James Moore

[Sponsorship Program, May 11th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I think what Canadians are wondering is why the Prime Minister cannot accept non-confidence for an answer.

The Prime Minister's original story in trying to explain ad scam was that it was the “activities of a...few who...have colluded” in this scandal. The truth, according to sworn testimony, is that Alfonso Gagliano and his cohort Joe Morselli ran a team of up to 30 fake volunteers, which included ministerial aides as well as lawyers and engineers on loan to the party.

With this many people involved and millions of dollars, how can the Prime Minister still claim that he knew nothing?

[Sponsorship Program, May 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, members of the House also have the right to have their questions answered in question period.

Last week we learned that the transport minister was lobbying without properly registering himself as a lobbyist as is required by law. Now we learn that two people who are working in his office received dirty sponsorship money.

My simple question for the Prime Minister is, when will the dirty money be returned to taxpayers like the Prime Minister promised?

[Sponsorship Program, May 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Benoît Corbeil tells us that two employees from the office of the Minister of Transport received tainted money from Groupaction: his press attaché, Irène Marcheterre apparently received $5,000 and Richard Mimeau, $6,000.

When will this tainted money be returned, as the Prime Minister has promised?

[Government Contracts, May 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the Prime Minister is not believable in cleaning up government. When Jean Chrétien's defence minister, Art Eggleton, was caught giving an untendered contract to his girlfriend/researcher, Jean Chrétien threw him out of cabinet. What did this Prime Minister do when he was sworn in as Prime Minister? He awarded him a Senate seat as a reward for being a good Liberal.

How are Canadians supposed to believe that this Prime Minister is serious about cleaning up corruption when he rewards Art Eggleton with a Senate seat rather than doing the appropriate thing, which is saying that behaviour is not tolerable in this country?

[Government Contracts, May 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the Prime Minister is not believable in cleaning up government. The Prime Minister knows that the transport minister arranged meetings among members of Parliament and his friend François Duffar of Cossette Communication in violation of Canada's lobbying laws because he did not register as a lobbyist.

How can Canadians believe that the Prime Minister is serious about cleaning up corruption when he does not even hold his own ministers accountable for violating our laws?

[Government Contracts, May 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, with answers like that it is no wonder Bono has quit the Liberal Party.

According to Mr. Kinsella, this Prime Minister granted contracts to his friends, his friends at Earnscliffe, in particular, in the 1990s, people like Scott Reid, who today is his director of communications, and David Herle, who ran his leadership campaign.

How can the Prime Minister continue to manipulate the truth on the granting of contracts?

[Government Contracts, May 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, long-time Liberal Warren Kinsella sent a memo in 1995 to the public works minister stating that $615,000 in government contracts were given to the Prime Minister's friends at Earnscliffe in violation of cabinet guidelines.

David Herle, who was the Prime Minister's campaign manager, worked at Earnscliffe and received this money after the Prime Minister as finance minister insisted that David Herle and Earnscliffe receive the contracts.

The Prime Minister has two choices: rise in his place and admit that he directed cash to his friends, or rise and call Warren Kinsella a liar. Which is it?

[Sponsorship Program, April 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Corbeil tells us the meeting took place at the behest of Lucie Castelli on behalf of the Prime Minister. Lucie Castelli was involved in sponsorship; Mr. Corbeil was involved in sponsorship.

How can the government expect Canadians to continue to believe that the Prime Minister himself was not also personally involved in sponsorship?

[Sponsorship Program, April 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Benoît Corbeil, the former director general of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada from January 1999 to 2001, told us that a 90-minute meeting was held in January or February 2002 with the Prime Minister, as requested by phone by Lucie Castelli, the Prime Minister's riding assistant. It happened. Such is the reality.

Why did the Prime Minister not tell Justice Gomery the whole truth?

[Sponsorship Program, April 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Transport admitted going to supper with his client from Cossette and Alfonso Gagliano but described it as a social gathering.

I have a very precise question. Did the minister ever arrange a meeting for François Duffar or any member of Cossette Communication with a current or former member of the House?