Grant Hill

[Claude Ryan, February 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, today the people of Canada learned of the death of Claude Ryan, one of the public figures most instrumental in shaping our contemporary history.

For close to 40 years, this man of conviction, intelligence and vision was intimately involved in all of the important issues affecting the province of his birth. This great Canadian fought long and hard to raise public awareness of the significant place occupied by Quebec within the Canada of today and of tomorrow.

On behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada, I extend condolences to Mr. Ryan's family on this difficult day. They will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, here are the latest excuses from a long line of them: (a) the PM was too busy; (b) he was not in charge of the company any longer; and (c) he was not PM yet. Which excuse will it be today, (a), (b), (c), or all of the above?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, what is it about being a member of Parliament that did not give him the position to do so?

Here is the timeline: In October 2002 we asked the question; in February 2003 the answer came back and that answer was wrong. The Prime Minister said he did not act because he was otherwise engaged. It took 10 months for the information to get from his ear to his heart.

Why did it take so long for the Prime Minister to tell right from wrong?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister admitted that he knew the $137,000 government figure was wrong. In fact, he knew it was wrong for about 10 months. He says he was powerless to do anything about it, but that frankly is wrong. He was a member of Parliament and he had vocal cords. Why did he not just speak up and say that there was a big problem with that number?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 4th, 2004]

Why do we need the Auditor General, Mr. Speaker? This would be so simple for the Prime Minister to take care of.

All he has to do is pick up the phone, talk to his sons at the company and ask, “How much money did the company get when I was the finance minister”? Why does he simply not do that? Telephone the boys.

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there is a pattern here. First, we have the definition of marriage pushed off to the Supreme Court. Second, the Arar issue was pushed off to a public inquiry. Now we have dealings directed at the Prime Minister and they are pushed off to the Auditor General until after the next election.

My question is straightforward. Why does the Prime Minister not answer the question? How much money did his company get from the federal treasury? Why does he hide behind the Auditor General?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 4th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, after only 20 minutes of questioning in the House of Commons on his business dealings, we hear that the Prime Minister wants to take this issue to the Auditor General and all her resources for a study that will not be clear until fall. That does not smell like transparency. That smells like something else.

Why is the Prime Minister trying to hide this issue from the Canadian people until after the next election?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if this response will satisfy the Canadian taxpayer. Here we have a Prime Minister who says “trust me”.

I will ask the question again that I just asked. Is the figure that we have now come up with through ATI, the figure of $161 million, the full figure, yes or no?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, is it not interesting that he was otherwise engaged.

This is a fairly significant matter for Canadians since it surely is Canadian taxpayers' money that is at stake here. The latest figure we have is $161 million that was given to the company. I want to know, is that figure correct? Is that the full figure, $161 million?

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, I would like to congratulate the new Prime Minister. In fact, it is our hope that he will be in that position about as long as I am in mine.

Last year the government reported that CSL, the Prime Minister's company, had received only $137,000. This figure was obviously wrong. The Prime Minister must have known it was wrong. He could have spoken up last year, but he remained silent.

Why did the Prime Minister remain silent? Why did he not just come clean with the truth?