John Manley

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

They don't give cheques. Mr. Speaker, they just give away policy positions. That is what they do. That is what is for sale over there.

The Canadian public does not think that is good enough. Who gave them the money?

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, disclosure of ministerial activities is already public. There is no problem with that, but where are the disclosure rules for the Alliance Party? Those members want to talk about--

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, who brought in the guidelines? The Prime Minister himself acknowledges that the guidelines prevent ministers from calling heads of crown corporations but those are the rules now.

How about the Alliance Party and its allegations about Harrington Lake? I hear a lot of noise from over there, a lot of heckling but I do not hear a word of apology. When is it coming, Mr. Speaker?

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, those guidelines give us the ability to attack the Alliance Party because its members do not have any guidelines. We do not know who contributed to their leadership campaigns.

We do know that the member for Red Deer said that their position on Kyoto would help their fundraising. We know their positions are for sale but we do not know who gave them the money. How about if they come up with guidelines for themselves?

By the way, where is the apology?

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, if we had an independent parliamentary ethics counsellor to deal with members of parliament themselves, we would have that person asking that member to stand in the House and apologize for what he did yesterday.

What is it that prevents him from being a big enough person to stand here and say “We got it wrong. We have been on this witch hunt now for so long, we forgot to check the facts before we got up and threw mud at the government”.

[Ethics, June 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that the first words out of the hon. member's mouth are not an apology for the outrageous accusations made yesterday that somehow or other the property at Harrington Lake was misused. After a cheque, I might add cashed, has been made public for $20,000 to compensate the NCC for the use of that property, I cannot believe the deafening silence from the Alliance Party for not getting up and apologizing. Day after day they make these outrageous--

[Voisey's Bay, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member knows that the equalization formula is reviewed periodically.

Certainly we will be interested in the views of provinces when it comes time for the next review of that, but in the meantime I think it is important to recognize that all provinces realize revenue and the equalization payments are based in part on their capacity to realize revenue. Surely that is fundamental to this kind of system.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, a story like this cannot be fabricated. When faced with a situation like this one, it is normal for members of the PMO to be informed, not just public servants.

It is necessary. How could the Prime Minister answer questions if his staff were not informed? It is simple. That is all there is to it. There is no question of it being a cover-up.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of public works has answered questions properly. Perhaps the hon. member thinks the PMO ought not to be informed when a question is likely to be raised in the House or by the media.

Perhaps he thinks the Privacy Act ought to be ignored. I am not exactly familiar with his plan.

[Poverty, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, to deny the progress that has been made, to fail to recognize the important contribution that has occurred to alleviate poverty in Canada through the child tax credit, other directed tax measures, support for housing, support for homelessness and the fact that we have made real progress in creating employment in this country, why put Canadians against a plan to try to alleviate poverty elsewhere in the world? This is a project which all of us need to identify with.