Mauril Bélanger

[Sponsorship Program, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we have a process in the House through the public accounts committee. We will respect the request for pertinent information from that committee, as we have in the past, and we will continue to do so.

[Sponsorship Program, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, of the five motions passed by public accounts yesterday, three were from opposition members and the Liberal members supported them. The commitment from this government is steady. We will provide the pertinent information as requested by the committee, which is the master of its own destiny. We have been providing that information and we will continue to do so.

[The Budget, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, this matter was brought up yesterday. The government has confirmed that whatever information is requested by the committee, the government will provide.

The committee is master of its own destiny, as we well know, and the committee has decided to approve a number of recommendations. We will act on those. As soon as the information is collected and gathered, it will be made available, as we have in the past with cabinet documents.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, things have not changed from the start of the question period. The committee has approved five motions. Some of them call for information. Whatever information is requested that is pertinent to this will be provided by the government, as we have on past occasions when we have received requests for information from this committee.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, five motions were adopted by the committee this morning, four of them I gather from the copy of the motions that I have received, pertain to documents which will be provided.

It seems those members do not believe in the committee process, however, we do. If the committee asked for pertinent documents to this matter, as in the past, the government will provide the information.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the committee is master of its destiny. If it requests information pertinent to getting to the bottom of this matter, that information will be provided as it has been provided in the past.

For the first time in memory, cabinet documents have been presented at committee at the committee's request. That indicates the wish of the government to provide all pertinent information.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the government has committed to provide all pertinent information to the committee. It has had a request to provide cabinet documents, which have been provided. It has had a request today to provide information relating to a previous minister and to public servants. That material will be provided.

The relevant and pertinent information requested by members of the committee will be provided by the government as it has been in the past.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the committee adopted a motion this morning and I will read it, “That the committee request that a copy of the daily agendas of three people, including Gagliano, be provided between November 1993 and December 2003 to the committee”. This will be provided.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I have been informed that a number of motions were put forward in committee this morning and that at least five of them, requesting a great deal of information, were approved by the committee. This information will be provided to the committee by the government as soon as it has been put together and is available.

[Sponsorship Program, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the committee is master of its own destiny. Nevertheless, when someone goes on a fishing expedition and asks for tonnes of information about all departments since 1997, it is impossible to provide everything. If the committee decides to provide information about certain ministers, as requested, it will receive these documents in due course.