Herb Gray

[Grants And Contributions, February 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I want to again point out that what the Leader of the Opposition says about the views of the ethics counsellor are totally inaccurate with respect to this matter.

In an interview the ethics counsellor made speculative comments about a hypothetical situation. At the same time, he insisted that he had not changed his original decision from last November. He reiterated in January that the Prime Minister was operating within the rules and that he had not broken any conflict of interest rules. The ethics counsellor has maintained this position and the Leader of the Opposition ought to admit that.

[Grants And Contributions, February 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite wrong in his assertions when he alleges a conflict of interest. I repeat that the immigrant investor program in the province of Quebec is a Quebec provincial program and is managed by the province. It makes its decisions on people who are entitled to offer immigrant investor funds. The rules of the flow of funds are according to the rules of the Quebec provincial government. The Prime Minister has nothing to do with those matters and has had nothing to do with those matters.

[Ethics Counsellor, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is accountable to this parliament and through this parliament to the Canadian people who gave him three majority victories back to back, with an even bigger majority in the last election. That speaks for a lot.

[Ethics Counsellor, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for confirming that from time to time I can give off sparks instead of the dead cinders and ashes that come out of the mouth of the hon. member.

[Ethics Counsellor, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, no one can get as low as the hon. member on these unwarranted assertions. When it comes to limboing low, he set the world record and nobody can beat it.

[Ethics Counsellor, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I think I will have to check the alleged quote in the context of which it was stated. Often when members of the opposition get up on things like this and then we look to see what was actually said, it turns out to be far different from what is alleged.

For example, yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said he had Quebec government documents about investor flow of funds. Our office tried to get copies of those documents. So far the Leader of the Opposition's office has failed to provide them. I wonder why.

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

Mr. Speaker, the only improper use I see is the improper use of logic in this farfetched question. The ethics counsellor has stated on numerous occasions that the Prime Minister had not broken any rules in this connection and had acted within the rules. He has done nothing wrong.

[Health, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member would have more credibility if she had quoted me accurately. I said that the officials in question were not working directly on the matter of the ban on beef from Brazil.

They are not in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. They work in an area of the Department of Health that was not dealing with this issue. I think this is a fact that should be put on the table. She ought to revisit her question in light of this fact and other facts in this matter.

[Health, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for raising the topic. It is an important one. I will look into it and get back to her as soon as possible.

[Minister Of Finance, February 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is well known in the House, and I think it is the principle even in the house in which the member served before, that we can only expect ministers to answer on matters under their administrative responsibility. The hon. member is trying to paint a misleading picture to the public who has been watching this on TV by asking this question.

I notice how the hon. member ran away from the Conservative Party when he did not end up as its leader. I do not think he should be giving any lessons to anybody on these kinds of subjects.