Ralph Goodale

[Government Priorities, March 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, well beyond high school, advanced skills and learning are absolute necessities for Canadian young people in a very competitive world, but it is expensive. Two-thirds of Canadian families do not think they can afford to send their kids to university, college, technical school or on apprenticeships. Their futures are at risk.

In the Conservative regime's twisted priorities, why is it spending a thousand times more on stealth fighter war planes than on students trying to go to school?

[Points of Order, March 23rd, 2011]

It is disgusting.

[Ethics, March 21st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, none of this passes the smell test. This regime cannot deny the intimate role in Conservative affairs played for decades by Bruce Carson.

Given his criminal record, how he ever passed a security check is a mystery. However, more recently, acting for a private vendor and standing to profit personally by $80 million, how did he get in the door of the current minister's office, what contact did he have with the previous minister, and how did he know of last year's cabinet shuffle in advance bragging that he had the new minister in his pocket?

[Ethics, March 21st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Carson is the consummate Conservative insider, a former chief of staff to the Prime Minister.

After he left the PMO in 2008, he began promoting water systems to be purchased by the Conservative government, generating profits for his fiancée of some $80 million.

It is publicly admitted that he met with the office of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and with bureaucrats in the department.

How many meetings were there? Exactly who was in each meeting? What was on the agenda? When was the minister personally briefed on the outcome?

[Government Accountability, March 11th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians believe we do not have to sacrifice democracy. The abuse continues.

In another parliamentary hearing next week, the Conservatives will stand accused by you, Mr. Speaker, of wrongfully hiding the truth about their extra corporate tax cuts, $6 billion; about their mega-jails, $13 billion; about their new war planes, where the cost has now doubled to $30 billion. It is no wonder the Prime Minister runs from a debate about his numbers and that leaves his budget a vacuous fraud.

When will the Conservatives stop thumbing their noses at Canadians and finally tell the truth?

[Government Accountability, March 11th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the coming week will be a week of shame for the Conservatives. In a courtroom in Ottawa, four of the Prime Minister's closest advisers will be charged with election fraud, phony invoices, illegal spending, illegal rebates, tampering with democracy.

A few blocks away, on Parliament Hill, a Conservative minister will face contempt proceedings about a falsified document, serial failures to tell the truth, again tampering with democracy.

Is such abuse of power considered normal by the Conservatives? “You win some, you lose some”, is that it?

[Japan, March 11th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, a savage earthquake caused huge damage and many deaths this morning in Japan. The entire Pacific Rim, including the west coast of Canada, is threatened with a tsunami.

Our deepest condolences go to all of those who have suffered loss and we remain concerned about those still in harm's way.

Can the government inform the House about the latest situation including the impact on Canadians in Japan or elsewhere, the tsunami risk to British Columbia, and the steps Canada will take to help all of those anywhere who are suffering as a consequence of this disaster?

[Political Financing, March 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives did not tell Elections Canada they sent false invoices.

One minister falsifies a document, tries to cover up and fails to tell the truth. Another minister launches an illegal fundraising scheme to shake down new immigrants. Four of the Prime Minister's close advisers are charged with election fraud involving forged invoices and dirty money. Those in the Conservative regime who object to this fraud are called “turds“ and “idiots” by all the Prime Minister's men.

Will this regime at least tell Senator Finley and Senator Gerstein to step aside while charges against them are outstanding?

[Political Financing, March 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear, this is not just a little administrative problem. It is election fraud. It is against the law and it is not commonplace. Only the Conservative regime had this scheme.

Charges have been laid. The Director of Public Prosecutions has said there is voluminous evidence of illegality. Even to lay those charges he first had to believe there was a likelihood of conviction.

To deter such illegal behaviour, will the Prime Minister support mandatory minimum sentences to get tough on Conservative crime?

[Political Financing, March 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative election fraud scheme is getting worse. It is a scheme to break national party spending laws by at least $1.3 million and then bilk taxpayers for $800,000 in illegal rebates claimed by 67 local Conservative riding associations. Now we know that at least 17 claims were actually paid before Elections Canada detected the fraud and stopped the dirty money.

If the Prime Minister thinks this is all okay, why did his regime concoct phony invoices to try to hide it?