John Baird

[Canada Elections Act, September 18th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my colleague from Quebec for giving a good speech.

Obviously it is always the third party’s fault when a government that had a majority for close to 10 years did not have an opportunity to put its own bill to the vote. That is what happened with the previous government. I find these stories really funny.

I agree completely with the member from Roberval: this new bill would let us know ahead of time when the next election would take place. The ministers would have lots of possibilities and would know how many years, months and days they had left to work on their bills.

Something else that is very important is the way things operate, particularly a minority government. But it is exactly the same way of operating in a majority government: the ministers work with the opposition critics.

I had a very enjoyable experience working with the former Bloc Québécois critic, Benoît Sauvageau, who passed away. He was an extraordinary man, a very honest man, with great abilities and a lot of experience. It was a great pleasure for me work with him. All our thoughts go out to his family and his colleagues on both sides of the House.

[Federal Accountability Act, June 22nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister made a solemn commitment to introduce the federal accountability act as the very first piece of legislation into the House, a promise that he delivered on.

Yesterday the House of Commons voted to ban corporate donations to political parties, voted to oppose a five year ban on ministers becoming lobbyists when they leave office and voted to beef up the powers of the Auditor General to allow her to follow the money.

Accountability is also about standing up and making a stand. I know where the NDP stands on accountability. I know where the Bloc Quebecois stands on accountability. I know where this team and the Conservative Party stands on accountability. The only group not to make up its mind is the opposition Liberal Party.

[Health, June 22nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member opposite that the Minister of National Defence has more experience and more integrity to deal with issues affecting our armed forces than any minister in the last 50 years.

As for that member of the Liberal Party standing in his place and trying to give lessons on ethics to this party, while we were trying to bring in the federal accountability act frontbench members of the Liberal Party were shaking down young school children, shaking down young children for their milk money to give to their political campaigns. The member opposite should apologize and then resign.

[Health, June 22nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a landmark day for accountability. Yesterday the House of Commons passed the federal accountability act, which would ban corporate donations, ban union contributions and lower to just $1,000 a single campaign limit, not just for campaigns at election time, but also for leadership campaigns.

For the Liberal member to stand in his place and lecture this party on financing of leadership campaigns is absolutely disgraceful. He should tell his colleagues in the Senate to pass the federal accountability act now and bring real accountability to both houses of Parliament.

[Health, June 22nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker--

[Federal Accountability Act, June 21st, 2006]

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in.

[Federal Accountability Act, June 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I think if you were to ask you would find unanimous consent to amend Motion No. 30, which will be voted on in short order. I move:

That Bill C-2, in Clause 315, be amended by replacing lines 19 to 21 on page 207 with the following:

“provincial government or municipality, or any of their agencies;

(c.1) a band, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act, any”

[Judges Act, June 20th, 2006]

moved:

That Bill C-17, An Act to amend the Judges Act and certain other Acts in relation to courts, be referred forthwith to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

[Federal Accountability Act, June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think the House would benefit greatly from hearing the wit and wisdom of the member for York South—Weston.

I was able to tell the House a moment ago about the career background of the member for Vancouver Quadra. However, many in the House will not know that the member for York South—Weston was the head of government of one of the largest governments in Canada, larger than most provinces in fact, when he was chairman of the government in metropolitan Toronto. Many people in the House probably did not know that when he asked whether he could have unanimous consent to say a few words.

I would ask, again, for the unanimous consent of the House to allow the member for York South--Weston to speak.

[Federal Accountability Act, June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder if we might have the indulgence of the House. We are working with the Clerk on the amendment to Motion No. 13, which was agreed to by unanimous consent, to ensure it is in the right place. I wonder if we might have a short pause while the Table is consulted by my colleague, the able opposition critic, who is not only the opposition critic on ethics. He is also a former ombudsman and a former deputy attorney general of British Columbia. He is someone who has great skill and knowledge. One may disagree with the member, but I have grown to respect his judgment on these issues.