John Baird

[Government Policies, May 7th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we have the Liberal Party, in the leader's round, suggesting that the conclusions of an ethics investigation are already made, despite the fact that the Liberal Party had to send its own member to the ethics committee just yesterday. That violates the independence of the Ethics Commissioner.

Canadians also want to know of some additional information that has come to the government's attention, that has come to the public realm. The Liberal member of Parliament for Scarborough—Rouge River, while advertising himself as a paid lobbyist, was taking free trips to Dubai from a special interest. What was going on in the United Arab Emirates and why was this issue with respect to his lobbying not brought before the House before we discussed lobbying reform earlier this week?

[Government Policies, May 7th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Scrutiny of Regulations is one of the most important bodies in Canada. It is there to oversee the government's role in regulations. All the members of that committee are there to stand up for the public interest.

Why would the Liberal leader put a man who advertises the fact that he is a paid lobbyist, advertises that he can have regulations changed for foreign interests, why would the Liberal leader put this same Liberal MP on this important standing committee? Canadians have a right to know and Canadians want to get to the bottom of it.

[Government Policies, May 7th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is not about bullying anyone. It is about standing up for the national interests. It is about standing up for what is right and standing up for the public interests.

The member opposite has come to a conclusion about what the Ethics Commissioner will decide on the matter on which the Liberal member has sought advice. I guess the Liberal Party does not want to hear from the Ethics Commissioner because it has already made up its mind.

Canadians want to know about the Liberal cover-up. First the leader of the Liberal Party argues against including members of Parliament under the Lobbying Act. We did not know why. We learned why yesterday. Then the Liberal member alters information on a website before he sends the matter to the minister, and then alters it again after. The Liberal Party—

[Government Policies, May 7th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we have an important responsibility as the Government of Canada to listen to all the voices and then to act in the national interest and in the public interest.

I think Canadians are justifiably concerned with what they learned yesterday about a Liberal member of Parliament advertising himself as a paid lobbyist who could seek regulatory changes.

I have a question for the Liberal Party. Why would the Liberal leader put a man member who advertises himself as a paid lobbyist, who could have regulations changed for foreign interests, why would he put the same Liberal member on the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations? Is that not putting the fox in charge of the henhouse?

[Ethics, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we in the House are debating important issues like lobbying reform this week. We want to raise the bar on the registration of lobbyists and increase lobby registration, but the Liberal Party is fighting us. It does not want us to include MPs in that lobbying reform.

We all wonder what the Liberals have to hide. Now, we learn that the Liberal leader is condoning his own Liberal members of Parliament acting as paid lobbyists for foreign organizations. The leader of the Liberal Party should ensure that all Liberal MPs who are acting as paid lobbyists for special interests put their information on the table. Be honest with Canadians.

[Ethics, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, if people believe what they read on the Sun law firm website, I can tell them there is no line in the Liberal Party. It is just one common room where one can act as a member of Parliament and a lobbyist at the same time.

I want to know from the Liberal Party which foreign and offshore organizations are being helped to obtain operating licences. How is the Liberal member securing regulatory government approval for mergers and acquisitions? Which clients is the Liberal member asking to review the policies of CSIS? Is the Liberal MP for Scarborough—Rouge River providing foreign and offshore organizations with information about CSIS?

[Ethics, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to release a copy of the Sun & Partners website, where the Liberal member for Scarborough—Rouge River advertises himself as a lobbyist. This raises a number of questions about the Liberal Party.

Who is the Liberal Party's member of Parliament lobbying for? When he says that he secures regulatory government approvals for mergers and acquisitions, who is he talking about? When he advises government bodies on cross-border tax collection, when he lobbies government on policy issues, when he calls a minister's office, who is he fighting for? Is he fighting for his constituents or some foreign well-paid interest?

[Ethics, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, on the World Wide Web, the Liberal member of Parliament is advertising himself as lobbyist. What does he do for his clients?

He reviews policies and the conduct of the Canadian Security Intelligence Services. He assists foreign and offshore organizations in obtaining operating licences. He advises government bodies on international issues, regarding cross-border tax collection. The Liberal Party member of Parliament is advertising that he can “lobbying government on policy issues as well as facilitating inter-governmental relationships”.

What exactly does the Liberal Party have to—

[Ethics, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we had an effort in Parliament yesterday to expend the Lobbying Act. We were only too happy to support it and said “let's go even farther. Let's include all members of Parliament in that effort”. One Liberal member of Parliament is quoted in the paper as saying, “I have to provide some confidentiality”.

For our friend, the member for Scarborough—Rouge River, I was reading the World Wide Web today and, lo and behold, the Liberal MP for Scarborough—Rouge River is advertising himself as a lobbyist.

[Ethics, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. Public servants at the Department of Natural Resources have revealed that the documents in question pertain to Mr. Glémaud's role as a public servant and have nothing to do with either Mr. Jaffer or with Green Power Generation.

I trust the public servants at Natural Resources Canada when they say that.