The chatter in Question Period is starting to sound a bit like... well, you decide.
Mr. Vic Toews (Provencher, CPC): Mr. Speaker, former Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien is going to court to shut down Justice Gomery's commission in the same way the Liberals shut down the APEC and Somalia inquiries. The current Prime Minister claims that his government will defend Gomery, but it turns out Gomery wants his own lawyers because, as Gomery's lawyer said, he cannot trust government lawyers to defend the commission.Why can Justice Gomery not trust the government's lawyers to defend his commission?
Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has consistently supported the work of Justice Gomery. Our government has consistently supported the work of Justice Gomery. The only people I know who want Justice Gomery to fail and who want Canadians to make a rash decision based on unproven allegations and not on the truth of the Gomery report are the Conservative Party and the separatists who want this Parliament to fail because the Bloc wants Canada to fail.
[...]
Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary--Nose Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the government repeatedly promises to be open and transparent but behind closed doors it is a different ugly reality. The Prime Minister recently admitted that fellow Liberals pushed to hide the sponsorship scandal. He confessed that he had received "tons" of advice to "put it under the rug". Who are the tons of people in the PMO and in the cabinet counselling deceit and cover-up?
Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand by a Prime Minister who is willing to do the right thing and put country before party, to put principle before partisan strategy and to put Canadians first in his support for Justice Gomery so Canadians have the truth.
We are not as interested in partisan strategy over here. We are interested in getting to the truth for Canadians because Canadians deserve the truth.
Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary--Nose Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the inquiry came about because it was far too late for the Liberals to bury their misdeeds. The Auditor General had already sounded the alarm. The Prime Minister did the next best thing. He tied Gomery's hands.
The terms of reference prohibit Gomery from "expressing any conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal liability of any person or organization".
Why is the government hiding from Canadians the fact that Gomery is not allowed to say who the guilty parties are, as the Prime Minister promises?
Hon. Scott Brison (Minister ofWorks and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the fact is there are criminal charges against some individuals, including Mr. Brault, their much flaunted friend over there. The fact is we have launched civil actions against 19 firms and agencies to recover $41 million from those individuals.
Beyond that, there is a parallel process to the Gomery commission that is aimed at accomplishing two things: first, providing Canadians with an analysis of what happened in the fact finding part of his work; and, second, prescriptives to ensure it does not happen again.His mandate is clear and the mandate of all parliamentarians in the House is clear: to make this Parliament work..............
(Is Scott Brison really this lame, or have the Liberals simply decided to serve him up as cannon fodder?)
Mr. Stockwell Day (Okanagan--Coquihalla, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Maurice Strong is the Prime Minister's mentor, long-time intimate friend, long-time business associate at Power Corporation, and special adviser. Cordex Petroleum is now being investigated under the Iraq oil for food scandal for a $1 million injection from two agents of none other than the former dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Mr. Strong has stepped aside while this investigation is going on.I would like to ask the Prime Minister, as Mr. Strong is his special adviser, has he ever discussed with him the possibility of any Canadian implications in the oil for food program?
Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, there is an investigation that is being done on the whole oil for food program at the United Nations. I can say that Mr. Strong has absolutely denied these allegations. This country should be very proud of the role Mr. Maurice Strong has played over the years in his work in systematically making progress at the United Nations institutions. We should certainly respect Mr. Strong, who has absolutely denied these allegations and not resonate them across this country.
Mr. Stockwell Day (Okanagan--Coquihalla, CPC): Mr. Speaker, just this weekend it has come out that Mr. Strong has failed to comply with the United Nations hiring guidelines. It has also come out that Paribas Bank, affiliated with Power Corporation, has made over 400 payments under the oil for food program to companies that are not on the United Nations approved list, including Canadian recipients.
Will the Prime Minister, to clear Canada's name and to fix Canada's international reputation which is being hurt by the sponsorship scandal, ask for an investigation of any Canadian implication in the oil for food program?Hon. Pierre Pettigrew (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Mr. Strong has been absolutely clear. He has denied these allegations. We in this Parliament should respect an eminent Canadian who has worked very hard and very well at the United Nations.
There, as in the sponsorship inquiry since the member raised it, we should take allegations for what they are, and that is, allegations which are not proven. Let the people at the United Nations do their investigation, as we are saying that Gomery should be doing his report on allegations here. Let us bring back some sense in this House.
Well, that's revealing. The UN investigation is coming apart at the seams, as it becomes more and more apparent that Paul Volcker has some conflict of interest disclosure issues of his own, and is now being openly charged with protecting the primary suspects than he is in uncovering the corruption - which makes it not so much different than what has gone on in Adscam. Of course, both investigations were set up by Canadian Liberals...
To which allegations do you refer M. Pedicure? Mr. Day made no allegations. He asked a simple question of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Strong has publicly admitted that Park invested in Cordex.
Let the record speak:
1. Current Canadian Ambassador to UN: Allan Rock, Liberal.
2. Tainted Blood Scandal: then Minister of Health : Allan Rock, Liberal.
3. "Architect" of Canada's Gun Registry: then Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada: Allan Rock, Liberal.
Allan Rock, Liberal: Appointed by Chretien/Martin, Libranos.
The fish rots from the head down.
When was the last time Martin answered questions in question period? Just curious.
He did yesterday, but likely because Harper wasn't around and McKay & Stronach are... not behaving overly supportive. In fact, Martin made a crack about Monte (bloggin' Monte that would be) being the "psuedo Opposition Leader" since he started QP rather than McKay. I'd though McKay was out of the House, but he stood up later. Sounds like maybe the lovebirds are plotting an overthrow or something... or maybe I'm just hypersensitive. Wonderful timing
"Maurice Strong, has created a worldwide network of influential people whom he's enlisted in the cause of environmentalism"
Meanwhile, towards this goal Manitoba's International Man of Mystery has built "a $35 million 12-suite beach resort at Villas del Carib on the eastern coast of Costa Rica. The luxury hotel was built within the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge".
Yes, Brison really is that lame. Consider the following:
"Mr. Pierre Poilievre (Nepean�Carleton, CPC): Mr. Speaker, where I come from people start paying rent when they move into the place.
The government has been paying half a million dollars per month to the company of a Quebec Liberal senator for a building that was totally empty for an entire year, and half empty for the last six months. Only in Liberal wonderland would that be considered a good deal.
Will the Prime Minister stand in the House and explain to us why Canadians paid nearly $10 million to rent a vacant building from one of his Liberal friends in the Liberal Senate?
Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, perhaps the hon. member is referring to the fact that the building is located in Quebec. It is interesting that he should do that given that his riding is on the border on the Ottawa side, but perhaps it speaks to his opposition to the 75:25 rule where we are working to ensure that 25% of the employees of the federal government are in Quebec.
Why is he attacking our efforts to ensure equity in the national capital region? Why is he playing petty politics with a genuine effort by the federal government to ensure equity within the national capital region and that Quebec is treated fairly on this issue?"
...."We are not as interested in partisan strategy over here. We are interested in getting to the truth for Canadians because Canadians deserve the truth." - Scott Brison Liberal MP
God have mercy on us. Not only have the lunatics taken over the asylum, they truly believe we are grateful. I expect that any day now The Toronto Star will be reviewing a "must see movie": The Stepford Voters.
Someone made this point elsewhere... but I thought I'd share it with you here.
So, because Maurice Strong says he denies all allegations against him, that's good enough for the Liberals? You mean, they won't even investigate the allegations a little to see if they have any merit, but just take someone so strongly connected to Oil-for-Food at his word? Really??