Paul Martin

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is, take a look at the way government works, or he may never have the opportunity. The fact is the rules are established.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the very first thing this government did on taking office was to cancel the sponsorship program. We did not wait a day. We did not wait five minutes. We acted. We acted today immediately upon the tabling of the report.

Therefore I ask the opposition, will it cooperate with the public accounts committee? Will it meet this afternoon?

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that when money is allocated by a cabinet, by a minister of finance, or by a president of the treasury board, that in fact it is allocated on the basis that certain rules, very clear rules will be followed.

The problem is that those rules were not followed. This is at the heart of the Auditor General's report. It is for that reason that the government wants to get to the bottom of exactly what happened. That is why we called for a commission of inquiry.

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the situation described by the Auditor General is unacceptable. Canadians deserve better and it is for that reason that the government has acted swiftly.

It is for this reason that the government has appointed a commission of inquiry. It is for this reason that the government has asked the public accounts committee be established immediately and that it meet as early as possible, including this afternoon. It is for this reason that the government has appointed a special counsel to recover the funds. We are acting now.

[National Defence, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that our troops are stretched thin and there is no doubt that they have to come back. At the same time, there are other jobs and other vocations which certain of our troops can fill that would not interfere with their rotation and would not in fact lead to stretching them even more thinly.

Under those circumstances, the Government of Canada has said that up to 500, not more, could remain or could be rotated back if the jobs they were required to perform would not stretch them too thinly.

[Agriculture, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member may know, over the course of the last two to three months I have met with the cattle industry in Saskatchewan, I have met with the cattle industry in Ontario, I have met with it in Quebec and I have done so in Alberta.

There is one consistent theme and that is praise for this Minister of Agriculture who went to Japan and Korea and who was on the job in Alberta and in Saskatchewan. Unanimously, the cattle industry has praised him for the job that he has done.

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the first part of that question has already been answered a number of times.

What is really important is that as soon as I was in a position, along with the House leader, to take action, I took action.

The hon. member will know that I was out of cabinet and not exactly in a position of power to do very much at that time. As soon as I was in a position to act, along with the House leader, the government acted.

[National Defence, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, what the government is in the process of doing is gathering information. That is why in fact the letters were exchanged between the Minister of National Defence and the United States. We are gathering information.

Canada has made it very clear that we do not support the weaponization of space. We will not participate if in fact what is happening is the weaponization of space.

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, as finance minister, I was the one who brought the matter of tax havens to the G-7. Under Canada's leadership, the G-7 took this matter to the OECD. There was a monumental study. There was a problem with the Europeans, but Canada said that tax havens needed to be eliminated to ensure international equity. I said it here in the House, I said it on the international scene, and I will continue to say it.

[Canada Steamship Lines, February 5th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to openness and transparency. The real issue before the House is, why is the opposition afraid of the results that will come forth from the Auditor General? Why is the opposition afraid that the Auditor General will in fact look at these numbers and take up the examination?