Scott Brison

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Globe and Mail editorial on Friday said that there was no persuasive testimony that the Prime Minister was involved in any way in any alleged chicanery.

After months of testimony and after over 12 million pages of documents reviewed by the Gomery commission, opposition members have failed to identify any involvement by the Prime Minister of Canada in any of this activity. They are involved in a smear campaign and they ought to respect what Justice Gomery is doing.

Furthermore, the hon. member who just spoke said a few weeks ago, “There's a lot of work still to be done. In a minority Parliament, we can get a lot done. I'm just worried that Canadians may lose confidence in the government and put some in us. They might--

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been clear, the government has been clear and the party has been clear that if there were funds received for the party inappropriately, those funds will be returned to the Canadian taxpayer.

We can trust our Prime Minister to act on this and to ensure that the party acts on this because our Prime Minister is the individual who has demonstrated the courage to establish Justice Gomery's work, to support Justice Gomery and to ensure that Canadians have the truth they deserve.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, we know that some Groupaction employees gave $100,000 to the Parti Québécois, and that Groupaction received contracts from the Société des alcools du Québec and Télé-Québec. That is quite something for a party that claims to be clean.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there is little wonder that, in reference to the hon. member for Calgary Southeast, the Friday Globe and Mail editorial stated:

Well, perhaps Canadians are fairer- minded than...[the member for Calgary Southeast]. Perhaps they are not as keen to seize on any excuse, however tenuous, to push the country into an election. Perhaps they have higher standards.

It is interesting to note as well that today's Ottawa Citizen referred to the hon. member as the “Prince of Meanness”.

Canadians do not like meanness. They like greatness. That is why they support a great Prime Minister, not a mean party like the Conservative Party that is doing the wrong thing at a crucial time.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, these are nothing but unproven allegations. These are not facts. There are many other allegations, for example, that the Conservative government at the time was involved in more political interference than the Liberal government.

The fact is that any of these allegations are simply that. They are allegations and they are unproven. Whether they are allegations against the Conservatives, the Bloc or the Liberals, Canadians want us to get to the bottom of this issue and do the right thing, which is exactly what our Prime Minister is doing. He is putting country above party and he is doing the right thing. He is getting to the bottom of this issue for Canadians and not playing cheap politics with--

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to rely on individual testimony, then we ought to accept as fact that there are allegations against the Conservative Party, for instance, or that there are allegations against the Parti Québécois, the Bloc cousins in Quebec. That would not be fair to the reputations of the Conservatives nor the reputations of the Bloc. In fact, it would not be fair to anyone involved in the political process in Canada.

What would be fair is to follow the leadership of this Prime Minister to support the work of Justice Gomery and get to the truth because this is an issue that is important for all Canadians and we owe it to Canadians to get to the truth.

[Sponsorship Program, May 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is also important to recognize that this morning's testimony by Mr. Corbeil contradicted some of Mr. Béliveau's testimony.

Once again, when we comment on individual testimony we really do run the risk of making errors. The only way we are going to actually get to the bottom of this issue is to allow Justice Gomery to complete his work.

Further, I would urge the hon. member to reflect on Mr. Béliveau's testimony in that he said that he had acted alone and that he had not informed anyone else within the party structure of his actions.

[Sponsorship Program, May 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the party has been clear: if it has received inappropriate funds, it will reimburse the taxpayers.

What is also clear is that there have been allegations against the Parti Québécois and it has not been really as forthright as the Prime Minister.

There should be an inquiry into the Parti Québécois. There should be an inquiry into the activities of the separatists. If the Bloc is interested in the truth, it should be supporting the Prime Minister and doing the same thing in its own house.

[Sponsorship Program, May 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there have also been allegations that the Parti Québécois, the provincial sister party of the separatists, has received funds inappropriately and that the receipt of those funds helped influence the direction of contracts to companies as a result.

Because of those allegations, I would urge that we not consider those allegations as fact and in fairness to the Parti Québécois, the separatists and all people who are implicated unfairly by some of these allegations, that we wait for the Gomery report. That would be the right thing to do.

[Sponsorship Program, May 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, once again they are talking about unproven, unsubstantiated allegations. They are not talking about the facts. To have the facts, we have to wait for the Gomery report.

However, it is very clear that the separatists do not want Canadians to have the facts before an election. The separatists want to have an election based on wild accusations and allegations. What is good for the separatists is rarely good for Canada and the Conservatives ought to remember that. We are standing up for the truth. We are standing up for Canadians. We are giving Canadians the respect they deserve and the truth they deserve.