Herb Gray

[Ethics Counsellor, March 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. friend and the House that industry officials are working with the company to ensure that it has complied with all registration requirements.

It is clear from every inquiry made into this matter that what the Prime Minister has said just now and earlier is absolutely correct. He did not own those shares after he became Prime Minister.

[Business Development Bank Of Canada, March 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, repeating an incorrect accusation does not make it true. The accusation is incorrect. It needs to be withdrawn. If he believes it, I challenge him to repeat it outside the House.

[Business Development Bank Of Canada, March 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP operates at arm's length from the Government. The hon. member needs to ask his questions of the RCMP.

[Health, March 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of my hon. friend's question is totally wrong. Scientists in the health department are carrying out their jobs in the interest of public safety and in the interest of Canadians.

The member's first question concerns the drug Baytril. It has not been approved in Canada for use in poultry and cattle. Evaluators in the Health Canada Bureau of Veterinary Drugs have not been pressured to approve this antibiotic, nor has there been any threat of disciplinary action.

The hon. member ought to withdraw her unfounded allegations on which she bases her question.

[Auberge Grand-Mère, March 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I ask the hon. member to repeat his unfounded insinuations outside the House. If he is not prepared to do that, he must withdraw his remarks, because they are false, false, false.

[Auberge Grand-Mère, March 19th, 2001]

No, Mr. Speaker.

[Auberge Grand-Mère, March 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am willing to give the hon. member the same information I have just given in French. I will give it to him in English.

Last week the ethics counsellor also told the Canadian press the following:

I am satisfied, and have been for an awfully long time, that the Prime Minister sold his shares in 1993. I am absolutely certain that (the Prime Minister) did not own those shares between 1993 and 1999—I've gone through this very, very carefully, seen the original sale documents from 1993, seen the documents from 1999.

[Auberge Grand-Mère, March 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, on March 16, Mr. Wilson, the ethics counsellor told Newsworld “I have access to all the documents, I have seen all the documents, I have been able to examine them. This is a matter of personal information of the parties, including people other than Mr. Chrétien. I can, however, confirm, to my complete satisfaction, that his shares were sold in 1993 and that they were never again in his possession”.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, some years ago the federal government set up the Aboriginal Healing Foundation run by native people at arm's length from the government. It has a budget of $350 million and it is carrying out projects dealing in reconciliation.

It could be that as a result of the discussions I am undertaking there could be further action in that regard, but we are already taking important steps with regard to facilitating healing and reconciliation.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the government has not taken a decision on a formal proposal or plan to discuss with the church organizations involved or the victims about a way to resolve this matter more quickly and more cheaply than if we relied principally on the litigation process.

However, as the government's special representative in this matter, I have undertaken a new dialogue which I think is going well. Once decisions are made by the government on the formal plan, they will be made known to all concerned.