a million dollars without a call for tenders.

When it was decided to appoint Mr. Wilson ethics counsellor, did the government know that he had his signing authority taken away from him by the Deputy Minister of Industry in 1992?

[Ethics, October 31st, 1994]

How nice, Mr. Speaker! The minister of heritage wrote the Chairman of the CRTC on behalf of a small community in his riding. Frankly, does the Prime Minister not admit that, as this whole affair clearly shows, the government ethics counsellor should be accountable not to his office but to the House of Commons, to ensure that he has some effectiveness, real power and a decisive role?

[Ethics, October 31st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister seems to be making a distinction between a letter of support and any letter of representation. The letters sent by the colleagues of the minister of heritage are indeed letters of support, of direct interference in the affairs of the CRTC.

The Prime Minister had made a commitment to demand irreproachable conduct from his ministers and he even made it one of his priorities in the red book. Yet, he failed his first test miserably. He chose to forgive and forget without first consulting the ethics counsellor.

How can the Prime Minister, who claims to be concerned about integrity, explain to this House that he did not personally direct his ministers, as soon as they were sworn in, to consult the ethics counsellor before getting into trouble like the minister of heritage and other ministers?

[Business Of The House, October 27th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate it if the Leader of the Government in the House would announce the business of the House for the next few days.

[Crtc, October 27th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister hides behind the advice of his advisors. But they are not the ones who have been elected. He should assume his responsibilities.

Are we to understand from the decision of the Prime Minister of Canada that he puts personal friendship above the integrity of his Cabinet?

[Crtc, October 27th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, who has told us repeatedly over the past year that he attaches the utmost importance to the integrity of his ministers, is now turning a blind eye to a very serious mistake on the part of the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

How can the Prime Minister be taken seriously when, at the first opportunity to come his way, in view of such a serious mistake, he chooses to forgive and forget rather than enforce his code of ethics? Clearly, the Prime Minister is not equal to the situation.

[Point Of Order, October 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure that we have fully understood the correction being requested. We would like some time to examine the nature of the changes being requested by the government whip.

[Communications Security Establishment, October 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, since the Office of the Prime Minister is the only link between the people targeted by a so-called "French Problem" section and the CSE, if the government did not look into this, who can find out and reassure people that they were not spied on?

[Communications Security Establishment, October 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, on the same subject. Serious allegations have been made about the existence of a section called "French Problem" within the CSE. In response to the questions the opposition has been asking in the past few days, the government hides behind official secrecy and flatly refuses to answer, saying that the CSE reports only to the Prime Minister.

Can the Minister of National Defence at least tell us if the government checked if a section called "French Problem" existed in the past?

[Communications Security Establishment, October 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, does the Deputy Prime Minister realize that her very efforts to respond in a roundabout way in order to evade the question, as other government members have, are in themselves an admission of the fact that sovereignist figures in Quebec have indeed been spied on? Otherwise, let us hear her state clearly, from her seat, whether they have or not. Yes or no?