House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 46% of the vote.
Business Development Bank Of Canada April 25th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. The Business Development Bank asked Justice Silcoff for an order that included the destruction of documents. That is a very unusual request, and the judge refused it.
Why did the crown corporation request the destruction of documents? Was the Prime Minister or anyone on his behalf involved in any way with the decision to ask the court to order the destruction of documents?
Ethics Counsellor April 5th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Winnipeg—Transcona. My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.
The government has received recommendations from the ethics counsellor proposing to close the loophole that lets ministers call crown corporations with impunity.
Will the government introduce changes to the law that would prevent that interference with crown corporations and that would make the ethics counsellor responsible directly to parliament and not simply to the Prime Minister?
Agriculture April 5th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister of agriculture told the Senate that his answer to an illegal American ban on P.E.I. potatoes was to have islanders consider getting out of the potato industry. That is like telling Ontario to get out of the auto industry.
The Prime Minister is meeting President Bush in Quebec. Will he tell the president to lift the illegal U.S. ban on P.E.I. potatoes? Will the Prime Minister bring back to the House concrete assurances that P.E.I. farmers will be able to export their potatoes this year?
Prime Minister April 5th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's personal company must pay the cost of Michaud's witnesses at any inquiry.
Yesterday was the first time in Canadian history where a Prime Minister was forced to miss a vote because of conflict of interest under parliamentary rules.
My question is for the Prime Minister. When he signed the so-called bill of sale was Jonas Prince present at the time of the Prime Minister's signature? Will the Prime Minister table his schedule for that day?
Prime Minister April 4th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, could the Prime Minister tell the House why it took his lawyer, Deborah Weinstein, three long years to negotiate the sale of the shares to one of his original partners?
Will the Prime Minister confirm that a condition precedent to Mr. Michaud's agreement to buy the shares was that the Prime Minister's personal company would pay the costs of any inquiry or any other proceeding?
Will he tell the House if there is any limit to the amount of money the Prime Minister's company will have to pay in the event of a public inquiry?
Prime Minister April 4th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, in 1986 in Hansard during the Stevens affair the current Minister of Industry stated:
—the overwhelming media and public preoccupation with this issue (of conflict of interest)...might have been avoided if we had in place...a means to investigate immediately and cause to come to conclusion serious allegations of wrongdoing—
Does the Prime Minister agree with his Minister of Industry? Will he therefore allow a free vote of the Liberal caucus on today's motion to establish an independent judicial inquiry on conflict of interest?
Canadian International Development Agency April 3rd, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. It has to do with the $6.3 million contract awarded by CIDA to one of Claude Gauthier's companies to install an electrical distribution system in Mali.
Could the Prime Minister tell the House if he or one of his ministers made any kind of representations to CIDA in favour of Claude Gauthier or one of his companies regarding this issue?
Canadian International Development Agency April 3rd, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I can—
Prime Minister April 3rd, 2001
Mr. Speaker, on March 28 the Minister of Industry told the House:
—we know the Prime Minister actually lost money on the sale as it was disposed by his trustee.
Could the Prime Minister tell the House how much money he originally paid for the golf club shares in 1988? Did he make a capital gains declaration or a capital loss declaration on his income tax respecting those transactions? If he did that, in what year was that done?
Supply April 3rd, 2001
Of course not, Madam Speaker. I suppose that kind of excess simply shows the desperation of the government's defenders.
What we are talking about here is a conflict of interest question. Is there proof? Yes, there is growing proof, not quite enough. The government has published some documents. It left a six year gap in documents. What they say raises new questions.
If there is any sense of conscience, if there is any sense of decency, on the part of backbench members of the Liberal Party, they would vote to clear up this matter. They would vote for an inquiry so parliament could get on with other business.