House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 71% of the vote.
Standing Committee on Public Accounts April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, Liberal members of the committee cooperated fully because they wanted to get to the truth. It was opposition members who actually in the end scuttled the ability of the committee to submit an important report, an interim report that would have given Canadians some insight into the issue at an appropriate time.
Liberal members of this House are totally committed to getting to the bottom of this issue.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. This Prime Minister has consistently told the truth to Canadians because this Prime Minister is not afraid of the truth. That is why he established Justice Gomery. That is why he supports Justice Gomery. That is why he is not afraid of Justice Gomery's report: because he is ready for the truth and because he knows Canadians deserve the truth.
The only people who are afraid of the truth, who are afraid of Justice Gomery presenting his report, are sitting right over there. We are not afraid of the truth in this part of the House.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. The Prime Minister at no time intervened to direct contracts. The Leader of the Opposition last night said that there are honest decent people in the Liberal Party. He is absolutely right, and our Prime Minister is one of them. He has demonstrated remarkable courage and determination to get to the bottom of this important issue.
The fact is that today's Toronto Star said that the Prime Minister has “acted honestly. No other federal party chief has faced such a leadership test so openly. Fairness demands this be recognized”. I would urge the hon. member to recognize that and to stop playing partisan games with an important issue like this.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister has been very clear that he has worked assiduously to support Justice Gomery. We as a government have cooperated fully with Justice Gomery.
In fact, the Liberal Party has cooperated fully with Justice Gomery by engaging auditors to conduct financial reviews and providing all that information to Justice Gomery. The party continues to work cooperatively with Justice Gomery because we as Liberals want to get to the bottom of this issue. We as Liberals want to defend Canadian values and the Canadian taxpayer and do the right thing.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the party has been clear. If the party received inappropriate money, it will reimburse the taxpayers.
The initiative taken by the Prime Minister to recover funds from 19 firms and individuals, $41 million of funds, is an important one. I am glad the hon. member recognizes the importance of it. It is achieving justice on behalf of Canadians. It is achieving justice on behalf of the Canadian taxpayer.
Regardless of his or her party stripe, anyone who committed fraud, anyone who achieved financial gain inappropriately on the back of the battle against separatism deserves to be punished.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, opposition members called for the recall of Mr. Gagliano at the time. That was done. They should be commending the Prime Minister for doing that and pursuing that course of action, not attacking him for it. Furthermore, it is clear that what is going on here is hysteria. It is reputations being smeared. Today the Ottawa Citizen said:
Reputations are being casually smeared, the self-serving claims of accused fraud artists...are accepted as gospel and...fragments of testimony are flung across the Commons aisle every day, under the cover of parliamentary privilege.
Why not let Justice Gomery be the judge?
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, our Prime Minister is not afraid of the truth. Our Prime Minister has put country ahead of party. Our Prime Minister has put principle ahead of partisanship. That is exactly the opposite of what the Conservatives are doing, what the Bloc is doing with this important issue.
The fact is the Prime Minister supports Justice Gomery because he believes, as Canadians believe, that Canadians deserve the truth. That is exactly what they will have with Justice Gomery's report, not a smattering of witness testimony that some days contradicts other witness testimony. Canadians do not benefit from that kind of partisanship. They benefit from the truth.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, in his preamble, the hon. member referred to the hon. member for Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont.
I would like to remind the hon. member what the member for Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont had to say this morning on CBC. He said, “I never heard, in all the seven years in cabinet, a word about the problem with the kinds of things that were revealed at the Gomery inquiry last week. To me it makes sense that the Prime Minister did not know anything about this and he has said that many times”.
That is the hon. member he has referred to who has left the Liberal Party because he does not want to defend Justice Gomery.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was very open, transparent and cooperative when he was a witness before Justice Gomery, a commission that he had the courage to set up in the first place.
She is commenting on the testimony of a witness that has already contradicted some other witness testimony. I would urge her to do what all Canadians want her and her party to do, which is to wait for Justice Gomery's report.
Last night on television the leader of the Conservatives said, “There's lots of people in the Liberal Party of honesty and integrity”. He is absolutely right and our Prime Minister is one of them.
Sponsorship Program April 13th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, further to the hon. member's question, the fact is the government has acted decisively to strengthen governance within departments and with the comptroller function. The government has introduced whistleblower protection which has the capacity to make a real difference in terms of accountability on an ongoing basis.
Through an expenditure review process, the government has saved the Canadian taxpayer $11 billion over the next five years. That is money that can be invested in health care, in child care and in Canadian cities and communities.
We are demonstrating respect for the Canadian taxpayer and respect for Canadian values.