Mr. Speaker, I repeat that I have guidelines for ministerial conduct which have been transmitted to the ministers. They have read them and they follow them.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 54% of the vote.
Ethics November 6th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I repeat that I have guidelines for ministerial conduct which have been transmitted to the ministers. They have read them and they follow them.
Ethics November 6th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, we have seen the fresh start and it is not starting very well.
In every case that comes before this House the Prime Minister has to judge the facts and the facts are public. I have spoken about the case that was mentioned which I discussed with the ethics counsellor.
I have said in the House many times and I will repeat again that the directives written by the Prime Minister for his ministers are directives of the Prime Minister to the ministers for their conduct. The conduct of a minister is a question of public record. I take the responsibility if somebody questions the conduct of ministers.
In the case of the secretary of state, I have accepted her word and everything is in order at this moment. I do not have anything to add, but had the leader been here last week he would have heard the same-
The Government Of The United States November 6th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, as far as the eggs and poultry issue is concerned, we have discussed this problem several times with the Americans. Our position is clear. We have determined that the marketing boards that exist in Canada have a right to exist under the agreements we signed with them and under the GATT agreements that were renegotiated a year ago.
We believe that our position complies with the agreements we have with the Americans. If they want to challenge these agreements, legal recourse is provided under NAFTA and also under the GATT rules, so that we can defend our rights. Our positions are clear, and at this moment, these agreements between our two countries exist. They have been duly signed.
The Government Of The United States November 6th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I think that if we look at the various subjects at issue between Canada and the United States, there are no major, pressing problems, with the exception of Helms-Burton law.
As for softwood lumber, we have concluded an agreement with them. We have agreed to impose a limit on exports. The Minister for International Trade has concluded an agreement, after consulting with the provincial governments. As far as the United States and we are concerned, the matter was settled by this agreement.
If there are any other problems the hon. member wishes to raise, I will take note of them and mention them to the President when we meet. The softwood lumber question has already been settled, and
we are now putting the requisite mechanisms in place to implement the agreement.
The Government Of The United States November 6th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, during the lunch break, I had a chance to talk to President Clinton and, speaking on behalf of the Parliament of Canada and all Canadians, I offered him my sincere congratulations and my best wishes for a second term.
As you know, we have a good relationship with the U.S. government at this time. We did not have a very long discussion, but I had a chance to mention some of the irritants that we would like him to monitor.
I mentioned Helms-Burton, and I also asked for his co-operation on the matter of Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi. He told me he was watching this matter very closely, and we are to have another talk within a few days. In any case, in two weeks we will be in Manila together. We will be meeting again.
Ethics November 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, we replied to these questions last week. The money has all been paid back. There was the use of a credit card and every time that it was used it was checked with the department and the payments were made back to the government in a proper fashion.
No money was lost. It was just as explained last week. The secretary of state made a clerical mistake involuntarily and all the facts were submitted to the ethics counsellor who said that there was no need for me to ask for a resignation.
Mr. Jean-Louis Roux November 5th, 1996
There was no question, so there will be no answer.
Mr. Jean-Louis Roux November 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, he resigned and I regretfully accepted his resignation for the reasons I clearly explained to the House earlier.
Jean-Louis Roux November 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I will follow the rule that was established in 1867. It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to inform the premier of the province but he has to take full responsibility for the appointment.
I have taken full responsibility for all lieutenant-governor appointments I have made so far. In this case, I will repeat that this man made an error when he was 19 years old but his record shows very clearly to me and any objective person that he resigned because he did not want to be the object of a controversy.
However, no one should take anything away from his great contribution to the advancement of arts and culture in the province of Quebec. He also participated many times at the Stratford Festival in Ontario in a very eloquent way. It was fantastic to see a francophone perform so well in a Shakespearian play.
Jean-Louis Roux November 5th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I have explained to the House of Commons all the circumstances of the incident. Mr. Roux resigned today and I have accepted his resignation.
I have to repeat that this man has served the population of Canada extremely well. He is a great artist. He made a mistake 54 years ago when he was 19 years old. It is all in the past. I do not believe anybody can take anything away from his great career and his great service to the Canadian population and the people of Quebec in particular.