House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 57% of the vote.
Communications Security Establishment November 20th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, it is not the first time this has happened and the government has been questioned on the subject, but we always get the same answers.
How can we believe government statements on the subject when there is no mechanism for parliamentary oversight of CSE activities, as exists, to a minimal extent but at least it exists, in the case of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service?
Communications Security Establishment November 20th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Acting Prime Minister.
Last week, a former employee of the Communications Security Establishment shed some light on the centre's dubious spying activities. According to Jane Shorten, the CSE targets the communications of our trading partners, including, Mexico and South Korea, and in so doing, spies on Canadian citizens.
Would the government confirm Ms. Shorten's allegations to the effect that the CSE eavesdrops on the communications of friendly countries and the telephone conversations of Canadian citizens?
Helicopter Purchase November 9th, 1995
I did not think mentioning Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a crime, Mr. Speaker.
Here is my supplementary. In view of the cloud of suspicion hanging over Agusta and the charges of bribery that have been laid against that firm in Belgium, would it not be wise for the minister, before going any further, to set up the inquiry requested by his colleague the Minister of Human Resources Development on April 13, 1993?
Helicopter Purchase November 9th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.
The persistent refusal of the minister to exclude Agusta from the bidding process for new helicopters is particularly hard to understand, because the man sitting on the minister's left, the current Minister of Human Resources Development, asked for a judicial inquiry when the Conservative government signed the first contract with that firm.
Can the minister tell the House whether his unacceptable refusal to exclude Agusta from the bidding process is linked to pressures brought to bear on the government by Agusta's lobbyists, namely Daniel Despins, a former director of communications for the Liberal Party of Canada, and James Pacey, a former special adviser to Pierre Elliott Trudeau?
The Constitution November 8th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on Radio-Canada's Téléjournal , the Deputy Prime Minister made this short statement: ``We are now trying to make it possible to fulfil the promises made by the Prime Minister''. Let us be frank.
Is the creation of this phoney committee not simply a federal trick to allow the Prime Minister to save face, since he is unable to deliver the goods and to meet his commitments?
The Constitution November 8th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. All observers are still wondering what kind of logic prompted the federal government to think it might be helpful to set up a committee of ministers in charge of reviewing the possibility of making constitutional and administrative changes to the Canadian federation. Many people have questions, but few ministers can answer them.
How can we believe that this phoney committee can propose acceptable changes to Quebecers, when the real decision makers, that is, the provincial premiers, are not even on it?
Canadian Armed Forces November 7th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are is still in shock following new revelations concerning the despicable actions of Petawawa's airborne regiment. The parties organized by Canadian army soldiers in honour of the Polytechnique tragedy are absolutely shameful. One wonders about the army's ability to recruit people who are trustworthy and who can protect the values of our society.
These accounts revive the terrible pain and grief suffered by the families and friends of the victims of the Polytechnique massacre. The parents of Geneviève Bergeron, one of the 14 victims who died on December 6, 1989, wrote me a letter in which they say they are still mourning the loss of their daughter. On their behalf, I urge the government to make sure that those who organized such parties for the Petawawa regiment, and those who participated in them, be court martialled and discharged from the armed forces.
We must take action to put an end to the violence against women, and all those responsible for these incidents must be held accountable for their actions.
The Constitution November 6th, 1995
Everyone but the Minister of Justice answered, Mr. Speaker.
My second question is for the Minister of Justice. Is this federal initiative not an indication that Ottawa is trying to pave the way for another dirty trick like the one it played on us in 1982 by amending the constitution without the consent of the Quebec national assembly? They are at it again.
The Constitution November 6th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice refuses to rule out, as a scenario for amending the constitution, the possibility that the federal could hold its own referenda in the five regions of Canada, including Quebec.
My question is for the Minister of Justice. In this context, are we to understand that the right of veto for Quebecers the Prime Minister of Canada referred to would consist in violating the authority of the Quebec national assembly by flouting its prerogative to hold its own referenda?
Distinct Society November 3rd, 1995
Mr. Speaker, how can the minister talk about the real problems of Canadians, when the government is tabling no legislative measure whatsoever in response to those very problems?
Now, to my question. How can we have any faith in the Prime Minister when it comes to the distinct society, when his allies in English Canada wasted no time immediately after the referendum in diluting the content of the resolutions they had adopted in their legislative assemblies, particularly when we are familiar with the views of the Prime Minister, the man who killed Meech Lake, on the distinct society?