Walt Lastewka

[Standing Committee on Public Accounts, May 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, let us understand that it was the Liberal members, the government side of the public accounts committee, who pushed the committee to publish the Guité report. It was the government members who pushed to have Mr. Quail back. The government members called the key witnesses, like the Auditor General, to define things clearly, like she did today.

The fact is that the government has done an excellent job on ensuring that we have the inquiry go and the RCMP go. Now it is time for the researchers to do their synopsis.

[Sponsorship Program, April 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it is very strange for the opposition, especially the members over there, not to want to see Mr. Guité's information.

I am sure this will give them a couple of weeks to have better questions in public accounts than they have ever had before. Mr. Guité made remarks two years ago, and not only the people in the House should see them all, but all Canadians should be able to see them.

[Government Contracts, April 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, after receiving the CITT information, the department met with stakeholders to get their information. The information was provided. The new tendering went out. The new tendering bids have come in. We are now evaluating them and the answer will be given shortly.

[Government Contracts, April 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there were some challenges to the tendering process. It went in front of the CITT. The CITT forwarded that to the department. The department has rebid the process. The department is now evaluating the tender and the results of that tender will be announced shortly.

[Sponsorship Program, April 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I find it very, very disappointing that the member of the opposition would say that the schedule to meet with witnesses has been derailed. That opposition party, with the rest, spent four hours filibustering to make sure that we could not release Mr. Guité's information, to make sure we could not get to the schedule for next week and the following week. I find his question totally out of order.

[Sponsorship Program, April 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the public accounts committee has been dealing with a number of items.

The problem that we have had in the public accounts committee is the stonewalling and filibustering of the opposition while we have been trying to ensure that all the data goes to the committee. In fact, the opposition is slowing down which people are going to appear as witnesses over the next two weeks.

If we had not had the filibuster, we would have been able to tackle more of the agenda items. The opposition is filibustering and it has slowed down the committee, and in fact wasted the Auditor General's time and Norman Steinberg's time.

[Government Contracts, April 1st, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, a complaint was filed to the CITT. There has been a re-tendering of the process. The public works department is presently evaluating it, and more information will be out shortly.

[Government Contracts, April 1st, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, this question has been answered once before. As people know, there has been a review of this, and the public works department will be issuing more information shortly.

[Criminal Code, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is outrageous that this member should make remarks she has in the House. If she has documentation on lawyers and law firms, let her bring it forward. Let her table it. It is easy to make remarks in the House, but let her bring the data to the table. When it comes to the misappropriation of taxpayers' funds the government has taken matters very seriously and it took action as soon as possible.

Let me reiterate the actions taken. The government withheld $49 million in payments to Hewlett-Packard. The government issued a demand letter to recover funds. The file has been referred to the RCMP. DND has developed a rigorous management plan to strengthen the internal financial and management controls. Outside legal counsel has been engaged to maximize the recovery of funds.

I am very disappointed that she would make accusations like that about DND and Public Works and about other items without tabling those items in the House.

[Criminal Code, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to address the question of member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke on this very important matter.

As part of a routine audit of contract records completed in April 2003, Public Works and Government Services identified irregularities in the management of the Department of National Defence's IT hardware maintenance services contract with Hewlett-Packard.

To resolve these problems and to help prevent similar problems, actions were taken. HP is to make significant changes to its Canadian management personnel and organization, and to change its management of government contracts to ensure that these issues are fully addressed. HP had also agreed to have the government review the effectiveness of changes made to its financial systems.

Public Works and Government Services and DND are to strengthen financial controls, contract management and oversight, to intensify monitoring, to review the management of relevant contracts, and to strengthen Public Works and Government Services management of cost audit programs and support. In addition, at the same time Public Works started a competitive procurement process to establish a replacement contract to be awarded in April 2004.

The Crown is continuing to investigate the amount of money that has been wrongfully paid out under contracts entered by Public Works on behalf of DND. These irregularities are taken very seriously and, as such, the following actions were taken.

The government is withholding payments pending the final outcome of audits and investigations.

The matter has been referred to the RCMP and outside counsel has been retained.

The government has issued a demand letter to the contractor to recover funds.

Officials at Public Works and DND are working with the prime contractor to ensure that any relevant contract administration issues are addressed.

The investigation is ongoing to determine whether the goods and services were received in respect of all funds paid out.

I believe that Public Works and DND, working together, have done the right thing.