Grant Hill

[Government Contracts, June 14th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are frankly sick of this ethical mess. Let us kind of review. What is the RCMP total now? One, Groupaction with missing reports; two, Communication Coffin; three, VIA Rail cheque delivered for Lafleur; four, street safety CD-Rom; and five, Polygone missing show.

How many RCMP investigations will it take before the minister recognizes the ethical mess that he is in?

[Government Contracts, June 14th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am sad to report we have another one of these ad scams again. This time it is Polygone. We will probably remember this one as Polygone, money gone. This time this crew was paid twice for a fishing show of which it only had one show.

I would like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Government Services this. Is this another one that will go to the RCMP?

[Cintec International, June 14th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, Cintec International is a winner at this year's prestigious Queen's Award for Innovation.

The company's North American headquarters is located in Nepean. The chief operating officer, Robert Lloyd-Rees, is justifiably proud of this recognition.

The Queen's award, by the way, is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a company.

The company specializes in bridge and building reinforcements using an anchor system which is installed entirely within the structure leaving no visible change to the exterior. This process is ideal for historic buildings. Its services have been used interestingly at Rideau Hall and right here in our parliament buildings.

Congratulations to this innovative and now highly honoured company.

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, here is another thing the ethics counsellor told us this morning. He did not come up with the leadership guidelines for fundraising. They in fact came up very late in the process and they came directly from the Prime Minister.

Is it not true that the only reason those guidelines are in place is so that the Prime Minister through spite can attack the member for LaSalle—Émard? Is that not true?

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Let me ask another question about the ethics counsellor. It might surprise the Deputy Prime Minister to say that I am asking the questions, not him.

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I thought my question today was about the ethics counsellor. I guess it was not.

Here is what the ethics counsellor had to say further. He has no legislated power to subpoena. He has no legislated power to sanction. He in fact is a paper tiger just reporting to the Prime Minister.

I will ask my question again and maybe I will get an answer. Why do we not have an independent ethics commissioner reporting to parliament instead of reporting to the Prime Minister? That is the question.

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor was surprisingly candid today in committee. He plainly stated that he is powerless, that the Prime Minister's actions when he contacted the BDC president were outside the new guidelines and that these new guidelines had no impact whatsoever on the ethical problems that the government has been under for the last two months.

Why is the Prime Minister paralyzed and cannot give us an ethics commissioner who reports to parliament which he promised?

[Human Resources Development, June 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I was really interested in what the Prime Minister was doing in his riding.

Was the Prime Minister aware that this company was facing bankruptcy and was ineligible for government funding when he met with the owner? Yes or no?

[Human Resources Development, June 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the reason it is news is because we received the audit on Monday.

The audit showed, interestingly enough, that the Prime Minister was to meet with this company accidentally. It was set up by one of his riding individuals.

Why was it necessary for the Prime Minister to meet accidentally with Les Confections St-Élie?

[Human Resources Development, June 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, let us recap the latest Shawinigan shakedown.

Two failing Shawinigan companies that did not qualify for taxpayers' money suddenly qualified after lobbying by the Prime Minister. The internal audit said the Prime Minister met with Les Confections St-Élie.

Will the Prime Minister explain to us why he thought it was necessary to meet with this company that the RCMP are still investigating?