Michel Gauthier

[The Environment, April 15th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should realize that his government has been consulting, and verifying, that his ministers have been talking with each other, for quite a while now. And the problem we are facing is this: while he was outside Canada, his ministers, the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Natural Resources, officially contradicted one another, contradicted the Minister of the Environment. That is what has the public worried. The Prime Minister says one thing, and his ministers say another.

Will the Prime Minister tell us whether there is a clear government policy? Will he tell us what it is?

[Middle East, April 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, since the start of the Intifada, 18 months ago, almost 2,000 people have been killed.

Does the government not believe that it is time to play an even more active role in this crisis, by supporting the idea of establishing an implementation force, for example?

[Middle East, April 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the situation in the Middle East is most worrisome. In recent weeks, it has been civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis, who have paid the price of violent outbursts.

For almost ten days now, Israeli troops have occupied major Palestinian cities of the West Bank as part of Operation Protective Wall. This occupation is counterproductive and does nothing but fan this vicious cycle of violence.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us what Canada's diplomatic officials are doing to ensure that UN Security Council resolutions 1402 and 1403, calling for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Palestinian cities, are being respected?

[Convent in Roberval, April 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday March 23, a major fire reduced a large part of the Roberval convent to ashes.

Two residents lost their lives in the blaze, which destroyed this historic building and a key piece of Roberval's heritage. I offer my deepest condolence to their families and to the Ursuline sisters.

Many generations of girls in Roberval received excellent instruction at the convent, both at the primary and secondary levels as well as at the Institut familial or the École normale de Roberval, which accepted both boys and girls.

The Ursuline sisters have taught and run this academic establishment with love, skill and generosity. As a graduate of the École normale de Roberval, I will never forget the years I spent there.

We thank the Ursuline sisters for all they have done for us. I wish them all the best in what the future holds. Like thousands of other inhabitants of Roberval, I sincerely hope that they will decide to continue on in our community, which is their community too.

[Passing of the Queen Mother, April 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. I would like to know why this motion is not being accepted immediately.

What is it that you need to reach a ruling on? Is it on the hon. member's right to make a motion in amendment? This is not a problem.

[Grants and Contributions, March 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the first contract is the one that established the amount for all of the subsequent contracts. That is why it is of interest.

My question for the minister is as follows. Can he tell me what happened poolside in Ottawa in July, 1996, for a $250,000 contract to become a $500,000 contract, without any of the other terms or conditions being changed, as recommended by Mr. Guité and approved by Mr. Guité? We want to know what happed poolside that cost taxpayers $250,000.

[Grants and Contributions, March 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, three contracts produced three reports that are virtually identical.

I concentrated on the first contract, and I noticed that on July 2, 1996, the contract was awarded for $250,000. Two months later, despite the fact that work had yet to begin on the contract, there was a recommendation to increase the fee from $250,000 to $500,000 for this contract. All of the other terms and conditions remained the same.

Could I please be told why someone, in the middle of the summer, decided to double the price for the Groupaction contract?

[Grants and Contributions, March 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, you will understand my amazement, and even more so that of the poor folks who are listening to us, who paid half a million dollars for a report, at being told such a thing.

The second report, the one that was tabled by the minister of public works as being the missing report—following which he asked the Bloc Quebecois to apologize for having denounced such a situation—once we put it right under his nose, he said “Yes, in the end, 98% of it is the same”.

Does he need the auditor general to find out if the second report is the same? No. We need the auditor general to find out the truth about what is going on in his department.

[Grants and Contributions, March 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of public works just told us that there was a signed affidavit to the effect that the report had been ordered, prepared and received.

Given that all of this occurred, the question from my colleague, the hon. member for Chambly, has still not been answered? How is it that for two years, not one person from the department of public works noticed that what they had received was a copy of the other report?

That is what we would like to know.

[Public Works and Government Services Canada, March 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, seriously, for the benefit of those who are listening to us and who paid $500,000 twice for reports submitted to Public Works, could the minister tell us if it is common practice on the part of the government to order, in its reports, assessments that include comments such as “Our friend Roger Tremblay will do the promotional work”?

We are talking about a half a million dollar report to the government, and the minister wants us to believe that he does not know that person?

Let him ask the Prime Minister and his predecessor, Alfonso Gagliano, who this Roger Tremblay is.