Stephen Owen

[Auditor General's Report, February 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to know that members of the opposition consulted the public works website where in the fall of 2000 the internal audit was posted and raised some of these questions. Following that, the internal small branch involving about 14 people was closed down.

Internal audits were completed. Referrals were made to the Auditor General and the RCMP. My predecessor made significant changes to the whole sponsorship program, and on December 12 of last year the program was shut down on the first day of business of this government.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the people who acted were the ministers responsible at the time. First, the branch that handled these commission contracts was closed down. Commissions were stopped. The branch was closed. Eventually the rules were changed for advertising and sponsorship to do away with commission operations. New rules were put in place. Finally, we now have questions still outstanding from the Auditor General and we are taking steps to find out the truth.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, to repeat, this problem was exposed in an internal audit in 2000. Within a year, the branch was closed down. The rules of sponsorship were totally changed. Finally, the sponsorship program itself was cancelled. This has been alive for over two years. Steps have been taken progressively, step by step, and we now have the most resolute action that we can possibly imagine, exactly in line with the recommendations of the Auditor General: independent, in-depth examination, urgently needed, and that is what is happening.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, opposition members seem to forget the fact, which I am sure was given to their notice, that in 2000 the internal audit which exposed this problem was reported on the public works and government services website.

Let us remember again that the first two actions of our new Prime Minister were to cancel the sponsorship program completely and to approve the purchase of the maritime helicopters.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the public did know what was going on in this program in the year 2000 when an internal audit at public works and government services disclosed the mishandling of public funds through this program.

The program was closed down and referrals were made to the Auditor General. That is how she became first involved in this case. Referrals were made by the government to the RCMP. Further referrals were made to the Auditor General, leading to the report today.

The program has been closed down as a first order of business. Now we have one of the most comprehensive, pivotal points in public administration in this country about to be disclosed through the processes of this government.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that opposition members are looking forward to the opportunity to reading the Auditor General's report carefully, wherein they will find a chronology of events starting in 2000 when the internal audit at public works and government services actually identified this problem.

Within six months, the branch responsible was closed down. Within another year, the rules were completely changed. Commissions were stopped. New rules for sponsorship and advertising contracts were given and the course was set for a new program.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the House will be reconsidering legislation to create the office of an independent ethics commissioner reporting to Parliament, who will deal with all these issues.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we have a judicial independent commission of inquiry set up to look into this whole issue to find out who did what, where the money went and what can be done to ensure that it never happens again. The public accounts committee, representing members of all parties in the House, is being asked to look into this immediately and to come back with urgent results.

[Transport, November 7th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, hearing the hon. member repeat his question and his accusation, I will try to do more than just repeat the explanation I gave to him.

It is extremely important when we have infrastructure programs that we look to local municipalities to identify their priorities. This has been done in the City of Red Deer. I am sure that perhaps with the future municipal-rural infrastructure program the City of Red Deer will want to give priority to the expansion of its airport. We as a federal partner with the province and the local governments will want to pay great attention and give emphasis to its priorities.

[Transport, November 7th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, let us speak about airports in western Canada. I made an announcement last month that the airport in Prince George would receive from the WD fund $1.85 million for an expansion. We are in negotiations now, as the member for Kootenay—Columbia knows, with the airport in Cranbrook to look at expansion opportunities.

The fact is that under the Canada infrastructure program, priority was not given by the City of Red Deer to the airport expansion. It used up the allocated funds for other priorities. If it wants to apply--