Jean Chrétien

[Agriculture, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, while the opposition was not talking about agriculture, on many occasions I talked with the president of the United States and told him that it was completely unacceptable to increase by 80% the subsidy to farmers.

It is unfair for the good producers of Canada and the other nations of the world.

While the opposition was throwing dirt, we were doing the job for the farmers in this country.

[Prime Minister, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as I said very clearly, I sold the shares I owned in the golf course before becoming Prime Minister of Canada, and I have nothing further to add.

I followed the advice given to me by the ethics counsellor to the letter.

[Prime Minister, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I think they are really running out of questions. They are back to 1993 when I acted exactly under the advice of the ethics counsellor.

Perhaps I can take the occasion to ask the leader of the fifth party if he will give the names of all the people who will contribute to his own retirement fund that is being set up at this time.

[G-8 Summit, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday afternoon I gave four times more time to the union leaders who came from Africa. They were the guests of the CLC in Canada.

They congratulated Canada for this initiative and they congratulated me because I was in a position to tell them that we have decided that Africa is to be the main item of the summit at Kananaskis next week and nothing will deter the meeting from the objective to put Africa back on the map of the world where it should be. This initiative of Canadians was applauded by the leaders of all the--

[The Media, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have not talked with Mr. Gibson and I never met Mr. Mills. I did not ask for his resignation from anybody at all. It is a decision that has been made by the owner of the Southam chain, just like decisions were made by the previous owner and the owners before.

[The Media, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the operation of newspapers are changed all the time. I remember when Mr. Black took over the Citizen . Some people who were very good in administration were asked to go. That happens all the time.

The same thing happened at the Gazette . Senator Joan Fraser was an editor at the Gazette and because she was not conservative enough, she lost her job but there was no cry from the opposition in those days.

[The Media, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the last time I had lunch with the owner of Southam News it was at 24 Sussex with Lord Conrad Black. He has sold his asset to somebody else.

For those who pretend that I control the press, I have to say that I am not very successful at it. I read the press every day and some mornings I am a bit disappointed with those people but I never tell them.

[The Media, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, again in the House of Commons this week there was a very specific question about a meeting on Saturday morning at 24 Sussex. I was not at 24 Sussex that day. There was no meeting. I did not have breakfast with Mr. Asper or anyone in his family.

Last week opposition members made a big accusation about Harrington Lake being used. That was a lie. We gave the cheque. They have not yet apologized.

[The Media, June 19th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the last time I met with Mr. Asper it was at a reception and all the press was there. The leader of the fifth party was there. After, Mr. Asper said he did not want to stay with me and he had dinner with the Leader of the Opposition.

[Presence in Gallery, June 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I think it will be of interest to the House of Commons to know that the President of the Republic of Latvia lived for many years in Montreal. She was a teacher.

She was very well known in Montreal. She was a great citizen of that city. As Canadians, we are very proud to see that she is now the president of her country.