Ralph Goodale

[Government Contracts, June 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what the internal audit suggested was that changes needed to be made to comply with treasury board procedures, that there needed to be processes and controls over granting and management of sponsorships to ensure due diligence, and that there needed to be the implementation of management controls to ensure sponsorship amounts are consistently determined.

Those were the findings of the internal audit. It is upon that internal audit that the department began to act in the year 2000, through 2001. We did further investigation in the spring of this year to confirm that the action had been taken.

[Government Contracts, June 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the issue here is one of making certain that the RCMP has the full scope to do its work without interference.

If we in the House engage in a running commentary about what has been referred to the RCMP and what has not, sooner or later one member of the House, either on this side or that side, is going to end up fouling up an RCMP investigation. The police must not be interfered with.

[Government Contracts, June 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my predecessor established the precedent with respect to Groupaction in making sure that sponsorship activity was terminated with those firms and I have done the same.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, a reference to the RCMP is hardly a cover-up

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, there were questions about this file that troubled both me and my officials. The appropriate steps have been taken to invite an inquiry by the RCMP.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, for reasons similar to the ones expressed in the question, that matter has been referred to the RCMP and I have taken steps today to begin the process of recovering the money.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have dealt with that question. References have been made to the RCMP. Only the RCMP will know which investigations they are undertaking.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, when the auditor general appeared before the public accounts committee last week, the auditor general said it was her hope that by the time she had completed her next audit, between now and the year 2003, she would be able to report that there were problems but that the government had proactively addressed them. That is my hope as well and I intend to deliver.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the events of the year 2000 show that the department of public works itself instigated the internal audit. That internal audit section of the department is described as excellent and courageous by the auditor general.

The work was done. Following the work, an implementation plan was developed to address the deficiencies that the internal audit discovered. In the spring of the year 2000 the process was reviewed again to make sure that the steps that needed to be taken had in fact been taken.

[Government Contracts, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, a full departmental review is underway by my department. The treasury board will be conducting an examination about management frameworks and governance system having to do with sponsorships, advertising and polling. The public accounts committee is holding meetings and hearings. Wherever matters involve legal questions, references are made to the police. Of course the auditor general will be conducting a government-wide inquiry with all the powers that she has under the Auditor General Act.