Kevin Sorenson

[Government Contracts, October 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. We know that David Nicholson, a former deputy minister of Veterans Affairs and president of ACOA, was a special adviser to the Solicitor General in December 2000. When did Mr. Nicholson cease to be employed directly by the minister and become an employee of Everett Roche's accounting firm?

[Government Contracts, October 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Solicitor General continually refuses to answer questions from the opposition. He refuses to face the media. Now he even refuses to answer questions from his very own backbench. Canadians are demanding answers.

Will the Solicitor General have the courage today to exit through the front doors and face the music or is he going to continue to slither out the back way?

[Government Contracts, October 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the plot thickens. We now know that Mr. Nicholson was a member of the Solicitor General's staff shortly before the contract was made with Mr. Roche's firm. Mr. Nicholson went from ministerial employee to being under contract with the minister's political pal's firm.

My question is for the Solicitor General. Was this transfer solely made to launder government funds through the firm of Mr. Roche, through the firm of this minister's political pal?

[Nuclear Safety and Control Act, October 10th, 2002]

With Kyoto you're going to need them.

[Government Contracts, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the contract that was renewed was the contract with the department of the Solicitor General's office. The terms of the contract, of which we are in receipt, clearly state that contractor agrees to provide advice to senior officials in the department and in the office of the Solicitor General on issues concerning the portfolio of the Solicitor General. Therefore, one can only assume that the advice on Prince Edward Island was contracted for separately.

I ask the Solicitor General again. Was there an additional contract? Yes or no. If there was an additional contract, will he provide that contract to the House today?

[Government Contracts, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, after admitting last week that David Nicholson was providing “advice regarding Prince Edward Island, and in particular advice regarding Confederation Centre”, and as well as we know, advice on criminal justice issues, the Solicitor General's office said that half of the moneys paid was paid through the ministerial account.

My question is for the Solicitor General. Were there then in fact two separate contracts?

[Government Contracts, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as a senior partner in that same firm Mr. Roche benefits from any dollars that are received by the firm for any work, whether it is a $140,000 contract or a bake sale in the front lobby.

I ask the minister again: Why did he break the rules by conferring a financial benefit on a close political friend?

[Government Contracts, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, by saying that David Nicholson did the work and by stressing that the contract was with a firm and not an individual, the minister is suggesting that his good friend Everett Roche did not receive any financial benefit in any way, shape or form. That is wrong. Mr. Roche is a partner and thereby benefits from all work that is received by the firm.

My question is for the Solicitor General. Why did the minister's friend receive a benefit from the Solicitor General's department?

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, there are only two reasons the minister would not contract with Mr. Nicholson directly. First of all, he wanted his old political pal's firm to benefit from the contract, or it was to get around the very strict Treasury Board rules that govern the hiring of former civil servants. Which is it?

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. Why was the $140,000 contract not signed directly by David Nicholson if, as the Solicitor General professes, this individual's qualifications were so outstanding?