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Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was reform.

Last in Parliament May 2004, as Liberal MP for Windsor West (Ontario)

Won his last election, in 2000, with 54% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, where the scandal lies is in the unfounded insinuations of the hon. member. The Minister for International Cooperation has not been found guilty by the courts, and the position she maintains is that she has acted in compliance with the law of the province of Ontario.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the courts have not found the minister guilty, and her position is that she voted in compliance with the present legislation of the province of Ontario.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Minister for International Cooperation's position is that she has not broken the law. I guess the hon. Alliance Party member is not only an MP, she is judge and jury. What is she going to be next, the hangman?

I think the hon. member is totally wrong in her position. She ought to withdraw that position and instead return to the principles of Canadian law.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should explain why she is unwilling to apply standards of British and Canadian justice dating back hundreds of years. They say that someone is guilty after being so declared by a judge of the court, after charges have been laid and the charges have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. None of this has happened, but this does not matter to the hon. member. She does not believe in British and Canadian principles of justice.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the minister has not been found guilty by a court. There has been no complaint made that would require her to be brought before a court.

The circumstances in Quebec were different. The MLA resigned after being found guilty by a provincial court.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, when I first heard the hon. member's question, I thought she was talking about her former party, not the one she is in now. What she is saying has no relevance with respect to the Minister for International Cooperation, who is doing a good job in terms of Canada's work for less privileged countries.

I repeat, the hon. minister's position is that she voted in good faith based on information obtained for her by her staff from the municipality. I think that is the fact of the matter. The hon. member ought to listen once again to these answers.

Employment Insurance December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, last week, the hon. member criticized the government for not supporting and implementing the auditor general's recommendations.

But in 1986, if I am not mistaken, the government followed up on the auditor general's recommendation to set up the current system. Therefore, to be consistent in his approach, the hon. member should also support the auditor general's 1986 recommendation.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, I can see what would happen in the unlikely event the Alliance Party achieved office. People would not have trials. There would not be judgments. It would be enough for the Alliance government to say something and then they would be guilty. No wonder people do not support the Alliance Party.

In our system, to say that someone broke the law there has to be a finding of a court, after charges are laid and a conclusion is reached beyond a reasonable doubt. This has not happened. I repeat that the minister acted in good faith and on the basis of information obtained for her by her office.

In any event, we have asked for the opinion of the ethics counsellor on this matter.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is wrong. The Prime Minister is not saying that a minister can break the law. He is saying just the opposite. He is saying that from the information we have, the minister voted properly. The Prime Minister has asked the ethics counsellor to look into the matter and make a report to him.

On the basis of the information available, the hon. minister acted in good faith according to the advice she received about the municipal voting law. With respect to the contracts in question, they were found to conform totally with treasury board guidelines.

The hon. member ought to withdraw his unwarranted and unfactual assertions.

Minister for International Cooperation December 10th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is totally misstating the minister's position. She said that she voted, and it is a matter of public record. She did not say that she voted incorrectly. She said just the opposite. She said that she voted on the basis of information obtained for her by her staff which indicated that she could vote as she did. Those are the facts.

The hon. member ought to withdraw his insinuations and conclusions which are totally contrary to the facts and the principles of Canadian and British justice.