Mr. Speaker, I can measure the dishonesty of the member across. Yes, two persons were found guilty in my riding, and it is my office that called the police. He should get up and say so to the House of Commons.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 54% of the vote.
Ethics Counsellor May 1st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I can measure the dishonesty of the member across. Yes, two persons were found guilty in my riding, and it is my office that called the police. He should get up and say so to the House of Commons.
Ethics Counsellor May 1st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor appears regularly in front of committees where they can ask questions.
He is there to advise members of parliament. Some from both sides have consulted him, ministers and the Prime Minister, and his role is to give advice. There was no such job before we formed the government. He is there. He is knowledgeable about that. He is involved in the registry of the lobbyists too. He gives very good advice. He has been very useful to the government. He has been a very good witness very often in front of committees, replying to all the questions from members from all sides.
Ethics Counsellor May 1st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the counsellor, Mr. Wilson, discussed that with the Minister of Finance. He looked at all the facts and he concluded that there was no conflict of interest. That is the end of the matter for me.
If the hon. member wants to have information about the contract, he has access to information. He can file the application with the Department of Finance and of course according to the law it will have to table the document eventually. It is the process that has to be followed and I know that in this case the Minister of Finance has followed the regulations properly.
Ethics Counsellor May 1st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, when ministers or members of parliament talk to the ethics counsellor, they call, they talk, they discuss the problem. That is exactly what the Minister of Finance did, twice.
There is no need to have a record of a private discussion. Members go there and discuss their private affairs with him. They receive advice.
He gives them the advice to follow all the guidelines and that is exactly what the Minister of Finance did.
Immigration April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, 200 million people cross the border every year. Who at the border decides that these are refugees who are coming across? It is when they are in Canada that they say they want to be refugees. At the very moment a person claims refugee status she or he is entitled, under international obligations and Canadian law, to due process of law.
Ethics Counsellor April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the guidelines exist and they are being followed by everyone.
A member of cabinet is a member of parliament. A prime minister is a member of parliament. Members of parliament have an obligation to do their best to help the constituents from the riding in which they were elected. We do that all the time. When that type of expression is used by a member it creates problems for all politicians.
This parliament has been a very honest parliament. Not one single member of this parliament has had to resign for corruption.
Ethics Counsellor April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, there was no ethics counsellor in Canada before we formed the government. We call him an ethics counsellor so that members of parliament can consult with him and receive advice, like ministers do and like the Prime Minister does. He has appeared in front of committees and has replied to all questions.
When a member of parliament, a minister or the Prime Minister seeks advice, and we do have the right to seek advice, the ethics counsellor gives advice to that person. Mr. Wilson has appeared dozens of times in front of committees and has replied to all questions from all members of the House.
Public Safety Act April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, we are not shutting down parliament. We are introducing a bill in front of parliament at this moment which will be debated tomorrow. There is no shutting down of parliament at all. On the contrary, we are involving parliament in the process to make sure that we have a system of security in Canada to protect the Canadian people, but at the same time we have to make sure that the rights of Canadians are protected. The bill will achieve both goals.
Public Safety Act April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, there was a bill, there was some criticism, we have withdrawn the bill and we have a new bill. The bill is coming in front of the House of Commons. There will be a debate in the House of Commons before the bill will be approved.
It is a sign that we have looked at that, but we have to make sure at the same time that we can have the security that is needed to protect the Canadian people.
National Defence April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, we have NORAD, and that is a form of working together with the Americans on one element of the defence policies of North America. If they want to have something else, they can ask, but I can assure members of parliament that the Canadian government will take responsibility for defending Canada. There will be Canadian laws that will apply.
If there is the possibility of collaboration with our neighbours, of course we want to collaborate with them, but the authority over Canadian soil will be in the hands of the Canadian government.