Brian Tobin

[Business Development Bank Of Canada, February 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, we seem to have a competition today between which of the leaders, the leader of the Alliance or the leader of the Conservatives, will be the real leader of the opposition.

One leader is best known for his wetsuit and the other is just all wet. He asked questions two days ago about this issue and discovered there were not two search teams but ten search teams.

The leader of the Conservative Party continues to make allegations which are unsubstantiated. Whether he is fishing, playing hockey or simply fooling around, it is time to get serious and real on this important question.

[Business Development Bank Of Canada, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I was wondering why the leader of the Conservative Party was running away from his questions of yesterday. Perhaps it is because he has discovered his assertion that search firms were switched is a false assertion.

There are not one or two executive search firms. There are at least 10 of which I know. They are all employed for different jobs that need to be filled.

No direction is given to BDC on who it hires as an executive search firm. I can say it is something I do not do. I spoke to my predecessor and it is something he did not do. As for hockey games and fishing trips, I wish the member well.

[Ethics Counsellor, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party has admitted to fishing on this question. Yesterday he asked for urgent information on executive search firms, saying that search firms had been switched in the hiring between Mr. Schroder and Mr. Vennat. I checked and that information is false.

He asked for information on which executive search firms were involved in the hiring of executives at BDC. I can tell him that I have in my hands the list of not one or two but of ten. That is normal practice by any corporation when seeking out executives, depending upon their skill sets.

The hon. member is fishing. He is coming up dry. He is running away from his earlier—

[Petroleum Product Prices, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. gentleman for his question and inform him that the conference board is concluding its work with respect to the particular question. I expect the report will be made public in the days if not weeks ahead.

[Reproductive Technologies, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the government has established the Canadian biotechnology advisory committee. It is a committee of independent experts to advise it on policy matters related to biotechnology in all these questions.

This spring CBAC will be consulting with Canadians across the country on all of the matters that have been raised and will report back to government. In due course government will decide on the next steps.

[Automobile Industry, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brampton Centre for his question. Indeed he has been most concerned about the decisions announced by DaimlerChrysler.

I want to inform him, regarding the DaimlerChrysler Bramalea assembly plant in Brampton, that the job reductions there are a result of a move to two shifts from the current three.

I have had discussions with the president of DaimlerChrysler Canada and the CAW. We have been in close contact with the province of Ontario. We will do everything in our power, that is all the affected departments, labour, HRDC and others, to ensure that these reductions and the impact on workers are kept to a minimum.

[Business Development Bank Of Canada, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I could only repeat to the right hon. gentleman that I will take all these questions as notice.

[Business Development Bank Of Canada, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I have to tell the right hon. gentleman that I have no information that would support anything he has just said. I would be very glad to take his question as notice and try to respond in greater detail.

[Ethics Counsellor, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the real question is, why does the Leader of the Opposition, who cost the taxpayers $800,000 for slander, proceed to more slander again in the House with comments directed at the Prime Minister of Canada? Why will he not withdraw?

[Ethics Counsellor, February 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, first, I spoke with the ethics counsellor this morning to double check the facts. I would suggest that the member, or any other member, or any member of the media could do the same because he is quite happy to convey accurate information.

The reality is that shares were not held by the Prime Minister prior to 1993 because they were sold. The proceeds from those shares were not realized until a much later date. Indeed, the Prime Minister's lawyer, who is also a trustee, in consultation with the ethics counsellor and the Prime Minister, sought to secure the proceeds from that sale. That was confirmed in a conversation this morning. I would suggest—