Jean Chrétien

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the minister explained the whole thing. Contracts were awarded according to well established rules. There is delegated authority. Decisions are made by the officials in charge. Contracts are awarded based on company qualification.

This company had qualified, and it won contracts under long established government rules.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what a fishing expedition.

In nine years all the ministers of the government have been extremely careful with everything they have done. I do not have to ask them every day if they are behaving well or not. They have done very well in the last nine years.

In this case all the facts are known. The minister of public works did not accept any benefit. He paid for the eight hours or more that he had to sleep in the bed before going skiing.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the family of the minister paid $800 for two nights to sleep in a house while they were skiing. The facts are known. The payment was made. The payment was accepted by the owner of the house. What happened to the cheque after it was given to the owner was not the responsibility of those who paid. All the facts are absolutely known. The minister did not accept any gain in that. It is just something that the family paid for. The minister has the confidence of this party and of this Prime Minister.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that, when they used the chalet, they immediately gave a cheque to the owner. The cheque was then endorsed and handed over to the priest. There was nothing else that needed to be done. They paid, and the owner of the chalet endorsed the cheque, or in other words accepted payment.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, this contract was awarded by the department of public works following well-established guidelines. There is a process for obtaining these contracts. People must qualify to receive them.

When people qualify, the contracts are awarded. In this case, the company qualified and the contract was awarded in accordance with all the existing standards for contracts of this type.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with the business of the nation all the time. For the last 14 days they are not asking any questions; they are just throwing mud. It is the level of where they are. I have never seen such harassment in a situation like this when the people of Canada expect members of parliament to be serious and stop making fun like they try to do.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, if he read the affidavit of the priest who received the cheque, the cheque was endorsed in the month of March by the lady who was the owner of the house. The cheque was transmitted in April to the priest who did not cash it because the local caisse populaire did not accept that type of transaction. However the minute the cheque was endorsed by the lady who owned the house, at that moment the transaction was completed.

[Government Contracts, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, there is a member of parliament who has done something that is very rare. He started his life here working in the restaurant and moved up all the ladders. He is the first Canadian to get his university degree while working as a minister. He is a very honourable member. He is doing a good job. He is working under difficult circumstances, but he has my confidence.

[Supply, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on the question of crown corporations we said that we were to have guidelines by this time of the year. On the question of the ministers who are involved in future ambitions, we have to make sure it is done in the proper fashion.

I would like to say something at this moment to the leader of the New Democratic Party. She is the one in the House who has shown the greatest responsibility. During the last 14 days that I checked, she was the one who was talking and asking questions about the real problems of the nation rather than being like the Alliance and just throwing mud all the time.

[Supply, May 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to answer this question.

First of all, it is the opposition that asked that we refer this matter to the auditor general. Second, if there were a commission that lasted two years, we could be here in the House refusing to answer.

We are not afraid to answer. We welcome the opposition's questions. We do not want to wash our hands of it, create a commission for two years, and then say “We will see”.

We are able to face our problems right away. We are not hiding. We are here in the House of Commons answering all of the questions everyday.