Pierrette Venne

[Constitution, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, are we to understand from the minister's remarks, which are confusing to say the least, that the consensus already reached in Quebec and expressed by MNAs is not enough and that the minister is also requiring that the demands of Alliance Quebec be taken into consideration, thus ignoring the legitimacy of the National Assembly?

[Constitution, February 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

When asked for his opinion on the Government of Quebec's request to amend the Constitution so as to replace denominational school boards with linguistic school boards, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs told Le Soleil on December 9, and I quote: "If there is a consensus among Quebecers, then there is no problem".

At a time when the Government of Quebec is asking to be exempted from the denominational guarantees contained in section 93 of the Constitution, how does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs react to the demands just made by the President of Alliance Quebec regarding linguistic guarantees?

[National Unity, February 10th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in that same interview, the Prime Minister stated that, if he did not want to speak of national unity during the next election campaign, this was because the premiers of the other provinces were not prepared to recognize Quebec's demands.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the promises he made in Verdun were nothing but smoke and mirrors, and that we are still at the point of no return from Charlottetown: that what is not enough for Quebec is already too much for the rest of Canada?

[National Unity, February 10th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

In an interview with the Toronto Star , the Prime Minister states that he has ``kept all his promises to Quebec''. Let us not forget that this is the same Prime Minister who claims he has kept his promise on the GST.

Is the Prime Minister getting ready for his next election campaign by telling Canadians and Quebecers that everything he says during his campaign will be worth no more than what he said during his 1993 election campaign and in his Verdun speech in 1995?

[Privilege, December 12th, 1996]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I most certainly would.

The member for Mississauga West unfortunately did not take part in the activities of the Canada-Nato committee on Monday, November 18. She declined to fly to Toulouse with the committee, because, as she told us, she was already familiar with the facilities at L'Aérospatiale in any event.

So I do not think the member has any business casting aspersions, since she herself did not participate in all the activities.

[Privilege, December 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege.

During question period, the Minister of Industry commented erroneously on my participation in the activities of the Canada-NATO Parliamentary Association, which took place last November 18 to 20. I was present at those activities.

In addition, the minister implied that I had wasted taxpayers' money by not taking part in the activities and meetings of the association, when in fact I was present. Furthermore, I would like the minister to note that I was seen there by the Liberal members for Nipissing, Hillsborough, Saint-Denis, Mississauga West and South Shore, as well as by Senator Rompkey. I certainly had enough witnesses.

I therefore ask the Minister of Industry to withdraw his untruthful comments about me.

[Canadian Space Agency, December 12th, 1996]

This is my question, then. Does the minister want to hide his appointee, Mr. Evans? Does he want to protect Mr. Evans, the person he himself appointed president of the space agency?

[Canadian Space Agency, December 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, how can the minister hide behind a grievance, when the people against whom these serious allegations were made are still with the space agency, unless he wants to protect his former adviser, Mr. Evans?

[Canadian Space Agency, December 12th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Industry.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Industry tried to downplay the serious allegations against the president of the space agency and his executive vice-president. The minister wanted to put the blame on Mario Rinaldi, the former vice-president and comptroller of the space agency. In fact, the latter was fired for having criticized a number of dubious practices at the space agency.

Does the minister admit that Mario Rinaldi, then vice-president and comptroller of the space agency, was suspended from his position because he revealed some dubious practices of his executive vice-president, Alain Desfossés, to Mr. Evans, president of the agency?

[Canadian Space Agency, December 10th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is not replying to the question in any way whatsoever.

We will therefore ask him how he can explain that the president of the Space Agency attempted to get reimbursed for a travel and meal claim for a trip to St-Hubert on June 3, 1994, when he travelled as this minister's seatmate on the plane and the meal was provided free of charge?