Ralph Goodale

[Sponsorship Program, March 22nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been very clear to ensure that all answers are in fact provided in the proper way and after thorough investigation.

In addition to the steps that I announced earlier, the Prime Minister has also appointed a special counsel for the recovery of money. He has moved to discipline the behaviour of crown corporations. He has announced a new system to select crown corporation directors, chairs and chief executive officers. He has implemented advertising reform measures to ensure transparency in competition and we have in fact cut the budget for advertising.

The Prime Minister is acting on all fronts.

[Sponsorship Program, March 22nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, on behalf of the government, let me congratulate the hon. member for his ascension to the leadership of his party and welcome him back as Leader of the Opposition. May he have a long and compelling career in that role.

As the hon. gentleman will know, beginning on December 12 the Prime Minister has taken a series of very decisive actions, beginning with the total cancellation of the sponsorship program, the expedition of the work of the public accounts committee, the appointment of a public inquiry, and a number of other steps in order to ensure that, indeed, Canadians get the answers they deserve.

[Taxation, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, hon. members will know that this is not the first time that the hon. gentleman has raised this matter. In response to him on previous occasions, I have indicated that I would take his question as a representation, as part of my consultations with Canadians.

Obviously, if there is something to be said on this matter, it would have to be said a week from Tuesday.

[Natural Resources, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, in a conversation some months ago with the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Prime Minister indicated that these were matters that needed to be carefully examined and re-examined.

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador can rest assured that this is going to be done.

[Sponsorship Program, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman reminds me of the adage that one is taught in law school. When one is weak on both the law and the facts, all one can do is pound the table. There is a lot of table pounding going on here.

Again, I refer to the documents to which the people across the floor are referring. The memo from Ms. O'Leary was about more competition, not less competition. The memo with respect to Mr. Littler was to him, not from him. They have inverted all of the evidence completely on its head and have come up with a mismatch.

[Sponsorship Program, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, everything the Prime Minister has said and done, both as Prime Minister and in his previous capacities, indicates complete honour and probity in public life. Any allegation to the contrary is totally malicious.

[Post-Secondary Education, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to travel across the country in January and I consulted with Canadians about their prebudget expectations. I can tell the hon. gentleman that in every one of those round table sessions, education was indicated as a major concern and priority for Canadians. They also emphasized that the critical issue was access. While I cannot scoop myself, I think I will leave the answer right there.

[Sponsorship Program, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, without commenting on the detail, of course the government applauds the courage of Mr. Cutler.

[Sponsorship Program, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, far from washing his hands, the Prime Minister has launched the most comprehensive process ever undertaken to make sure that this matter is thoroughly ventilated, all the facts are known, the trail is followed to wherever it leads, and the appropriate consequences ensue. The Prime Minister has been very open, transparent and definitive in dealing with this matter and Canadians recognize that.

[Sponsorship Program, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there was a set of rules put in place in the early 1990s with respect to contracting procedures, which had to do, if the hon. gentleman is familiar with the details, with the old appendix Q to the government procurement regulations and so forth.

Throughout my investigation of those matters, I determined that the procedures laid out deserved to be strengthened. In fact, that strengthening took place during the course of 2002 and 2003 to revise the rules. Prior to that, all of the evidence before me would suggest that the Minister of Finance complied with all of the obligations upon him.