Michel Gauthier

[Communications Security Establishment, October 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in response to questions from the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Prime Minister said on a number of occasions that the CSE is neither authorized nor mandated to spy on political figures. Nor was the RCMP authorized to commit crimes in 1970, but this did not stop it from doing so just the same, and under a Liberal regime at that.

We do not want to know whether the CSE is authorized or mandated to do it, but if it did do so. Can the Deputy Prime Minister, from her seat, assure us that it did not? Can she give us this assurance?

[Communications Security Establishment, October 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I simply want to remind the Prime Minister there was an election campaign, the stakes were clear and we are the result of that campaign. But that is not the point.

The point is this: How can the Prime Minister expect his evasive answers on this issue to reassure Quebecers, when we know perfectly well that all illegal activities by the RCMP in Quebec, including stealing the Parti Quebecois membership lists, were subject to federal laws and took place under a Liberal government, of which he was a member?

[Communications Security Establishment, October 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, you will notice that the Prime Minister refused to confirm or deny that the Government of Canada might have asked foreign governments to spy on political parties in Canada or on democratically elected governments. He simply said he did not do so himself. That is not very reassuring.

Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister said in this House, and I quote:

[-] that the activities of the CSE are totally subject to Canadian laws, including the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Privacy Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and they obey the law.

That is what she said, and I want to ask the Prime Minister whether he could explain how his Deputy Minister could be so positive about what she said, when it is clear the CSE is controlled by no one and is accountable to no one?

[Communications Security Establishment, October 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when the Deputy Prime Minister was questioned in the House, she merely drew our attention to the fact that espionage activities in Canada were subject to Canadian laws. At no time was she able to confirm who was in control of the Communications Security Establishment in Canada. I may recall that the RCMP officers who planted bombs and stole Parti Quebecois membership lists were subject to Canadian laws.

Could the Prime Minister confirm that no government democratically elected in Canada, no political party, including the sovereignist movement in Quebec, was spied on by foreign intelligence services, at the request of the Government of Canada?

[Business Of The House, October 20th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as is customary on Thursday, I wish to ask the Leader of the Government in the House what the business of the House will be in the next few days.

[Taxation, October 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, you will agree that the majority of Canadians find it rather distressing for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to merrily contradict each other on such an important issue.

If the Prime Minister is serious in the answer he just gave, could he, despite what his Minister of Finance said yesterday, make a formal commitment not to increase taxes for Canada's middle class?

[Taxation, October 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, how can the Prime Minister tell us that he is counting on economic growth to make up the deficit, when his Minister of Finance said exactly the opposite yesterday, and I quote him from memory: "We can no longer count on economic growth alone to make up the deficit. Other measures will have to be taken"? How does he reconcile these two statements?

[Taxation, October 19th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in the last election campaign, a few days before the vote, the Prime Minister made a formal commitment not to increase taxes. He reiterated this same commitment in this House on September 20, when he said: "We do not plan to have any tax increases".

How can the Prime Minister reconcile his election commitment not to increase taxes with the statements made yesterday by his Minister of Finance, who said: "We made no promise with regard to taxes"?

[National Defence, October 18th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, let us put the question to the Prime Minister; he seems to have a lot to say on this matter. How can the Prime Minister of Canada tolerate such squandering at a time when our country is literally on the brink of bankruptcy, according to his Minister of Finance? Should he not be acting to stop the squandering allowed by his defence minister, with his tacit consent?

[National Defence, October 18th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the extremely difficult fiscal background described by the Minister of Finance yesterday, we learn that the Canadian Army is presently taking part in an international missile firing competition in Florida.

Canadian F-18s are expected to launch missiles that cost up to $400,000 each. We are also told that over 60 members of the Canadian Forces-pilots, technicians, controllers-are taking part in this competition called Operation William Tell.

In the present context where the government is about to cut billions of dollars at the expense of the poorest of the poor and the middle class, does the Minister of National Defence not agree that he should immediately put a stop to this shameful waste?