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Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was made.

Last in Parliament May 2004, as Liberal MP for Ottawa South (Ontario)

Won his last election, in 2000, with 51% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Telecommunications May 1st, 1995

Mr. Speaker, I think the report of the committee speaks for itself. The committee proceeded in a transparent fashion. It received submissions from across Canada. It made them available publicly. The report of the committee has not been criticized in its logic or its substance by any member of the House, including the hon. member who posed the question.

There is no basis upon which the government should fail to act to carry out its responsibilities in a way that responds to the interests of consumers and ensures a competitive structure for satellite broadcasting in Canada.

If there is any basis upon which the hon. member can suggest the government should not act or should refuse to act in the best interest of Canadians, let him explain it. He has the opportunity to do that during the course of review of the direction in the House of Commons.

Telecommunications May 1st, 1995

Mr. Speaker, as I explained in detail Thursday and Friday, I believe, the satellite broadcasting issue was handled transparently and was accepted by all independent parties concerned. I have yet to hear how the Bloc Quebecois would handle the satellite broadcasting issue, perhaps because they lack a policy on it. Our approach was to table a directive in the House of Commons, as provided for under the Broadcasting Act, which was tabled in the House when the leader of the Bloc Quebecois was a member of the Mulroney Cabinet.

Standing Committee On Industry April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table the formal response of the government to the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Industry, "Rebuilding Trust", pursuant to Standing Order 109.

Gasoline Prices April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question and I recognize the continuing work he has put into this matter of raising the attention of the Canadian public to the level of gas prices in Canada. He has worked very hard.

As he knows from the answer I gave to our colleague from Carleton-Gloucester, I share his concern about the apparently inexplicable increase in prices that Canadians have experienced and from coast to coast are complaining about.

As to his suggestion of regulation of prices, this is not something I favour. I do not believe that to regulate prices, either to roll them back or to tell companies what they should charge for the goods or services they provide, is the best way for consumers ultimately to enjoy lower prices.

The real solution is real and sustained competition.

Seagram April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, the Investment Canada Act creates a regime under which certain transactions are reviewable. The first requirement is that the acquiring corporation be non-Canadian.

Therefore, we do not know until we determine in this particular case whether Seagram is Canadian or non-Canadian and whether there is a reviewable transaction under the Investment Canada Act.

What I said was not that nothing was being done on this file but that nothing has been done because her colleague accused the government of wrongdoing on this file. Nothing has been done. The issue is open and under consideration by the acting president of Investment Canada. We will be obtaining information from the file in Investment Canada that will deal with it because the transaction is located in Investment Canada.

However, until all of the facts have been obtained we cannot say there is a reviewable transaction. Therefore, the issues of net benefit to Canada are not yet under discussion.

Telecommunications April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, I had a little trouble hearing the member's question.

If I recall, the hon. member is a former or perhaps a continuing actor. I would like to read to him what the president of ACTRA wrote to us on this: "We are particularly pleased with the recognition of the need for competition among services and for an equitable contribution from revenues to be directed toward production and administered at arm's length from carriers. We hope the Government of Canada will move quickly to enunciate policy which will lead to the implementation of these principles".

In this case we have initiated a process which is open and transparent and subject to discussion in Parliament. Process is the rule of law and it is the way to ensure avoidance of conflict of interest, which is what we are doing.

Telecommunications April 28th, 1995

Really, Mr. Speaker, so what? Management of an important file would be expected. In the context of conversation it would be normal, among other things, that what the government is doing with respect to a file would be told to the Prime Minister's office.

What I think is important here and the question the member should be asking is whether on behalf of the Prime Minister the principal secretary endeavoured to influence the decisions ministers were taking.

Mr. Goldenberg communicated two things, that the Prime Minister did not want to be involved in any way in the file, and neither did he.

Gasoline Prices April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, it is my day again.

I am pleased the hon. member raised the issue with respect to the national capital region. However, whether it is in the national capital region, remote communities of northern Ontario or the farmers of Saskatchewan, everywhere across the country, même au Québec, même dans l'Ouest, consumers are concerned that gasoline prices seem to go up without explanation.

The best solution in this sector as well as in others that we have talked about is competition, real competition. As we complete our review of some of the useful proposals we received on whistleblowing legislation and other measures, I hope we will find tools to ensure oil companies and distributors of gasoline products are respectful of the need for real competition in the sector and the need of consumers to have cheaper gasoline.

Telecommunications April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, I never had any discussions with the Prime Minister about the file. There was nothing to visit.

Let me complete the statement I was making. In the face of the urging such as I was indicating to the hon. member, the government would have failed many groups in society, many consumers, all the interests crying out for competition and choice in the area, if it had failed to act.

I am waiting for the opposition parties to give us a clear indication of how they would have responded to these pleadings if they did not think we should move the way we did.

Telecommunications April 28th, 1995

Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the hon. member for his question.

It bears repetition that the Prime Minister has restated in the House, as he did among ministers, that he did not wish to be involved in the file or have any knowledge directed to him about it. That being the basis upon which the entire transaction has occurred, I have never had a discussion with the Prime Minister about the file.

I want the hon. member to understand that these are the kinds of indications we are receiving from disinterested people who are concerned about the issue. The Consumers' Association of Canada: "I am writing to you on behalf of the Consumers' Association to urge the government to act upon the recommendations of the policy review panel"; ACTRA: "We are pleased with the recognition of the need for competition among services. We hope the government will move quickly"; the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting; the Canadian Conference of the Arts; and all the others.

The simple point is that the Prime Minister has acted with entire integrity, discretion and care in the matter to avoid any appearance of potential conflict. For the government to have failed to take its responsibility-