David Emerson

[Gasoline Prices, June 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Competition Bureau has reviewed gasoline pricing a number of times over the last 10 years and has never found any evidence of collusion. The price of oil and gas is internationally determined. The setting and control of gasoline prices at the pump is a provincial responsibility.

[Industry, June 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we will be making a summary report public. This was part of a routine audit, which we are undertaking all the time. I would think the hon. member should be congratulating Industry Canada people for the diligence they apply in managing these programs and protecting taxpayers' money.

[Industry, June 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, for any company that is a recipient of a Technology Partnerships contribution, where there is an error that has been made, it has to be released publicly. On the balance of the audit, we will make a summary report public as soon as we have it available.

[Technology Partnerships Canada, June 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, since I have been in the House I have heard a lot moaning and groaning and criticism of Technology Partnerships in spite of the fact that it has helped an awful lot of Canadian companies to become success stories, like Research in Motion.

We will complete the audit. I will produce a summary report by late September of this year.

[Technology Partnerships Canada, June 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact, the payments that were made were part of a routine audit conducted by Industry Canada. It is part of the due diligence that our department does in reviewing Technology Partnerships' contributions. It was uncovered. We did identify $3.7 million in payments to intermediaries that are prohibited under the terms and conditions of Technology Partnerships. We have recovered every cent and we are broadening the audit as a pre-emptive measure to ensure that there are no further instances of improper payments.

[Government Appointments, June 16th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, some of the members opposite could learn a few lessons from the practices that we have applied here. We brought in one of the top accountants in this country, an accountant I met through my professional associations on boards of directors, an experience, I am sure, that none of the members opposite have had.

We brought pure competence into the political process to make sure it had integrity.

[Government Appointments, June 16th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, this is a classic example of where an appointment that is made purely on the basis of merit is brought into disrepute.

Mr. Bracken-Horrocks is one of the top accountants in this country. He has never been a federal Liberal. He is regarded by the chairman of the board and the board of directors of BDC as one of the best appointments made to that board.

[Aerospace Industry, June 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question because I too was very puzzled when I read the comments in a media clipping. After all, it was this government under this Prime Minister that established the Canadian aerospace council.

We are planning, developing and working hard. All of the members of the industry from across the country are developing an aerospace strategy for all of Canada. We have made major investments in the province of Quebec in aerospace. My hon. colleague from Quebec is a member of the Canadian aerospace council and he chose not to attend the last meeting.

[Statistics Act, June 13th, 2005]

moved that Bill S-18, An Act to amend the Statistics Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Shipbuilding Industry, June 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his interest in the shipbuilding industry.

I have been meeting with the shipbuilding and industrial marine advisory committee. We are working on a strategy for the shipbuilding industry. Like any other sector in Canada or anywhere else in the world, the industry is going through tough competitive times. It needs to transform. The government has no fewer than 14 policy initiatives of benefit to the Canadian shipbuilding industry.