Alexa McDonough

[Employment Insurance, September 29th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

All workers in this country pay employment insurance premiums. Despite their contributions, however, three out of five unemployed persons do not receive any benefits. Yet the Minister of Finance is drooling at the prospect of getting his hands on a slice of the employment insurance pie.

Before he gets his hands on the whole thing, has this government given even one thought to the Canadians who contributed to this fund and yet are getting nothing from it?

[Apec Summit, September 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today a motion was filed with the Public Complaints Commission seeking assurances that the commission would include the actions of the Prime Minister and his staff.

In view of the Prime Minister's stated commitment to co-operate fully, will the government instruct its lawyers to immediately support this motion?

[Apec Summit, September 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps giving assurances that the Public Complaints Commission will get to the bottom of the Prime Minister's actions and those of his staff in the Spray-PEC fiasco, but the government's own lawyer says that documents from the Prime Minister's Office are not even relevant to the inquiry.

How does the Prime Minister explain the contradiction?

[Apec Summit, September 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite clear they do not want to hear the facts.

When the UBC president wrote to the Prime Minister complaining about PMO decisions to unreasonably restrict protesters, she got a letter from Jean Carle, a PMO staffer, and a phone call from the PMO's closest adviser, none other than Eddie Goldenberg.

When is the Prime Minister going to stop denying his role in this APEC fiasco?

[Apec Summit, September 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps dodging questions about his direct involvement and that of his staff in suppressing peaceful protests at APEC.

The correspondence between UBC and the PMO clearly documents the extent of his involvement.

When will the Prime Minister come clean about his role in the disgraceful Spray-PEC suppression of civil rights?

[Apec Summit, September 24th, 1998]

Student protesters, Mr. Speaker, who are not going to get any legal representation.

Yesterday the Prime Minister refused to answer questions about the destruction of APEC documents. Today we learned that former operations director, Jean Carle, has admitted to destroying documents pertaining to Spray-PEC.

What is the PMO hiding? Who are they trying to protect?

[Apec Summit, September 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Solicitor General keep dodging our questions by hiding behind the Public Complaints Commission.

But how can the commission do its job and get at the truth if the Prime Minister is not to appear and if the PMO has destroyed crucial documents? Why the cover-up?

[Apec Summit, September 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister may deny involvement, but eyewitnesses suggest otherwise.

Inside the APEC security net, Chief Gail Sparrow saw the Prime Minister barking out orders, not just to his own staff but to security staff as well.

When will the Prime Minister stop denying his direct participation in this fiasco?

[Apec Summit, September 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister blamed staff for the shameful suppression of the peaceful protest that took place at the APEC summit.

He has now had time to reflect on those facts.

Will the Prime Minister tell us today whether it was his staff acting in his name or whether he himself gave the orders?

[Apec Summit, September 22nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are not demanding accountability for the Prime Minister's awareness, they are demanding accountability for the Prime Minister's actions.

The solicitor general has already said that any witness requested to appear before the Public Complaints Commission should do so, including presumably the Prime Minister.

Does the Prime Minister agree with the solicitor general?