House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 42% of the vote.
Apec Inquiry October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as has been explained many times before, we did increase the amount of money available to the public complaints commission by some $650,000 to facilitate their participation, as was originally intended when the public complaints commission was established and as it will be after this investigation is over.
Apec Inquiry October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I said, I think it is important and I think Canadians want to get to the truth in this matter. The public complaints commission is exactly the forum to do that and I have every confidence that is exactly what will happen.
Apec Inquiry October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I said many times, the public complaints commission was established some 10 years ago to give ordinary Canadians access to a process that would not require them to have a lawyer. It was intended to be informal. I think it is very important. There are many similar tribunals across government and it is very important that we preserve the right of Canadians to have access to such informal processes.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I advised the House, there are no fewer RCMP officers on the streets as there have been before. The reality is I have been advised by the commissioner of the RCMP that there is no risk to public safety. We are talking about a period of restraint as many departments are going through. I have every confidence in the RCMP's capacity to give Canada the same police protection they have for 125 years.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, given this is the 125th anniversary of the RCMP, we have all had occasion this year to speak of our pride in that institution.
Like all government agencies, the RCMP is going through a period of restraint. How it exercises restraint is an operational issue. I have every confidence in the management of the RCMP to do that in a way that is in the interest of the safety of Canadians.
Apec Inquiry October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier in response to another question, a whole series of departments is affected by this. There are many tribunals throughout the government that might be affected by this precedent setting decision. Consequently there were broad consultations before I made my decision.
Apec Inquiry October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I said, I have every confidence in the public complaints commission. It has a 10-year history. It is well regarded internationally. The public complaints commission will get to the truth.
Apec Inquiry October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the decision not to fund the complainants was mine.
It was important in terms of the original intention of the public complaints commission as it was established some 10 years ago, to make sure that ordinary Canadians have access to an informal process, not unlike a large number of similar administrative tribunals throughout government. It was on that basis I made that decision. I communicated that to the panel.
Apec Inquiry October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, absolutely not. In fact the Public Complaints Commission has distinguished itself for many years in its capacity to do justice, to be fair to complainants and so on. That is exactly what it is doing in this case.
A request was made. I considered it and decided against providing funding.
There are many tribunals of this kind which operate throughout government. It is very important that Canadians have access to an informal process to lay these kinds of complaints and I have every confidence in the Public Complaints Commission.
Solicitor General Of Canada October 9th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the relationship in question has been a matter of the public record for many years.