Grant Hill

[Hepatitis C Victims, April 19th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the treatment of hepatitis C victims from tainted blood still haunts the federal Government of Canada.

I will summarize the sorry events. One, the blood system infected about 10,000 Canadians with hepatitis C. Two, the federal government agreed to compensate only those with infection from transfusion between 1986 and 1990. Three, the expert in this area, Judge Horace Krever, asked that there be help given to everyone infected. Four, the federal government refused, while some provinces agreed to give compensation to every victim.

Of the $1.1 billion set aside, only about one-third has been used. There is money available for the forgotten victims.

Fairness suggests Judge Krever's recommendation be followed. When will every victim of tainted blood from hepatitis C be helped?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2004, April 19th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is very interested in health care, and I give him credit for his speech. There are just two things on which I want to query him.

First, health care transfers have been reduced by his government by $25 billion over five years and only recently have those funds started to be put back in. I do not think that he should overlook that.

Second, he talks about the breaking of the Canada Health Act. One province breaks the portability provisions of the Canada Health Act every day and has since I was practising as a physician. People leave that province, go to another province and cannot be paid the physician's fee. That breaking of the Canada Health Act is something to which his government does not pay any attention. Why not?

[Sponsorship Program, March 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, these issues are being put before the Canadian public.

Allan Cutler today produced a memo written to Karl Littler, and this was the Prime Minister's left hand in the finance department. The memo spelled out how the contract to Groupe Everest was inflated. The memo also stated that the minister had been informed. Karl Littler is one of the Prime Minister's closest advisers to this day. He is probably on the road with him right now.

How can the Prime Minister claim to have no knowledge of this scandal when both his right hand and his left hand are up to their elbows in it?

[Sponsorship Program, March 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the noose is tightening. Not surprisingly, Groupe Everest was awarded a contract for the finance department. That contract was later boosted by $1 million. Guess what work it did for it? It did zip. It received $170,000 to do no work.

This scam was a precursor to the sponsorship scandal, and it was going on in this Prime Minister's Office. Why was he so willingly complicit in this?

[Sponsorship Program, March 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, back in 1994 this Prime Minister's right hand staffer, Terrie O'Leary, pushed to have Groupe Everest added to the list of approved companies for ad contracts, all done on behalf of this Prime Minister. Groupe Everest was knee deep in the Liberal ad scam.

Today brave testimony by Allan Cutler shines new light on the cozy relationship between Groupe Everest and this Prime Minister.

Will the Prime Minister finally admit that he knew about the genesis of the sponsorship scandal?

[Sponsorship Program, March 10th, 2004]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, there is no answer to this very straightforward question. Let us try again.

In 1996 the current Deputy Prime Minister was part of a Treasury Board meeting that discussed the forerunner of the sponsorship program. An audit had already warned of abuses. She okayed a scheme that increased the budget while removing all the reporting requirements. Once again, did the Prime Minister know about that when he brought her into his current cabinet?

[Sponsorship Program, March 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it was not that tough to answer that question. I could ask it again but I suppose it would be a waste of time in question period. Let me try another angle on this question.

The Prime Minister appointed individuals to his cabinet not so long ago, in December, in fact. Was he aware that those individuals whom he appointed to this cabinet today were at that meeting chaired by Gagliano?

[Sponsorship Program, March 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister yesterday studiously avoided some straightforward questions so I am going to try again today.

In 1998 members of his cabinet met with Groupaction to discuss the Liberal ad scam. My question is pretty straightforward. Which ministers in his cabinet today were at that meeting?

[Sponsorship Program, March 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the words of the Prime Minister are pretty specific. He said:

I was asked by the Leader of the Opposition if the pertinent cabinet documents could be made available.

--I believe the communications committee documents, be made available.

He promised to do that. Why did he not do what he said he would do?

[Sponsorship Program, March 9th, 2004]

What a weasel, Mr. Speaker. Here are the words, “I was asked by the Leader of the Opposition--”