Stockwell Day

[Ethics Counsellor, March 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister would like to pretend that the Shawinigate mess is over, but the ethics counsellor has now launched a new investigation of the corporate records of the Grand-Mère golf club, which may finally reveal whether the Prime Minister remained a shareholder in the company after 1996.

Why will the Prime Minister simply not tell the House whether he was the direct or beneficial owner of an interest in the Grand-Mère golf club at any time after 1996? Simply tell us.

[The Senate, March 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the Alliance has never rejected Senate reform. We have surveys which show that an overwhelming majority of citizens in British Columbia want to elect their senators. As a matter of fact we see numbers as high as 84% in favour of electing senators in B.C.

Now Senator Pat Carney has offered to vacate her seat if the Prime Minister agrees to appoint a senator elected by British Columbians. Why will the Prime Minister not agree to take the opportunity to establish a true legacy, a legacy to democracy and respect for democracy, by honouring the will of British Columbians and appointing an elected senator?

[The Senate, March 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in a letter to the premier of British Columbia today Senator Pat Carney has asked that Premier Dosanjh reintroduce legislation to elect senators.

In an historic declaration somewhat similar to that of Canadian Alliance Senator Gerry St. Germain, she has also offered to resign her Senate seat if the Prime Minister agrees to appoint the successful winner of a Senate election in British Columbia.

When will the Prime Minister agree to fill any further Senate vacancies with senators who have been duly elected by citizens in the provinces they will represent?

[Immigration, March 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think anything is investigated by that particular minister. There were pictures of this gentleman with people in the underworld in Montreal.

Since he is trying to evade the question let us switch it. The warrant for Mr. Amodeo came through in January 1999. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration claims she was unaware of the warrant until January 2001, two years later.

My question for the solicitor general is simply this. Did his department inform the Department of Citizenship and Immigration about this particular warrant? Simply yes or no.

[Immigration, March 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, we are starting to wonder if the RCMP arrest under any law.

Yesterday in the House the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration made the following statement:

We need evidence and warrants before we can arrest and deport someone.

Now we have evidence. Why? Because the RCMP was in possession of a warrant for the arrest of Gaetano Amodeo as far back as January 1999.

My question is simple and specific. Why did the government wait two years before taking action?

[Immigration, March 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration said “We need evidence and warrants before we can arrest and deport someone. We do not rely on whisper and innuendo”.

We have the evidence now that a warrant for the arrest of Gaetano Amodeo was sent to the RCMP in January 1999 for the murder of a police officer but the government waited two years to act.

I am just curious. Does the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration consider a formal arrest warrant and request for extradition from the Italian government to be merely whisper and innuendo?

[Immigration, March 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, both the minister of immigration and the solicitor general have clearly indicated that it is only recently they knew about this situation.

Yet the evidence is very clear. It has been over two years that they have had this information. They have either withheld information or they have not given accuracy to the House. Either of those is a great failing.

Which of these two ministers, or both, will the Prime Minister ask to resign on the grounds of ministerial accountability for this lack of action?

[Immigration, March 13th, 2001]

The minister of immigration and the solicitor general both—

[Immigration, March 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is not a matter of deciding what the RCMP should do. It is whether you decide to tell the truth or not.

[Immigration, March 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, he decided not to give us the information or to give us wrong information.

Tomorrow, the Corriere Canadese , a Toronto Italian paper, will publish what the Italian authorities had been seeking since January 1999, the arrest of Gaetano Amodeo, in preparation for an application for extradition. The RCMP had monitored him and even photographed him with a head of the Montreal Mafia.

How does the Solicitor General explain the RCMP's decision to photograph this killer instead of handcuffing him?