House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 45% of the vote.
Government Contracts April 21st, 2004
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance pleaded innocent to any wrongdoing regarding the issuing of contracts. He said that all the rules throughout the process were indeed followed.
How then can he account for the secret internal letter sent to him by his colleague David Dingwall stating that the minister's department had demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance with and avoidance of Treasury Board guidelines?
Government Contracts April 20th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, we would not have to repeat our questions if we would just get one honest answer to our questions.
Forget about us. Let me quote David Dingwall, the former minister of supply and services, when he said to the now Minister of Finance that “Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada officials have demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance and avoidance during the year the regulations have been in place. Contracting has been undertaken by Agriculture Canada instead of by Public Works--”
Government Contracts April 20th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, in 1995, the then agriculture minister, now the Minister of Finance, got his knuckles rapped for allowing his department to continuously break the rules of awarding contracts.
The minister tried to sole source contracts to the Prime Minister's good friends. His officials limited who could bid on the contracts. He funded contracts through contributions instead of the tendering process required by Public Works.
How could the Prime Minister appoint such a finance minister? He says he was outstanding. Does it mean he did an outstanding job in awarding contracts to his friends?
Liberal Party of Canada April 19th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, once again we see Liberals acting when they are caught.
The Prime Minister should have known about this quite some time ago. Mr. Whalen not only heads up the Liberal campaign, he raised $100,000 for the Prime Minister's leadership campaign and sat on the board.
Why does the Prime Minister turn his head for a measly $100,000?
Liberal Party of Canada April 19th, 2004
Mr. Speaker, the ethics commissioner has said that the rules are clear. All federal full and part time appointees on government tribunals, agencies or boards, should not engage in any political campaign activities. If they wish to engage in such activities, they should resign.
In light of this, how can the Prime Minister justify breaking his own conflict of interest rules by permitting federal board appointee Norm Whalen to head up the Liberal campaign in Newfoundland and Labrador?
Sponsorship Program April 2nd, 2004
Mr. Speaker, a senior government official has called the secret slush fund a honey pot.
Before the days of indoor plumbing we used to have the honey bucket. That is what the slush fund should be called because it stinks to high heaven.
Once again the Prime Minister is searching for ways to avoid releasing pertinent information. What does it take to flush the truth out of the government?
Sponsorship Program April 2nd, 2004
Mr. Speaker, the public accounts committee is televised so the people across the country know the truth.
The President of the Treasury Board is quoted as comparing the difficulties in compiling a list of projects funded by the secret unity fund to tracking down all the contracts under the sponsorship scandal.
What he is trying to say is that the government does not want to release any of the information. What has it found out in this past week that it does not want the public to know?
National Security April 1st, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I remind him that the former finance minister eliminated the ports police in 1995. I am surprised he did not tell me they bought submarines to guarantee our security.
The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans has expressed grave concerns that marine security, whether it relates to the protection of our resources or our people, is sadly lacking. Why has the Prime Minister neglected to properly fund the Coast Guard so it can do what its name suggests?
National Security April 1st, 2004
Mr. Speaker, if a person enters this country by air, that person goes through rigorous screening. If a person comes by road, that person is checked from bumper to bumper. However, if a person owns anything from a washtub to a CSL steamship, that person can enter almost anywhere and nobody knows the person is there unless he or she calls ahead for reservations.
When will the Prime Minister take marine security seriously?
Questions on the Order Paper March 31st, 2004
Mr. Speaker, when members put questions on the order paper there is a rule that they have to answered within a timeframe. I would like the parliamentary secretary or the deputy House leader to tell us how many questions have been answered, because I do not believe any have been answered in this session.