Ralph Goodale

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and all members of the government share the distress of Canadians, as the hon. gentleman has referred to. We are determined that this matter will be dealt with decisively. We have launched a series of processes now to make sure that the past is properly addressed and the future is safeguarded in such a way that this cannot occur.

[Taxation, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I believe a very credible case can be made on the basis of the common laws that presently stand that the type of behaviour that the hon. gentleman refers to is already non-deductible.

I know that he has a private member's bill before the House that is proposing a remedy with respect to this matter. I am looking at it very closely. I want to assure him I have it under active consideration.

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I have no knowledge of the document the hon. gentleman is referring to. If he would care to share a copy with me, I will look at it.

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that whenever any wrongdoing of any nature came to the attention of this minister or any other minister, we have taken the steps to deal with that immediately.

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has indicated in the House and outside, the facts of this matter, as they have been presented by the Auditor General, are absolutely appalling.

They are unacceptable to the government. We are determined to ensure that this matter is properly dealt with, both in investigating what went before and putting in place safeguards so that it shall never happen again.

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that decisive action on this file was taken throughout 2002 and 2003. I would remind her that the program was frozen. I would remind her that the advertising agencies were fired. I would remind her that a number of cases were referred to the RCMP.

I would remind her that there was full and complete disclosure to the Auditor General. I would remind her that forensic experts were called in to help evaluate the files, and that the no value flow throughs to the crown corporations were stopped and that $3 million was held back as a safeguard for the public.

[Lobbyists, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there are indeed codes of conduct that need to be adhered to. If the hon. gentleman has a specific example to give me or a specific complaint that he would like me to follow up, I undertake that I will do that.

[Lobbyists, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister indicated earlier this week, as he has throughout his political career, that he expects all of those who are associated with him to abide by the highest possible standards and we will all do our best to live up to those standards.

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister indicated that the fact that this matter went beyond mere administrative complaints or problems was coming to everybody's attention in the early months of 2002. The letter from Mr. Maharaj was part of that, as were the other public stories that were circulating.

The decisive information became available when the Auditor General was called in by the government. She then began to reveal the magnitude of scope of the issue, and decisive action--

[Government Contracts, February 13th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, beginning with the work of the Auditor General that I have referred to earlier, there was additional action taken at the time. As the hon. gentleman will recall, the program was frozen. The private agencies were fired. The cases were referred to the RCMP. There was full, ongoing disclosure made to the Auditor General. Forensic experts were called in. The no-value flowthroughs to the crown corporations were stopped. We yanked some $3 million back from many of the impugned firms.