House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2004, with 35% of the vote.
Business of the House February 13th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the government House leader if he could give the House an outline of the business for the rest of the day, tomorrow and next week.
Also, so we will all know, because all members would certainly want to be here to vote, could he advise us if on Monday there will be time allocation or closure used on Bill C-10A.
Privilege February 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I think this is a very important matter. I think the Speaker should be apprised of when this vote for the $72 million was to take place in the House. The government House leader was correct. He did some negotiating around the table. It is not correct to say that one person's motion was why this was done. The minister wanted to take $72 million out of his budget because he knew he would lose his whole budget if he did not do that. Members of his own party would not vote for his budget with that $72 million in it.
This party could have played political games, and so could have others, and we said no, let us have it go to a vote and really disrupt the government. We decided we would help speed things up. We agreed and the House agreed to drop the $72 million, so everybody assumed that we would see no new action in gun control.
Mr. Speaker, I do not need to read to you the question and answer of yesterday, but anybody who does read it will see that the minister is waffling. He does not tell Parliament how he has cut back the $72 million that had to be in there for the gun registry. I would say to the House leader that this is not about gun control, it is about a gun registry, a gun registry that has run amok.
If we go back to look at what the Auditor General said about this department, which is what started this whole thing going, she said that the report deals with two issues of great concern: the need for Parliament to see full and accurate information from the government, and the government's ability to successfully manage its long term reform and issues. It is a long dissertation with which I will not bother you, Mr. Speaker, because I know you will want to look it up yourself to make sure you see all the details of this issue.
In the Auditor General's report, at page 10, she talks about this department and how it does not give Parliament full information. It would seem to me by the minister's answer to a member of his own government party yesterday that he is telling the House he is not listening to what is happening. He said that he was sure we will all go along when we see the supplementary estimates.
In the meantime, how can he maintain the program? He said from “cash”. Which cash? Is it cash from another section of his department? I think the House made it very plain when it voted that day that there was to be no money in the minister's department for the gun registry until he could come back to the House with a plan that we could all vote on and see that it works. That is not what is happening. The government is still running it like it is a regular program.
I would hope that you will dig into all the details of this, Mr. Speaker, so that Parliament, including government members, can feel that the government does listen to parliamentarians when they vote.
Firearms Registry February 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, that minister would hire a Groupaction employee to investigate Groupaction. It is probably beyond the grasp of the Prime Minister and his government but they should think about the need for justice to be seen to be done.
Raymond Hession, the lobbyist for EDS Canada; Raymond Hession, the lobbyist always welcomed with open arms in the Department of Justice; Raymond Hession, the lobbyist who was called in to review what went wrong with the firearms fiasco in the Department of Justice.
To the minister or the Prime Minister: is this what he meant yesterday when he rattled on about political cleanliness? Does he think this meets the clean smell test?
Firearms Registry February 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, according to the lobbyist registration form, Raymond Hession was a registered lobbyist of the Department of Justice on behalf of EDS Canada.
EDS is the same firm that was paid $227 million by the Department of Justice to design the gun registry system. Raymond Hession was the lobbyist during the period when these computer purchases were made. Despite these facts, the Minister of Justice hired Raymond Hession to write a report on what went wrong with the gun registry.
How can the Prime Minister justify this blatant and shocking conflict of interest?
Liberal Government February 12th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, we have read that parents of a grade one student want the word “gun” excised from all classroom literature. They must be Liberals.
We suggest there are other words Liberals will want to remove from textbooks. To begin with, there should be no mention of “corruption”. The word “rotting” should be removed because often the word “corruption” is used under “rotting”. “Conflict” will have to go, just before we excise the word “interest”. “Competence” will be removed, as will the words “reckless disregard for taxpayers money”.
Some letters should be removed from the alphabet. Letters like G, S and T. We should go back in the dictionary under F and take out the word “fraud”.
The former finance minister has a request. He wants the letters C and S and L removed, but only from Canadian books. “Cornucopia” will have to go because it reminds us of the word “corruption”.
We will rely on the minister for removing words from everyday use.
Finally, Jason Malett is a great Canadian.
Privilege February 10th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt in my mind that you will get to the bottom of the issue.
I have been listening to the House leader for the New Democratic Party and I find it amazing how one of her members could call a press conference to dissent in a report that has not been completed yet and then cancel it. Mr. Speaker, I know you will get to the bottom of this issue and all members will be happy with your decision, as we always are.
Mr. Speaker, I know that Jack Layton, the new leader of the New Democratic Party is not yet a member of this place, but it may be worthwhile to send him a copy of our standing orders so he knows how we operate in the House. We do not play by stunts and we do not play by games. We play by the rules. I hope, Mr. Speaker, you will send him a copy of our standing orders as quickly as you can.
Goods and Services Tax February 10th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, her own department has said the money is gone and will never be recovered. It does not matter who is guilty. The money is gone.
The government has already admitted organized crime is defrauding Canadians of millions through the GST fraud. Now we learn that international terrorists might have discovered that there is free money in Canada when the Liberals are in charge.
Will the Prime Minister instruct the Solicitor General to order an investigation into how much has been lost to GST fraud by international organized crime and by international terrorists?
Goods and Services Tax February 10th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister is trying to claim that her department is proactive and that no money goes out if there is a suspicion of fraud. In British Columbia bags of GST money were walking out of the credit union. Terrorism could be involved.
Is the minister telling Canadians that $22 million went to British Columbia before there was any suspicion whatsoever of fraud?
Business of the House February 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, if the government House leader would like to put his recommendation for this in writing, we could probably negotiate the next little while. If the government is prepared to guarantee us a votable opposition day the day after the government makes a decision on going to war and if he would also guarantee us that if the House is not sitting the Speaker would be allowed to call it back so we could have that vote, we would then certainly be prepared to do that. If the government House leader wants to make that recommendation, we will certainly listen to it.
Business of the House February 6th, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the government House leader what the business is for the rest of this week and next week and if there is anything new coming along?