Michel Gauthier

[Canada Information Office, June 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, since the minister has just said he rigorously observes Treasury Board policies, I will point out that there are two main circumstances under which tenders are not called: when national security is at issue and when market conditions indicate that nothing would be saved by calling for tenders.

When the CIO awards a $27,000 contract without calling for tenders to Groupe Cible's Serge Paquette, a former Liberal candidate, to monitor the media, is this a matter of national security or market conditions?

[Canada Information Bureau, May 31st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, here is a list of contracts: Groupe Cible, $27,100; Média Q, $37,500; Ekos Research, $53,500; Muséobus, $27,700; Densan Consultant, $60,000; Compex, $27,500. These six contracts, which have a total value of $233,385 and which are all in excess of $25,000, were awarded without any bidding process by the Canada Information Office, since the minister took over responsibility for the CIO.

How can the minister tell the House without blushing that, since he has taken over responsibility for the CIO, all the contracts have been awarded through a competitive bidding process?

[Division No. 1326, May 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like a bit of information to be sure we are indeed voting on the right thing. Mrs. Lalonde here present informs me that she was in the House and that she moved this motion. Mr. Crête confirms this. A correction should perhaps be made. This is Mrs. Lalonde's motion.

[Canada Information Office, May 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that the credibility of Liberal ministers in Quebec is close to zero. Still, a modicum of decency is in order here.

Administration Leduc et Leblanc received $85,000 in contracts from the CIO and donated $15,000 to the Liberal Party. GPC International and Rémi Bujold received $87,000 in CIO contracts and donated $25,000 to the Liberal Party. Everest received $75,000 in contracts from the CIO and donated $20,000 to the Liberal Party.

Is this going to go on much longer, this scandalous use of public funds, with no bidding process, giving contracts to buddies of the Liberals in order to get funding for the party?

[Canada Information Office, May 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Information Office, the propaganda arm of the Liberal Party, as is well known, has spent $2.7 million on all manner of contracts to finance Liberal ministers' travels around Quebec.

The minister made the following statement before the standing committee on government operations, “I can tell you we will continue to arrange such visits, whether some people like it or not”.

How can the Minister of Public Works, who is also the chief organizer of the Liberal Party of Quebec, announce unabashedly that he is going to continue to dig into public funds to organize pre-election tours by the Liberal Party?

[The Late Maurice Richard, May 29th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, Maurice Richard was a talented sportsman who thrilled hockey fans for years. Now he has gone.

He not only led on his team, he inspired an entire game. He was a symbol for an entire people. He was a man of Herculean strength who became a legend in his own lifetime.

With Maurice Richard's death goes something of all of us. A page of our history has been written. This is a tragedy for all of us. All of Quebec is grieving. A giant has died, but his strength of character, his exceptional talent and his unfailing determination will long inspire us yet.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois, I would like to offer my condolences to his family and his friends and to the people of Quebec.

[Human Resources Development, May 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can tell us not to cry wolf, but there is a whole pack of wolves on the other side of the House.

There is nothing complicated about it: all the information that this government has worries the privacy commissioner. And we are the ones crying wolf?

Will the Minister of National Revenue assure us that the information he is handing over to the Minister of Human Resources Development is the same as what he hands over to the RCMP in the case of a fraud investigation, for example?

[Human Resources Development, May 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians are in shock. The federal government is collecting information on each of us without our knowledge. The Minister of National Revenue is merrily supplying information from our tax returns to his colleague, the Minister of Human Resources Development, without our permission.

How should I feel today, when the tax return I just sent in will be forwarded to HRDC so that the government can help itself to the information it apparently needs?

[Citizenship Of Canada Act, May 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier, reference was made to my not being present in the House. I did ask the Chair to check and see if we had a quorum. I am asking the Chair, to make it clear for everyone, including those who are listening to us, whether, under our rules, it is the government's responsibility to ensure a quorum. How can we tolerate a situation where the Canadian Alliance member is making a speech in front of two government members only, when the minister is not even here?

[Citizenship Of Canada Act, May 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would call your attention to the fact that we are short of a quorum. The hon. member is making an interesting speech, but there is no one to listen to it.

And the count having been taken: