Mr. Speaker, with the House honouring the Pope's memory tomorrow by suspending the sitting out of respect for his passing, we are interested in knowing from the government what business is planned for the week of April 11 to 15.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 57% of the vote.
Business of the House April 7th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, with the House honouring the Pope's memory tomorrow by suspending the sitting out of respect for his passing, we are interested in knowing from the government what business is planned for the week of April 11 to 15.
Sponsorship Program April 7th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, that feigned outrage is not cutting it anymore. There is evidence the Prime Minister was involved in spreading the dirty money around.
There are documents from the Quebec chief electoral officer to prove that the Parti Québécois got thousands of dollars from at least seven Groupaction employees, who were apparently reimbursed afterward by their employer.
Can the Prime Minister assure us that none of the money paid out by the sponsorship program went to bankroll the separatists' agenda?
Sponsorship Program April 7th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, Groupe Everest employees have pointed out that the Prime Minister himself was setting up meetings to end Groupaction's monopoly and divvy up lucrative sponsorship contracts.
The Prime Minister has acted in this way before on behalf of Groupaction. He intervened in 1994 in the national unity fund contract. His office actively campaigned to have Groupe Everest added to the list of advertising agencies.
How can the Prime Minister continue to deny knowledge--
Sponsorship Program April 7th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, there is a mountain of evidence that the Liberal government is involved in a criminal conspiracy of the like never seen in this country before.
Sponsorship Program April 7th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, now that the publication ban at the Gomery commission has been partially lifted and the stench and the rot of corruption is starting to leak out, I would like to ask the Prime Minister if he is prepared to disclose whether there are senior members of the staff of ministerial offices who have been released or taken a leave of absence as a result of being implicated in the sponsorship scandal, and will he list those names?
Passports April 6th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I note the public works minister is not quoting from the National Post today.
Yesterday the Auditor General was scathing in her condemnation of the security practices at the Passport Office. She said it is struggling to meet security expectations and demands for service. This is not the first time this has been mentioned by the Auditor General. American officials are also concerned. Witness yesterday's announcement that they are now requiring Canadians to carry passports when they enter the U.S.
It has been four years since 9/11. Why the delay in action and what assurances are being given to the Americans that all necessary security measures will be completed prior to the issuance of any passport?
Sponsorship Program April 6th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I note the Prime Minister, who is sitting next to the founder of the Bloc Québécois, was the finance minister during the entire time that the sponsorship program was operating.
We know from the testimony and from the admission of Alain Renaud that $100,000 went through Groupaction to the Parti Québécois. That happened on his watch as finance minister. Did he approve of that transaction of money that went to the separatists?
Passports April 5th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear they are wrapping their arms around the Auditor General who accuses them of breaking every rule in the book.
The Auditor General today revealed that the watch lists used by the passport office are so deficient they are of limited use. Just a fraction of the people on the CPIC wanted or probation violations list are on those lists so officials cannot automatically check this or cross-reference the information. In essence it means that the Canadian passport office has been issuing passports to criminals or parolees.
Why is the security of the Canadian passport system and Canada's international reputation being so sullied by the government? Why does it refuse to--
Passports April 5th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we know that the government is not very good at securing people's money. Apparently it cannot secure passports either.
The Auditor General said that the government is not currently meeting security expectations for the issuing of passports. There is inadequate checking of passport guarantors, no electronic links to databases including bureaus of vital statistics for crime watch lists, and critical areas of passport offices are wide open. No wonder some are calling Canada's passports a terrorist dream document.
The Auditor General previously criticized the government for its handling of passports, for failing to track more than 25,000 that were lost last year.
Given the security concerns in a post 9/11 world, when is the government going to start treating--
The Budget April 5th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to honesty, I would rather ask Mr. Justice Gomery about the integrity of the government.
The accord was signed independent of the budget consultations. It took the Prime Minister seven months to deliver on this promise, which he has not delivered. It has now taken him six weeks to try to weasel out of it.
The Prime Minister's dithering is costing Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador millions of dollars. When will he keep his commitment?