Scott Brison

[Sponsorship Program, February 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Justice Gomery is doing his work, and all Canadians will benefit from his work. We would be doing our work if we were to actually focus on the issues facing Canadians on a day-to-day basis, like agriculture, health care, our foreign policy issues, instead of talking about Justice Gomery's work on a daily basis.

They have no legal expertise over there. They do not understand the law of the land. Why are they trying to conduct a judicial inquiry here on the floor of the House of Commons?

[Sponsorship Program, February 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, once again they are commenting on daily testimony. They are slow learners over there when it comes to the laws of the land and the independence of a judicial inquiry. We have set up the Gomery commission to get to the bottom of this issue because that is what Canadians want to hear.

The fact is that Canadians also want to hear us in the House discussing important issues before the country, issues like health care, like child care, like the investments in Canadian communities, and they know that the reason why that party refuses to discuss those issues is that the Government of Canada and the Prime Minister of Canada are addressing those issues full square and doing the right things on behalf of--

[Sponsorship Program, February 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it would best to avoid prejudging the work of Justice Gomery. We must wait for his report, which I look forward to reading. However, it is inappropriate to prejudge his work, daily here in the House of Commons.

[Sponsorship Program, February 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the government has cooperated fully with the public accounts committee and with the Gomery commission, in fact providing cabinet confidences back to 1993.

The fact is that the reason the hon. member can irresponsibly comment on the daily testimony before the Gomery commission is that there is a Gomery commission because of the courage and vision of our leader, the Prime Minister of Canada, who has actually done the right thing and has set up the Gomery commission to get to the truth, which is what Canadians want to happen.

[Sponsorship Program, February 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, once again, Canadians want Justice Gomery to continue to work and do his inquiry. What they do not want is a parallel inquiry on the floor of the House of Commons, rehashing the same information but without the sage wisdom and management of a respected jurist like Justice Gomery. We know that the party opposite and the members opposite do not understand the laws of the land, so if they do not understand the laws of the land, why are they trying to conduct a judicial inquiry here on the floor of the House of Commons?

[Public Works and Government Services, February 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, our trade agreements protect Canadian jobs because they protect Canadian companies against discrimination from foreign governments when they do business as individual Canadian companies anywhere in the world. And we lose our ability to defend the rights of Canadian companies as they compete for business in other countries when we discriminate against foreign companies as they compete in Canada.

When we defend trade, we create Canadian jobs, and free trade is one of the reasons why Canada has among the lowest unemployment rates we have had in a generation.

I knew that party across was not progressive anymore. Now I learn they are not even conservative.

[Sponsorship Program, February 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the opposition is saying that a $41 billion agreement with the Canadian provinces was a failure. I guess the opposition is saying that a new deal for Canadian communities is a failure. I guess the opposition is saying that child care does not matter in Canada and it is not important that the Government of Canada focus on providing child care across Canada and working with Canadian provinces.

The opposition is out of touch because our Prime Minister has delivered on his promises, and the government is reflecting the values and interests of all Canadians.

[Sponsorship Program, February 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have an independent commission to get to the bottom of this because that is the best way to achieve that goal, and that is the goal that Canadians want us to achieve.

Beyond that, there are important issues facing the country: health care, equalization, child care, agriculture and our agenda for Canadian cities. These are all files on which the government is working actively. I wish the opposition would do its job, and that is to engage in the public policy items that interest Canadians and that are important to the future generations of the country instead of scandalmongering all the time on the floor of the House of Commons.

[Sponsorship Program, February 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it really demeans the House when members of Parliament use parliamentary immunity to say things that are simply not true.

The fact is that on an ongoing basis, by commenting on Justice Gomery's work and by commenting on daily testimony, they are making errors and they are misleading Canadians by making those types of outrageous assertions here on the floor of the House.

We are not afraid of the truth. That is why we set up the Gomery inquiry to get to the truth, and we support Justice Gomery in his work.

[Sponsorship Program, February 3rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, once again the hon. member and hon. members opposite are making the grievous error of commenting on daily testimony. They have been proven wrong repeatedly as we have heard by contradictory testimony in the following days or weeks.

The reason Justice Gomery has been given his mandate is because Canadians want us to get to the truth. Our Prime Minister and our government stands full square with Canadians. We will get to the truth despite the constant interference of the opposition in this important matter.