Jean Chrétien

[Criminal Code, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday or the day before, we received the committee's report, which is being studied by the Minister of Justice. The member's suggestion to have a House committee review the matter is an interesting one. I will bring it up with the Minister of Justice, and if it happens to be in everybody's interest to have another committee, a committee of the House this time, study the issue, personally I have no problem with this.

[Minister Of Canadian Heritage, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, they have asked the same question 10 times. I gave the answer that the money has been paid to the Liberal Party according to the law and I have nothing else to add.

[Minister Of Canadian Heritage, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have replied to that question. I have said many times that every member of the House is raising money.

The minister was involved in raising money for the Liberal Party of Canada. The money has been paid and receipted according to the law. We do that. I did it in Calgary, in Edmonton, in Vancouver; I do it all over Canada. That is the way political parties function in Canada. That is the way we can ensure it is fair for all parties. Every member of Parliament has the right to solicit money from people.

If you can prove a link between a contract and a contribution, do it. If you cannot, you do not have the right to speak because it is only-

[Minister Of Canadian Heritage, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, all the facts are known and there is no need for an investigation. The names and the amounts of money are known. The money has been paid to the Liberal Party. I discussed this with the ethics counsellor yesterday morning.

[Minister Of Canadian Heritage, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have replied to these questions and the hon. member has not put forward any new facts.

We have the names of the people who contributed to the Liberal Party at this occasion. The names were printed in public documents. It is part of the political process of contributions to the party. As I said yesterday, the contributors did not receive a contract in relation to the government. Most of these contributions came from corporations which gave to the Reform Party as well.

[Minister Of Canadian Heritage, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat all that has been done according to the information I have is the member has contributions, the money has been paid to the Liberal Party of Canada and we know the names of the people and the amount, as every party does. Some of the contributors to that dinner have also given money to the Reform Party.

[Minister Of Canadian Heritage, June 7th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I replied to these questions yesterday. I said that ministers have been engaged like all members of Parliament of all parties in fundraising. The names of the people and the amount of money have been transmitted to the party according to the laws of Canada. Every minister and every member of Parliament are doing that. Everybody has to do it according to rules set out by the elections act. In this case the minister has followed that.

[Code Of Ethics, June 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, when it is time for the next election all our promises listed on page 111 of the red book will have been met. I can guarantee that.

We were elected for five years and we have only been here for a year and a half so far, yet we have already met two-thirds of these election commitments. That is not bad. We will keep working to meet our commitments.

As far as the hon. member is concerned, he has been up a dozen times with this question, and every time it has been strike one, strike two, strike three.

[Code Of Ethics, June 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, as I have explained many times in this House, the priorities for highways within a province are decided by the

minister of transport or highways within that province. In the case of Nova Scotia, the Government of Nova Scotia had other priorities, so we did what we have done with many other provincial governments. When there is a need to change priorities, we oblige the provincial governments, as a good government in Ottawa should do.

We can impose our will all the time, but everybody would tell us that we are not being respectful of the wishes of the provinces and are being the big brother deciding for them. When we oblige them they blame us.

For a good situation in Canada, it is good that my ministers listen to the provinces whenever possible.

[Code Of Ethics, June 6th, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member just said something. If he can make an accusation according to the rule of the House that there is a contract that has been attributed because money has been paid to the Liberal Party, he should make the proof and not chicken out from that. That is the rule of decency. They cannot prove it because the contribution is public.

I am going to fundraisers across the land every week. I have more rubber chicken in my body than any other Canadian. I do that because I believe that what my party believes in is the right thing for Canada. These years, the people are coming in the thousands to give money to the Liberal Party. Good for them.