Ralph Goodale

[Government Contracts, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have absolutely no knowledge about what Groupaction may or may not have said to its employees.

The point is, if one wants a thorough, professional and comprehensive investigation one gets the best investigators in the world and that is the RCMP.

[Government Contracts, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is not only a matter of official knowledge, it is a matter of very public knowledge that the RCMP is conducting a very thorough investigation with respect to Groupaction.

[Government Expenditures, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, to the very best of my knowledge and information, the calculation that is causing some confusion for the hon. gentleman is that the Shandong transaction was calculated in American dollars and the transaction with the Government of Canada was contracted in Canadian dollars and that entirely accounts for the difference.

[Government Expenditures, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, having looked at the record of this matter in terms of all of the steps that need to be examined to conclude an effective procurement of goods on behalf of the Government of Canada, it would appear that all of those steps were properly followed in this case.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, in all of my work in this portfolio over the last number of months I have found no evidence to substantiate the type of allegation the hon. gentleman is making.

I would suggest to the House that the two most effective, the two most qualified, the two most probing investigators that one could have in circumstances of this kind are, on the one hand, the Auditor General of Canada and, on the other hand, the RCMP.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, no such thing. There are two broad types of inquiries or investigations that are now underway.

First, as the hon. gentleman will know, launched by the Auditor General with respect to a government wide advertising and sponsorship activity. The House knows that the Auditor General will go wherever she has to go to investigate matters.

Similarly with the RCMP. If a matter is referred to the RCMP it is not for the government to interfere. The RCMP will investigate whatever it chooses to investigate.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on many occasions during the month of June I outlined a series of steps, indeed layers of series of steps, that were being taken to get to the bottom of this matter and to provide a complete ventilation of what went on.

I am pleased to inform the House that there are two further steps being taken. First, a time verification audit in respect of some of the matters that raise particular concern has now been launched and is proceeding. Second, my deputy minister, as stated before a standing committee of the House, has launched an administrative review to examine compliance with the Financial Administration Act with the Government of Canada.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I gathered from the line of questioning last week that that might well have been the allegation that the hon. gentleman was making. I have made inquiries and I am advised that in fact there was a standing offer in place and that it was available to both the Departments of Public Works and Canadian Heritage.

[Government Contracts, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am advised that prior to the particular contract that has been referred to, a competitive process was indeed used to select a number of firms to be placed on the pre-qualified supplier list for advertising and related services on behalf of both the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Department of Public Works and Government Services. Groupe Everest was one of the firms that was on that list and that list was established by a competitive process.

[Government Contracts, October 4th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, if the question from the hon. member is whether there was a deliberate attempt made to circumvent the normal procedures, I can assure her, on the information that has been given to me by my officials, that is not the case.