Joe Clark

[Member for LaSalle--Émard, April 2nd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, that is step forward. Will the Prime Minister confirm that he knew that Canada Steamship Lines was owned by the member for LaSalle—Émard when he named him minister of finance? Will the Prime Minister also confirm that he knew the 1994 budget closed Canadian tax loopholes with respect to Liberia and did not close loopholes with respect to Barbados?

Will he advise the House when he first learned that his former finance minister's company, Canada Steamship Lines, shut down its operations in Liberia and opened operations in Barbados or is it the Prime Minister's position that he just did not know?

[Member for LaSalle--Émard, April 2nd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. Canada Steamship Lines says that it moved certain operations to Barbados because of changes in Canadian tax rules in 1995. The ethics counsellor took part in meetings between CSL and its owner, the then minister of finance. The counsellor declined to tell the CBC program Disclosure whether the then minister had discussed the Barbados decision.

Has the ethics counsellor told the Prime Minister whether the then minister of finance discussed his company's move to Barbados? Has the Prime Minister asked the ethics counsellor? If not, will the Prime Minister ask him?

[Iraq, April 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I have a short question for the Minister of National Defence.

On Thursday, March 20, the government voted in favour of a motion that read, and I quote:

That this House call upon the government not to participate in the military intervention initiated by the United States in Iraq.

Was the Minister of National Defence aware at the time of the vote that members of the Canadian Forces currently on exchange with foreign units could find themselves in front line combat situations?

[Member for LaSalle—Émard, April 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

In her 2002 report, the Auditor General noted that a special new rule established by the Department of Finance, “...allows dividends from Barbados international business corporations...to qualify for tax-free treatment”.

Could the Prime Minister advise whether the former minister of finance, the member for LaSalle—Émard, stepped aside from all discussions regarding these new tax rules? Could he also advise whether the establishment of Barbadian subsidiaries of Canada Steamship Lines was discussed during any of the several briefings the former minister has admitted receiving about his businesses while he was minister?

[Health, April 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. To this point, governments are relying on voluntary quarantines and voluntary compliance to limit the SARS outbreak. The Quarantine Act allows the government to enforce quarantines and compliance. It can be invoked at the minister's discretion. A Health Canada official is quoted as saying that would be “an extreme measure” in these circumstances. The minister must be considering this option to protect public health.

Under what circumstances would the government consider invoking the Quarantine Act?

[Iraq, March 31st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Blair has been to Washington to make the case that reconstruction of Iraq should be led by the United Nations. Australia's foreign minister is on his way there today to make the same case. Canada has finally taken a position in favour of the UN leading reconstruction, yet the Prime Minister has cancelled the Washington trip he was scheduled to make next week.

Why is the Prime Minister not taking the case for the United Nations to Washington himself, or does the government believe that he has no credibility with the U.S. administration?

[Health, March 31st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Health Canada is encouraging Canadians not to travel to or transit through Hanoi, Hong Kong or Singapore for fear of coming into contact with SARS, yet the government department has not yet established a policy of questioning travellers coming from these SARS trouble spots upon arrival in Canada.

Can the Minister of Health tell the House why that is and at what stage she would be prepared to question or quarantine travellers who present a health threat to Canadians?

[Iraq, March 25th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister Blair will meet Kofi Annan on Thursday to discuss both the oil for food program and reconstruction in Iraq. Mr. Blair will also meet President Bush to use Britain's constructive influence on the Americans.

The Prime Minister will have noted that France has threatened to veto any British resolution respecting reconstruction. The Prime Minister has a close connection to the President of France.

Would he tell the House what he is doing to bring France into an agreement with a Security Council resolution that would authorize the United Nations, not the Pentagon, to lead reconstruction in Iraq?

[Iraq, March 25th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask about the need for urgent aid in Iraq if government members care about that at all.

There is a need for food and humanitarian aid there. There is also a need for a reconstruction program that goes beyond humanitarian aid and that is seen by the Iraqi people as being fair. A Pentagon run reconstruction program will not be seen to be fair. A UN led plan could be.

Ambassador Heinbecker met with the government today. Is the government considering plans to initiate a UN led--

[Iraq, March 25th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, there is an urgent need for food and humanitarian aid in Iraq. There is also a need for a reconstruction program that goes beyond humanitarian--