Brian Pallister

[Canada Post, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, despite the fact the minister denies it, post offices are closing across Canada. Canada Post has closed three post offices in Manitoba alone in the last four months and ten have been closed in Saskatchewan in the last two years. While that is happening, the minister makes excuses and denies it in the House. No more denials.

When did the government decide to end the moratorium on post office closures and when will it be restored?

[Canada Post, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, without a doubt that minister is the Forrest Gump of the postal service. Stupid is as stupid does.

Despite his denouncement--

[The Prime Minister, April 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker,

Humming and hawing,Toing and froing,Bobbing and weaving,Coming and going.The seed of decision bears fruit but it withers,Who could it be? It's Prime Minister Dithers.His utmost priority's constantly changing,Polling and focus groups are a distraction.The Titanic deck chairs may need rearranging,He'd like to but can't find the courage for action.The Liberals say ice caps will flow into rivers,But there's only hot air from our Mr. Dithers.The Gomery commission, the Liberal connection,He promised to dig and he hoped for a plaudit,He's mad as hell and he will get to the bottom,As long as it doesn't involve a real audit.His claims of sincerity give us the shivers,No Clouseau, just clueless, our poor Mr. Dithers.

[Petitions, April 14th, 2005]

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to present 10 petitions, primarily signed by the fine constituents of Canada's most beautiful constituency, Portage--Lisgar, in the centre of the country.

These petitions all deal with the issue of marriage. There is a total of approximately 13,070 signatories to these 10 petitions, each of which supports marriage as it has traditionally been defined. It asks us to acknowledge that the Supreme Court has recognized Parliament's jurisdiction in defining marriage. It also asks us to support the notion that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and that it is a fundamental building block of society and represents the best environment for raising of children.

They ask us as members of Parliament to respect, uphold and support the traditional definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. It is my honour to present these petitions to the House today.

[Canada Post, April 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has tried to blame virtually everyone else for the Liberal sponsorship scandal. It began with rogue bureaucrats, then it was the opposition that was to blame and even his predecessor.

He cannot blame Jean Chrétien for the mess at Canada Post. The Deloitte & Touche audit reported that Liberal porkmaster general André Ouellet paid himself $2 million in unreceipted expenses, yet the Prime Minister has taken no action to get his hands on the receipts.

It is tax time and Canadians are being asked to pay theirs. Will the Prime Minister commit to the House and the Canadian people that André Ouellet will be paying his?

[Sponsorship Program, April 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, when the Liberals try to wrap themselves in the flag, they soil it with their presence inside it. This is outrageous. The Liberals have put this country at risk with their ridiculous crazy schemes.

Will the government commit to recovering every single cent of the money, plus interest, to the wall on this issue?

[Sponsorship Program, April 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, during his six days of testimony before the Gomery commission, Jean Brault portrayed his firm, Groupaction, as a virtual financial arm of the Liberal Party's Quebec branch. He spoke about hushed up payments being made to the Liberals in unmarked envelopes, bags of money changing hands.

Let us understand the context. The Prime Minister was the number two man in the country at that time for the Liberal Party. He was the senior minister for Quebec.

Does anyone actually believe he knew nothing about this? Does the government plan to continue to defend the Prime Minister on the basis of his incompetence?

[Question No. 94, April 7th, 2005]

Were performance evaluations, remunerations and Canada Post contract obligations for each special hire employee as highlighted in the Deloitte & Touche audit of Canada Post reviewed and, if so, what were the results?

[Question No. 93, April 7th, 2005]

What steps have been taken by Canada Post with regard to the special hires indicated in the Deloitte & Touche audit of Canada Post in 2004?

[Question No. 10, April 4th, 2005]

With regard to hospitality expenditures by the president and chief executive officer of Canada Post from 1999 until 2003, including an itemized list of each expenditure: ( a ) what was the amount of each expenditure; ( b ) who was present when each expenditure was incurred; ( c ) exactly what good(s) and/or services(s) were included in each expenditure; ( d ) where was each expense incurred; and ( e ) what was the purpose of the meeting during which the expense was incurred?